loans - The Howell Group

February 9, 2023

How Much You Need To Save For A Down Payment?

If you’re getting ready to buy your first home, you’re likely focused on saving up for everything that purchase involves. One cost that’s likely top of mind is your down payment. But don’t let a...

February 3, 2023

Pre-Approval In 2023: What You Need To Know

ne of the first steps in your homebuying journey is getting pre-approved. To understand why it’s such an important step, you need to understand what pre-approval is and what it does for you. Business Insider explains: “In a preapproval, the lender...

January 28, 2023

Waiting For Low Mortgage Rates?

Last year, the Federal Reserve took action to try to bring down inflation. In response to those efforts, mortgage rates jumped up rapidly from the record lows we saw in 2021, peaking at just over...

April 10, 2019

Which Down Payment Strategy Is Right For You?

You’ve most likely heard the rule or had one of your friends give you the advice: save for a 20 percent down payment before you buy a home. The logic behind saving 20 percent is...

February 5, 2018

The Lender Wants What? Don’t Let Paperwork Discourage You

You’ve found the home of your dreams, got it under contract, and are working with your lender to gather all of the documents they need to make your loan happen. It’s all going perfectly and...

March 12, 2016

Third Party Financing Addendum

The Third Party Financing Addendum was updated by the Texas Real Estate Commission on January 1, 2016 and since we’ve talked about the form previously (although some parts of the form have changed, this older post is...

February 24, 2016

How Credit Can Affect Your Ability To Buy A Home

Credit is the one word we can think of that no one really likes. People with good credit, people with bad credit – everyone gets a little nervous when they think about the magical number...

December 22, 2015

Loan Underwriting Doesn’t Need To Be A Complete Mystery

If you’ve ever bought a house, you’re probably familiar with hearing “your loan is in underwriting” and then playing the waiting game until it “comes out of underwriting.” It’s one of the steps in the...

April 11, 2014

FHA To Assist Former Homeowners With Foreclosures To Buy Again

FORECLOSURES MAY NOT AFFECT ABILITY TO BUY WITH NEW PROGRAM The Federal Housing Administration has extended a program seeking to help former homeowners that have recently had a foreclosure (as well as bankruptcy, deed in lieu of foreclosure, short...

October 13, 2013

Tapioca Pudding Or A 15 Year Mortgage? Which Is Better For You?

Is A 15 Year Mortgage The Right Choice? So, right off the bat you must be thinking – what on earth can 15 year mortgages and tapioca pudding possibly have in common? And you’re right...

September 26, 2013

Construction Loans, Lot Loans, And Interim Loans

Navigating Construction Loans And Lot Purchases The path from lot purchase to new home construction is laden with obstacles, not the least of which is the financing to get from A to B. It is...

January 16, 2013

Home Loan Dos And Don’ts

While writing yesterday’s article, “Your Credit and Buying a Home,” we were speaking with Michael Kingsbury of Academy Mortgage about some of the ins and outs of credit during the home loan process. Michael provided us with...