Mortgage education, made clear
Mortgage Guides for Homebuyers and Homeowners
Get straightforward answers about buying a home, mortgage rates, closing costs, loan programs, refinancing, and home equity. Written by Sean Mertens for California homebuyers and homeowners, with local guidance when location matters.
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Essential Mortgage Guides
Buy Before You Sell: Your Financing Options
Understand ways to purchase your next home without making the offer contingent on selling your current property first.
Read the guide Mortgage ratesMortgage Rate Locks Explained
Learn what a rate lock protects, how lock periods work, and what to consider when deciding whether to lock.
Read the guide HomeownersMortgage Recast: Lowering Your Payment
See how a lump-sum principal payment and recast may lower your payment while preserving your existing loan terms.
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Latest Mortgage Articles
Reverse Mortgages
Review how reverse mortgages let qualifying older homeowners access home equity, along with repayment rules, costs, occupancy requirements, and important tradeoffs.
Non-Contingent on Selling Previous Home
Explore financing strategies that may let homeowners purchase before selling, strengthen an offer, and avoid coordinating two transactions on the same timeline.
Free No-Cost Refinance
Learn what a no-closing-cost refinance really means, how lender credits typically offset upfront fees, and when the higher-rate tradeoff may make sense.
Mortgage Recast
See how applying a lump-sum principal payment and recasting can lower a mortgage payment without replacing the loan or changing its interest rate.
Property Tax Due Dates
Find California’s standard secured property-tax installment dates, delinquency deadlines, and the six-month period covered by each installment payment.
Escrowed Taxes & Insurance
Understand how mortgage escrow accounts collect for property taxes and homeowners insurance, when they may be required, and common shortage or supplemental-bill issues.
ADU Financing
Compare common ways to finance an accessory dwelling unit, including home equity, renovation loans, construction financing, cash-out refinancing, and other available options.
Lock a Rate
Learn what a mortgage rate lock protects, how long locks typically last, and what borrowers should consider before choosing when to lock.
Bonds & Mortgage Rates
Understand why mortgage rates often track bond-market movements, especially mortgage-backed securities and Treasury yields, rather than moving directly with the federal funds rate.
Can I Use Cryptocurrency to Buy a Home?
Learn whether cryptocurrency can help fund a home purchase, how lenders document converted assets, and why timing, taxes, and transaction records matter.
Price Reduction Vs Seller Credits
Seller credits can have a bigger impact on buyers than price reductions. It is a great alternative to lowering the list price of your home.
What San Luis Obispo County Realtors Should Expect From a Local Mortgage Lender
Realtors should have high expectations from the lenders they work with.
Buying a Home in SLO County: What to Expect Each Season
More listings or less competition? Compare the trade-offs of buying a home in each season, then check the latest available housing-market stats for your area.
Appraisal vs Inspection
A California buyer’s guide to appraisal versus inspection, including purpose, scope, timing, contingencies, low values, repair conditions, and specialty inspections.
Discount Points or Rate Buydown
Learn what mortgage discount points cost, calculate a simple break-even, and compare permanent rate reductions with temporary buydowns and lender credits.