If you’ve ever shopped and gone through the mortgage approval process, you know how time-consuming and stressful it can be, particularly if you are a first-time borrower. Having the skill of a mortgage broker on your side can reduce those stresses, help you find the best mortgage products for your financial situation and can often […]
What You Should Know About Buying a Home in Florida
If you’re looking to buy a home in Florida, you’re in for a new experience. You will no doubt notice that there are things that are very different here in the Sunshine State if you’re moving here from out of state. Let’s look at some of these things. Hurricane Shutters In Florida, hurricanes are a […]
VA Mortgage Benefits Offer Affordability in Our Competitive Market
Over the decades, South Florida has consistently been a hot real estate market. Unfortunately, we’ve seen many instances where potential homeowners have been left out in the cold due to affordability and the inability to get mortgage lending. This is when VA mortgage benefits continue to be the most helpful mortgage financing available for those […]
5 Things Every Florida Property Investor Must Consider
Investing in Florida property can be a desirable and rewarding endeavor, especially when you consider that it is one of the best markets from an investment standpoint. While property investing can be very lucrative, there are several questions that must be answered before getting started such as: What are the benefits of buying investment property […]
Is a Cash-Out Refinance Right for You?
If you’re a homeowner who has a substantial amount of equity in your home, you may have thought about getting a cash-out mortgage refinance. This type of refinance allows you to use the equity in your home right now instead of waiting until you sell. This can enable you to pay down personal debt, make […]
Florida Condo Association/Project Mortgage Financing FAQ’s
Is FHA financing available to purchase a condo? Currently and generally the answer is no. HUD is currently in the process of adopting rules to allow for easier FHA condo financing but those new rules are not yet available. In the meantime, you can check HUD’s Condo Look to best determine if the condo project is approved. […]
Florida Downpayment Housing Assistance
We at Florida State Mortgage Group, Inc in conjunction with various local government entities are very pleased to be able to cooperatively offer down payment assistance funds to qualified borrowers. We are currently offering downpayment assistance funds in numerous cities within Broward, Palm Beach and Orange Counties. Additionally, we may be able to identify assistance in other areas throughout Florida. Housing downpayment […]
Florida Hazard and Flood Insurance
One very major expense consideration in a home purchase is the associated hazard insurance. Your mortgage lender should have the contacts to assist you in obtaining competitive premium rate quotes. We at Florida State Mortgage Group, Inc typically will request quotes from at least 3 separate insurance agents. This process has resulted in significant savings […]
Mortgage Interest Rates and The Hidden In Plain Sight Lender Fees
Mortgage interest rates are very typically confusing to most borrowers. They see a rate advertised and think that’s a deal. They rarely are made aware of what may be required to secure that rate. The first rule is one of the oldest and most common rules in consumer history; if it looks too good to […]
Credit Report Scores
Customers quite frequently are reluctant to have us obtain their credit reports on an initial inquiry for fear that multiple inquires will result in lowering their credit score. FALSE. Mortgage credit inquires do not impact a borrower’s credit scoring. We can pull the borrower’s credit reports multiple times a day for several days and it […]