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Building Your Future: The Top Home Loans for Small Business Owners

Blog posted On March 13, 2025

Are you a small business owner? Worried about taking on a mortgage as a self-employed borrower? Don’t be! There are a number of home loans oriented towards entrepreneurs like yourself. We have alternative solutions for those whose tax returns don’t adequately reflect their income. Even if you don’t run your own business but you’re looking for more self-employed loan options, you’ll find this information helpful.

Why More Home Buyers Are Choosing Government-Backed Financing

Blog posted On March 06, 2025

More and more lately, home seekers are turning to government-backed loans for their home financing. According to HousingWire, FHA Loans accounted for 24% of primary home purchases in 2024, with VA Loans making up 10%. These types of loans have lower down payment qualifications — in some cases, 0% down — so it’s not surprising that future homeowners are taking advantage of these programs. Below, we’ll go over the type of government loans that we offer, created to offer affordable homeownership options for hopeful buyers.

How to Effectively Budget for Your First Home

Blog posted On February 28, 2025

Buying a home is an important decision, one of the biggest an adult can make. Everyone deserves a roof over their head, a happy house to come home to after a long day at work. We’re here to provide some handy tips and tricks for budgeting for your new mortgage, especially if you’re a first-time buyer. Every hopeful homeowner has to start somewhere, so why don’t we dive into some easy strategies, step-by-step, to get you started?

Leveraging List & Lock™: A Smart Move for Buyers and Sellers

Blog posted On February 21, 2025

Been struggling with seller negotiations? Or are you stuck with a listing that just won’t sell? Don’t drop the price just yet — we may have the solution for you. List & Lock™ can help eliminate one of the biggest hurdles a buyer struggles with: the rate! Through this program, sellers can advertise discounted rates without lowering the listing price, a win-win for agents, buyers, and sellers alike.* Let’s tackle some of the benefits below.

Love and Loans: How HomeFundIt™ Supports Your Homeownership Dreams

Blog posted On February 13, 2025

Love is in the air this week! To celebrate couples, we wanted to highlight HomeFundIt™, our down payment gifting platform. Often, prospective home buyers have used this program as a wedding registry, raising funds from their friends and family on their big day. Moving into a new home is one of the biggest steps for a couple, so we’re here to provide a program that can both boost your love story as well as your homeownership dreams.

From Tenant to Owner: How to Buy the Home You Rent

Blog posted On February 07, 2025

Love the home you’re renting? Well, you might want to consider broaching this topic with your landlord: are they willing to sell? With a little time and research, you could potentially convince them to let you buy the rental unit you’re currently living in. It’s worth a shot if you’re already living in an ideal home, despite it being someone else’s property.

Buyer’s Market vs. Seller’s Market: What You Need to Know

Blog posted On January 31, 2025

There are two real estate terms that get thrown around in this industry: a buyer’s market and a seller’s market. What differentiates these two markets? And how can you, either as a potential homeowner or seller, use this real estate knowledge to your advantage? Supply and demand is the bread and butter of this industry, the keys to understanding the nuances of the mortgage world, and the secrets to becoming a savvy borrower in the future.

Use Your Tax Refund Toward Home Buying Costs

Blog posted On January 23, 2025

Tax season is right around the corner! If you’re expecting a sizeable tax refund on the horizon and want to invest in your homeownership future, here’s something you might not have considered: using your tax refund to buy your home. You’d be surprised at the ways you can utilize your tax refund for home buying success, so let’s tackle a few of those options right now.

The Perks of Home Buying in the Winter Season

Blog posted On January 16, 2025

When most people think of the best season to buy a home, summer comes to mind. Likely, there’s an understandable reluctance to moving when there’s snow on the ground. However, is it not worse to move in 80-90 degree heat, with the sun beating down relentlessly while moving heavy boxes and furniture? In the colder season, moving will keep you warm, and you likely won’t be affected by the cold as much as you’d think. There’s also less competition to contend with and more time to work with your agent. And best of all, your negotiation power has much more weight in the winter. Still not convinced? Let’s walk through some of the perks of home buying this winter.

Real Estate Lessons From It’s a Wonderful Life

Blog posted On January 02, 2025

Considered one of the greatest films of all time and certainly amongst the best holiday movies, It’s a Wonderful Life released in 1946 and despite nearing its 80^th anniversary, its themes of family and friendship have resounded powerfully throughout each ensuing decade. The film is especially relevant to today’s housing market; much of the movie’s plot revolves around affordable homes, ditching landlords like Mr. Potter, and in George and Mary Bailey’s case, taking on a fixer-upper home. The real estate market has fluctuated plenty since Frank Capra’s beloved picture dropped in theaters, but the dream of homeownership is ever-present in the film, one that George Bailey believes everyone deserves, regardless of their situation.

2025 Housing Trends: How to Financially Prepare for the Market Shifts Ahead

Blog posted On December 20, 2024

Now that 2025 is nearly upon us, it’s time to take a look at predictions for the next year, especially concerning the housing market and how it affects buyers. We’d also like to share some financial tips on how best to prepare for potential market shifts on the horizon. We want to help set you up for home buying success in the new year!

What the Rising Age of First-Time Home Buyers Means for the Real Estate Market

Blog posted On December 13, 2024

According to the National Association of Realtors’ 2024 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers report, the average age of first-time home buyers has reached 38 years old, a jump from the year prior (35 last year). Let’s decode some of the reasons the median age has jumped up and how this statistic affects the current state of the real estate market.

