By Sam Wax You found a house in Wesley Chapel that checks every box. The catch is that you still live in your current home, and most of your down payment is tied up in it. Buying and selling at the...
By Sam Wax You locked in a fixed-rate mortgage so your payment would stay put. Then an envelope from your loan servicer shows up, and your monthly payment jumps by $200 or more. If you own a home in...
By Sam Wax Your parents own a house in the Tampa Bay area that has doubled in value since they bought it. They are ready to downsize, and you are trying to buy your first home in a market where...
By Sam Wax You’ve been told you’re not old enough for a reverse mortgage, or that you don’t qualify for the government-backed programs. So what can you do? If you own a home in the Tampa Bay area...
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...
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...
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...
By Sam Wax If you're house-hunting in the Tampa Bay area, you've probably typed your income into an online calculator, gotten a big number back, and wondered whether you can really afford it. It's a...
Many Tampa homebuyers only check with their bank when applying for a mortgage. While this can be a good starting point, working with an independent mortgage broker provides you with access to more...
By Sam Wax Recently, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis introduced a new property tax proposal. You might wonder what this means for your wallet, especially if you’re in the housing market. It’s a good...