The biggest barrier for most first-time buyers is saving up for a down payment. Are you looking to buy a home, but that overwhelming thought of that huge down payment you need to buy is holding you back?

Everyone wants to avoid PMI, but what if I told you that you really shouldn't care about PMI. Would you think I am crazy? Watch and let me explain.

A common question many borrowers ask is "What is the difference between the APR and the Interest Rate?" Let me explain this to you.

As rates are rising, borrowers are asking "What are other ways to lower my monthly payments?". There is more to your payment beyond the interest rate. While your rate is extremely important, there are other factors to consider when it comes to lowering your payment.

So you just got an offer accepted and escrow is about to open... Besides wiring the funds for the down payment and closing costs at the close of escrow, do you know what your out of pocket expenses are during the escrow process? Let me break down what to expect your out of pocket expenses to be during the process.

What are discount points? Should I pay discount points? These are questions I get asked often. Here is a breakdown on what discount points are, and if they might be right for you.

There is a lot of confusion about occupancy types. Let's break down the different occupancy types and what they mean.

Debt-to-income ratios are a big part of calculating how much of a monthly payment someone can qualify for. Us lenders use this calculation regularly to determine the limits of a borrowers purchasing power. Here is the basic formula to determine your ratios.

Home values have increased like crazy over the past couple years, and at this point there are no signs that point to home prices going down, especially when you consider how home values relate to inflation.

Saving on taxes in California? Almost sounds counterintuitive. However there are some things about the property taxes that you may be surprised about. Thankfully here in CA we have a few tax laws that work in our favor. If you haven't watched my Prop 13 video, check it out in the link below. In this video we discuss Props 58 & 193.

Nothing wrong with getting multiple quotes, but when you do compare make sure you are comparing apples to apples. Far too often a lender sells a client on rate without explaining the full picture of the cost to have that rate. You should know how to compare the loan estimates, but you should also have a trusted lender that is willing to be transparent on how to read the loan estimate and explain the pros and cons of different options.

Did you know you can now use the future rental income from an ADU to increase your purchasing power? This is a great way for first time buyers or first time investors to get their foot in the door of a great investment opportunity. This new change to Freddie Mac's guidelines is allowing much more opportunity to increase your purchasing power while also increasing your cash flow.

Are you interested in buying a home but don’t know what it takes to get mortgage ready? Have you ever stumbled across a home while scrolling through Zillow and thought “this home would be perfect!”, then watched that home get updated to "SOLD" just a few days later and you never even made an offer?

We all know paying extra towards principal can save quite a bit on interest, but doing so might not be the best financial decision. Let me show you why paying extra towards principal isn't always the best option.

Borrowers are always asking why we need all pages of a bank statements, even when the pages are are blank? Hope this helps you understand why we need this nearly worthless page.

You may have heard real estate professionals talk about contingencies in the real estate industry. You may be wondering what it means when you hear "Removing Contingencies" or "Lowering Contingency Periods". Let me explain how this effects you as a buyer looking to purchase a home.

As we all know rates are on the rise, but is there a silver lining? When rates rise it always comes with the pains of a higher payment, however there may be benefits to consider beyond the increased mortgage payments.

"How come the rate I was quoted last week so much different than this week?" This is something us lenders hear often from prospective borrowers. Let me explain how things work in the rate market.

If you haven't heard me say it before, then this video is for you. I've worked along side the big banks quite a bit since I've been in the industry and one thing that I keep finding myself saying is "Big Banks are the worst!". Not only do they have some of the worst customer service, they barely add any value to their customers.

What is going on in this crazy housing market? Let's put into perspective how low the current housing inventory is in comparison with demand. This leads to a basic supply and demand issue.

California isn't known for being the most laid back when it comes to taxes. However there are some things about the property taxes that you may be surprised about. Thankfully here in CA we have Prop 13 which is a much bigger deal than you likely think.

So you are looking to buy a home but not sure the steps to getting Pre-Approved?

The real estate market has been red hot over the past couple years, but now we are all starting to notice a "shift" in the market. What does this shift look like for buyers and sellers?

"How come the monthly payment on Zillow is so much different from the payment you are quoting me?" is a question I get all too often, which is why I am creating this video. The figures are inaccurate and may not be applicable to your situation. If you want a more accurate estimate for a monthly payment, you need to discuss your situation with a loan officer to see what options you have available.