How do I refinance an office building or retail center with high vacancy?
The last 5 years have not been kind to office building owners, to say the least. The last decade also hasn't been nice to shopping mall owners. The Challenge What we are starting to encounter are investors that purchased an office building prior to COVID with 5% or...
When should I refinance my California home in 2024?
The Frustration   I'll let Michael share his perspective, who purchased his home about a year ago with his soon-to-be-wife: "The moment mortgage rates started to drop, I started to get bombarded with solicitations to refinance. It's not at all clear to me who is...
Recourse versus Non-recourse in commercial mortgages
Recourse? Non-Recourse? Bad-boy carveouts? One of the most common questions that comes up is if an investor should consider a recourse, or non-recourse, commercial mortgage. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. The biggest perceived advantage of...
2024 California Dream For All Program: How to Enter The Lottery for 20% down payment assistance
Update on 3/6/24: The California Housing Finance Agency has announced that the Dream for All lottery registration will go live on April 3, 2024! In order to be ready before then, we highly suggest that you complete the below steps no later than the 3rd week of March....
Past the Bottom: Home Values Increase for 3rd Month in a Row
The US housing market has been making headlines with positive developments in recent months. According to the latest S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller US National Home Price Index, home prices rose for a third consecutive month in April, indicating a broad-based recovery...
Debt-Ceiling Drama Causes Mortgage Rates to Rise
In recent weeks, mortgage rates have experienced a notable increase, marking the second consecutive week of upward movement. This rise is primarily attributed to the prevailing uncertainty surrounding the debt-ceiling standoff. As the U.S. economy demonstrates...
Debt Consolidation Cash Out Refinance: Is it the right move for you?
A debt consolidation cash out refinance is a type of mortgage that allows you to borrow money against your home's equity to pay off other debts, such as credit card debt. This can help improve monthly household cashflow by lowering the total amount of a household's...
US Mortgage Rates Continue to Decline as Inflation Progresses: What it Means for Home Buyers
Mortgage rates in the US have declined for the second consecutive week due to progress on inflation. The average interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to 6.35% from 6.39% the previous week. Click here to find out where your personal interest rate will...
Spring 2023 – What’s happened and what to expect
Last week, the real estate market saw a decrease in active inventory and new listing data, with the latter reaching an all-time low in 2023. However, purchase application data increased by 8%, indicating that homebuyers are moving quickly into escrow. The seasonal...
Fannie/Freddie Announce Update to Equitable Housing Finance Plans
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two government-sponsored enterprises that back the majority of U.S. mortgages, announced on Wednesday new updates to their equitable housing finance plans. The updates include a number of new initiatives, such as expanding special...
