Foundry Blog

plan for purchase

Planning for Your First Home Purchase

By Todd Bowser | Dec 31, 2018

Buying a home is a thrilling and rewarding adventure! You’ll want to put your best foot forward and prepare a simple household budget to help you determine your own affordable housing payment. Here is an excellent fillable form to help you get started. FTC Household Budget Tool Once you have completed your budget you’ll be…

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two houses in hand

The Choice Between FHA and Conventional

By Todd Bowser | Dec 29, 2018

Home buyers with a small down payment often struggle with the choice between FHA and Conventional loans. Rightly so, as there are several factors that need to be considered before a recommendation can be made. On one hand, FHA has more liberal qualifying guidelines and a lower interest rate. They are also more profitable for…

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house through lens

Imagine Your Home

By Todd Bowser | Dec 24, 2018

Many people seek a glimpse of their future by looking at houses, both online and in person. Whether landscapes, cozy rooms, colors, textures, proximity to work, potential for activity, or other features, our home is the center of our world. A Home is More Than a House When we look at houses in pictures or…

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Foundry Risk Meter

How Much House?

By Todd Bowser | Dec 17, 2018

Whether you’re a first time home buyer or moving from one place to another, one of the many questions you will ask yourself is “How much house?” When you ask yourself this question, what thoughts run through your mind? (I recommend that my clients keep a notebook and a vision board for their home purchase…

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compass in hand

A Successful Start

By Todd Bowser | Dec 9, 2018

The first thing most home shoppers do when they are getting ready to buy is to consult a mortgage professional to determine how much of a housing payment they qualify for based on income, down payment, and credit rating. Once you find out what you CAN do, there’s another conversation you need to have about…

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markets

Shop Rates When Ready To Lock

By Todd Bowser | Nov 11, 2018

Here’s a fact that creates a lot of anxiety for people looking to begin the home purchase process: “People need some form of mortgage advice before they’re ready to lock in their interest rate.” Which raises the question: “How do I know who will have the best deal so I can work with them now?”…

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credit lock

How to Lift a Credit Freeze

By Todd Bowser | Oct 30, 2018

If you have a credit freeze on any of the three bureaus (Equifax, TransUnion, Experian), you will need to remove the freeze before your lender can pull credit. Here’s a pdf with complete instructions on how to do this: How_to_Lift_a_Security_Freeze

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Criminal

Avoid Wire Fraud Theft of Your Down Payment

By Todd Bowser | Oct 17, 2018

Wire fraud has turned into a billion-dollar industry for computer hackers. The FBI reports wire fraud on home purchase transactions is up nearly 5,000% from 2016. How does wire fraud happen to unsuspecting home buyers? Hackers gain access to a title company or real estate agent’s email account, silently watching for upcoming home purchases and…

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connected

How Rates and Closing Costs are Connected

By Todd Bowser | Oct 11, 2018

I’ve heard it said that “Interest rates don’t change, just the cost of interest rates change.” I like this because it helps me understand the way rates and discount points are connected. Knowing a few key facts will improve your confidence and help you become a smart mortgage shopper: What does “Current Interest Rate” mean?…

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