Karen Jones is a Licensed Mortgage Loan Officer (NMLS 307015) located in Phoenix and serving Arizona families with their home lending needs. As a Banker of over 32 years, Karen is dedicated in ensuring that her clients are well educated and prepared for their new home purchase. Learn more about our 100% Financing programs and obtain your Underwriting Credit […]
Credit Scoring Models- FICO (Fair Isaac) to Vantage
July 25, 2018 by ·
Credit scoring started in the late 1950’s to support lending decisions in large department stores. The concept was revolutionary and by the end of the 1970’s most of the nation’s largest commercial banks, finance companies, and credit card issuers used credit scoring. It became widely accepted once Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac fully endorsed the […]
What Is Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)?
May 10, 2018 by ·
When it comes to buying a home, whether it is your first time or your fifth, it is always important to know all the facts. With the large number of mortgage programs available that allow buyers to purchase homes with down payments below 20%, you can never have too much information about Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI). What […]
Credit Can Be Your Best Friend or Your Worst Nightmare
April 16, 2018 by ·
For those that are new to the credit world, understanding how to manage your credit is imperative. I would like to thank Sal Bonanno from National Account Manager | First Premier Credit Repair for his article: Bad credit keep people from buying a home, financing your education, and even from getting a job. This is why it’s […]
Tax Return Depressing? Owning a Home Could Help
April 16, 2018 by ·
Tax time is here and either your tax return was not as large as you had hoped or, in some cases, you were told that you owed additional money to either the Federal or State government or both. One way to save on taxes is to own your own home. (Learn more from your Tax Advisor.) According to […]
Step-by-Step Guide to Freezing your Credit Reports
February 10, 2018 by ·
With Equifax’s announcement of its catastrophic security breach, now would be a really good time to consider freezing your credit, if you haven’t already. Credit freezes are one of the most effective ways for consumers to protect themselves against identity theft — and this goes for anyone at any time — regardless of whether you […]
There’s More to a Bubble Than Rising Home Prices
January 10, 2018 by ·
What truly causes a housing bubble and the inevitable crash? For the best explanation, let’s go to a person who correctly called the last housing bubble – a year before it happened. “A bubble requires both overvaluation based on fundamentals and speculation. It is natural to focus on an asset’s fundamental value, but the real key […]
Why Is There So Much Paperwork to Sign to Get a Mortgage?
January 6, 2018 by ·
We are often asked why there is so much paperwork mandated by the bank for a mortgage loan application when buying a home today. It seems that the bank needs to know everything about us and requires three separate sources to validate each and every entry on the application form. Many buyers are being told by friends and […]
Thinking About Buying? Know Your Credit Score
December 20, 2017 by ·
Knowing your credit score or getting a recent copy of your credit report is one of the first steps that you can take toward knowing how ready you are to start the home buying process. Make sure all the information listed on your report is accurate and work to correct any mistakes. The higher your […]
How Long Will The Negatives Haunt Me?
December 15, 2017 by ·
Everyone’s human; we’ve all made mistakes over time. Some errors may cost more than others. For example, if you switch a letter around in an email address, your email will not be delivered with little to no impact on you. However, some errors, like a speeding ticket on your record, can cost you more than […]