Are Sellers Pulling Back? Examining Recent Inventory Challenges

Blog posted On October 31, 2024

Is it true that some sellers are throwing in the towel? Due to the rising mortgage rates of last year and this year, the percentage of price cuts for homes have risen. Along with the price-cut increase, listings are also receding, which has led to this surge of sellers calling it quits. Thankfully, there are loan programs out there that can benefit sellers and buyers alike.

A Bountiful Autumn: What to Expect with Seasonal Mortgage Trends

Blog posted On October 04, 2024

The end of summer heralded a shift in the real estate market. The recent Fed rate cut announcement caused ripples throughout the industry, cutting the benchmark interest rate by 0.5%. Home buyers and real estate professionals alike have been celebrating as this announcement marked the first rate reduction in four years. After a languid summer and a dragging housing market, this economic shift has aligned perfectly with the changing season. Autumn has now been injected with buying energy, and potential home buyers may finally feel ready to leap off the sidelines into the golden leaves of homeowning.

CMG Financial Raises Conforming Loan Limits to $802,650 ahead of FHFA’s Increase

Blog posted On September 27, 2024

CMG Financial has increased its agency conforming loan limits to $802,640, a 4.71% increase from this past year’s limits. Though the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has not officially announced the new conforming loan limits, CMG wanted to give home buyers early access in an effort to ease some of their affordability challenges.

How Falling Interest Rates Could Reignite the Housing Market

Blog posted On September 20, 2024

With mortgage rates tumbling to their lowest levels in recent times, priced-out potential home buyers may start to hope again. Due to the recent lower-trending rates, refinance applications jumped starting in August. Now, with the Fed beginning its long-awaited rate cuts, home buyers could be in luck in the coming months.

Down Payment Costs Rise by 15% Annually: Here’s How to Keep Yours Low

Blog posted On September 06, 2024

According to Redfin, home buyers are now putting down an average of $67,000, which marks a nearly 15% increase compared to a year ago. This put the typical home buyer’s down payment at a whopping 18.6% of the purchase price, the highest level in over ten years. With this recent surge, prospective homeowners, realtors, and lenders alike are all wondering what this means for the future. And how can we still succeed in the home buying market despite record highs?

How to Spot and Avoid Real Estate Scams as a Home Buyer

Blog posted On August 29, 2024

Buying a home is probably one of the biggest financial investments you’ll make in your life, making you an appealing target for hackers and fraudsters. From wire fraud to email fraud to solicitation calls, there are several ways people might try to get your personal information and/or money. So in this blog, we’ll explore some of the most common real estate scams and how to avoid them.

The Importance of a Real Estate Agent in Today's Market

Blog posted On August 22, 2024

A staple of the mortgage industry is the need for a REALTOR® during your home buying (or selling!) process. Many potential homeowners are questioning whether utilizing a real estate agent is even needed these days, believing they can just save the money and do the legwork themselves. Fortunately, there are still a multitude of reasons to work with a REALTOR® — why don’t we tackle a few of them?

Key Things Buyers Should Consider When Purchasing a Home

Blog posted On August 08, 2024

After years of saving bit by bit, chipping away at debt, and boosting your credit score in preparation for buying a home, you’ve finally gotten to a good place. It’s time to wave goodbye to landlords and purchase your new home! Where do you even begin? It’s such a big life decision, and you want to make sure you find a home that checks your most important boxes while avoiding money-draining surprises. To help you determine your future home with confidence and clarity, let’s look through home buying green and red flags.

5 Strategies for Navigating a Low Affordability Housing Market

Blog posted On August 02, 2024

What are some of the biggest homeownership hurdles holding you back? Well, high interest rates and historically high home prices to start! It’s understandable to ask, “WHY are people buying now, and HOW are people affording homes?” Instead of holding off and continuing to wait for rates to drop, this may be the best time to buy, especially with the help of loan programs like Rate Rebound. According to MarketWatch, buying now is key—once the Fed finally starts cutting interest rates, the lack of home supply will remain, meaning that “high home prices today could soar.” Let’s tackle five strategies that can put you ahead of the game in this low affordability market.

80 Years: The History and Impact of the VA Loan

Blog posted On July 25, 2024

The VA home loan was created through the G.I. Bill, also known as the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944. Signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on June 22^nd, this legislation ensured an enduring legacy that continues to provide Veterans with vital resources, fostering a brighter future for generations to come. The VA Loan played a critical role in that development.

5 Tips on How to Financially Prepare for a Home Loan

Blog posted On June 28, 2024

Are you ready to purchase your first home, but overwhelmed with where to begin? The way to set yourself up for success for the home buying process is to consider preparing your finances and getting into the best financial shape possible before applying for a home loan. Let’s walk through some helpful tips to help the process go as smoothly and stress-free as possible.

Glimmers of Hope for Home Buyers Arise as Inventory Inches Up

Blog posted On June 21, 2024

Higher-trending mortgage rates getting you down? Here’s something you can get excited about: according to Realtor.com, there are 35.3% more homes on the market than this time last year. Even more exciting news: there is a rising number of affordable homes hitting the market.

Struggling to Sell Your Home? DON’T Make This Costly Mistake

Blog posted On October 19, 2023

“I’ll wait until next year...” “Maybe when rates fall…” “I can’t afford to buy right now…” High mortgage rates are pushing many people out of the home buying market. With fewer interested buyers, selling a home has become significantly harder than a couple of years ago. If you’re trying to sell now, don’t give up hope. We have ways that can help you save money and still sell your home at top price.