August 10th, 2025 What to Do If Your Mortgage Gets Denied in Washington
August 10th, 2025

What to Do If Your Mortgage Gets Denied in Washington, DC

What to Do If Your Mortgage Gets Denied in Washington, DC? There are many actions to take. These actions may help you immediately, or may only help you later after repairing some things. Mortgages lenders may misstructure your loan, where another lender may figure out how to better present the same information. Or you may need a mortgage lender to educate you on what you need to repair or improve, to try again at another time.

  1. Don’t Panic—Request the Denial Letter

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Categories & Tags Home Buying Process, Loan Process, Loan Types, mortgage, Underwriting Rules,

July 20th, 2025 Washington DC Mortgage Rates
July 20th, 2025

Do Washington DC Mortgage Rates Vary From Other Areas

If you’re in the market for a home loan, you might assume mortgage rates are the same everywhere. But they can vary depending on where you live. Let’s explore why mortgage rates differ from one region to another and look at the current mortgage rate landscape in Washington, D.C.

Why Mortgage Rates Vary by Region

Mortgage rates are influenced by a variety of local and national factors. Here are some of the most important regional influences: Read More

Categories & Tags Home Buying Process, interest rates, Local News, mortgage,

June 14th, 2025 Best Mortgage Strategies for Buying in Chevy Chase
June 14th, 2025

Best Mortgage Strategies for Buying a Home in Chevy Chase, MD

Chevy Chase, Maryland is one of the most desirable and competitive real estate markets in the DC metro area. You should know the best mortgage strategies for buying a home in Chevy Chase. With its tree-lined streets, top-rated schools, and proximity to downtown Washington, DC, homes here are expensive. That means buyers in Chevy Chase need a tailored mortgage strategy, especially when navigating jumbo loan limits and competitive bidding situations.

Here are the best mortgage strategies for securing the home you want in Chevy Chase—without overpaying or losing out to better-prepared buyers. Read More

Categories & Tags Home Buying Process, Loan Process, Loan Types, mortgage, Underwriting Rules,

May 20th, 2025 condo mortgage approval
May 20th, 2025

Condo Mortgages are Getting Harder

Why Condo Mortgages Are Getting Tougher

Does it seem like condo mortgages are getting harder? That is because they are!

After the tragic Surfside, Florida condo collapse, mortgage lenders (and Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac) re-evaluated how they underwrite condo loans. While the human loss was the true tragedy, the financial aftermath prompted much tighter lending rules for condos. Read More

Categories & Tags Condo, Home Buying Process, Loan Process, mortgage, Underwriting Rules,

April 27th, 2025 Pay cash for a house or invest
April 27th, 2025

Pay Cash for a Home or Take a Mortgage and Invest?

Should you pay cash for a home or take a mortgage and invest the difference? Buying a home is often the biggest financial decision most people make. And if you’re fortunate enough to afford it, paying all cash for your home might sound like the simplest and safest route. But is it the most financially savvy move?

What if, instead, you took out a mortgage, kept your cash, and invested it? Over time, which strategy builds more wealth?

Let’s explore some scenarios. Then decide on paying cash vs. financing your home while investing your available capital. Read More

Categories & Tags Home Buying Process, housing values, mortgage, Sales,

April 6th, 2025 Fiscal Health of Washington DC
April 6th, 2025

Fiscal Health of Washington DC

The Fiscal Health of Washington DC is great! If you’re curious about how well your city is managing its finances, there’s a fantastic resource you should know about: Truth In Accounting. It has detailed data on the national debt, and the fiscal health of states and cities. Go find yours!

Washington DC

The good news is Washington DC has been doing great! Read More

Categories & Tags Government, housing values, Local News,

March 16th, 2025 house on land with driveway
March 16th, 2025

Do You Need To Get A Land Survey?

Do you need to get a land survey of your lot when you buy a home?

Do mortgage lenders care?

Mortgage lenders do not require a survey anymore.  That practice ended around 2005. This is when the mortgage industry negotiated with the title industry to provide title insurance coverage without exception for matters related to a survey in the Lender’s Title Insurance Policy.  The result is that lenders have automatic coverage for matters of survey even if no survey is done.

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Categories & Tags Home Buying Process, Loan Process, Title,

February 27th, 2025 interest rates
February 27th, 2025

What are Mortgage Rates Doing Today?

What are Mortgage Rates Doing Today?

The 10 Year Treasury Bond is at 4.263% as of today. You can see this data here: https://www.investing.com/rates-bonds/u.s.-10-year-bond-yield

Tracking Mortgage Rates

The best way to track mortgage rates is to track the 10 Year Treasury Bond. While the 10 year Treasury Bond is not an exact gauge on interest rates, it tells you the direction that rates are going in.

  • As of ​02-2​1-2025 it was 4.4​30%.
  • ​On 02-09-2025 it was 4.487%.
  • On 01-13-2025 it was 4.792%​.
  • On January 9, 2025 the 10-year US Treasury bond yield was 4.68%.
  • On January 2, 2025 the 10-year US Treasury bond yield was 4.36%.

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Categories & Tags interest rates, mortgage, VA Mortgage,

January 25th, 2025 title deed house keys
January 25th, 2025

Title Theft is on the Rise

Title theft is on the rise. Thieves never rest. They are always looking for new ways to steal other people’s money and assets.

Criminals will file phony documents claiming to own property that belong to someone else. The real owner might not be aware of the fraud until they go to sell the home. The criminals may try to sell the property, take out a loan against the property, or rent out the property. Read More

Categories & Tags Home Buying Process, Loan Process, Title,

January 20th, 2025 home buying
January 20th, 2025

What Is a Hybrid E-Closing

There has been a lot of talk about e-closings recently. E-closings allow someone to close on a mortgage remotely from the comfort of their own home or office, without physically going to a title company office. However, most closings are hybrid e-closings, as opposed to a full e-closing.

What Is a Hybrid E-Closing? Read More

Categories & Tags Home Buying Process, Loan Process, mortgage, Title,

December 21st, 2024 tax office
December 21st, 2024

Maryland vs. Virginia vs. Washington, DC Taxes: 2026 Update

Is there a big difference in tax rates in Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia? They are all geographically very close to each other. It is not uncommon for homebuyers to consider all three areas when looking for a new home. One consideration beyond neighborhoods, commute time, and schools is taxes. All kinds of taxes!

This article provides a comprehensive comparison of tax rates across various categories in Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia. I’ll review income tax, sales tax, property tax, corporate tax, and estate tax. This analysis aims to shed light on the differences and similarities in tax rates among these jurisdictions. It will help readers make informed decisions regarding their home purchase and financial planning.

All information subject to change as tax rates change over time. Updated for 2026. Double check your own sources at the time of reading. Read More

Categories & Tags Home Buying Process, mortgage, tax breaks, , , 2 Comments »

November 26th, 2024 2025 year
November 26th, 2024

2025 conforming loan limits have been announced!

2025 conforming loan limits have been announced! New loan size limits are set each year on conventional mortgages that Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae will buy from mortgage lenders. You can see previous years loan limits in the chart below. For 2025, the conforming loan limit for a single-family home has increased from $766,550 for 2024 to $806,500. That is about a 5.2% increase! Loan limits go even higher for 2-4 unit homes.

In most areas, the maximum conforming loan limits for 2025 are as follows:

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Categories & Tags Home Buying Process, Loan Process, Loan Types, mortgage,