By Gilbert Bennett The VA home loan is a significant financial benefit for eligible service members and veterans and, in my experience, the most misunderstood mortgage product. Veterans walk into my...
By Sam Wax You have owned your Tampa Bay home for decades. You watched its value climb, paid down most or all of the loan, and now you are retired on a fixed income while a large chunk of your net...
By Eric Yoder If you've been staring at your savings account wondering how you'll ever reach 20 percent, that excitement of buying a home wears thin fast. On a $400,000 home, 20 percent means...
By Gilbert Bennett You're scrolling listings in Tampa Bay and one line stops you cold: assumable VA loan, 2.75%. After years of watching rates sit well above that, it reads like a typo. It isn't....
If you used your VA loan to buy your first home in the Tampa Bay area, you may be wondering whether that benefit is gone for good. The good news is that it usually isn't. You can use your VA home...
By Eric Yoder Most first-time buyers in Tampa Bay hear about down payment assistance the same way. Someone at work mentions it, or an agent brings it up during a showing in Riverview, and it lands...
The down payment for first-time home buyers in Florida is the wall a lot of buyers hit first. That is the exact problem Florida's Hometown Heroes Program seeks to solve by offering down payment and...
A mortgage recast allows you to make a substantial lump-sum payment toward your principal and have your remaining monthly principal and interest payments recalculated using the lower balance. Your...
By Sam Wax Finding out your mortgage broker retired can feel unsettling, especially if they helped you buy your first home in Tampa and you figured they'd be your go-to for years. Maybe you were...
Yes, you may be able to buy a house while carrying student loan debt. Student loans do not automatically disqualify you from getting a mortgage. However, your monthly student loan obligation can...
By Sam Wax One of the quietest decisions you make in the home-buying process is who you trust to handle your loan. It's tempting to treat a mortgage broker like a one-time service: get the loan,...
By Sam Wax The moment you start searching for someone to handle your financing, it can feel overwhelming. Type "mortgage broker near me" into your phone, and you'll get a long list of names, all...