Tips, trends and insights for homebuyers like you.
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Mortgage Lenders With No Origination Fees: How to Tell If You’re Really Saving
Key Takeaways What does “no origination fee” actually remove? It removes one lender charge. It doesn’t remove your closing costs, and it may not remove every charge the lender collects. Think of Section A of your Loan Estimate as the lender’s own bill. It’s labeled “Origination Charges,” and the CFPB notes that lenders itemize it… Read more
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2025 mortgage interest rate forecast
See how Tomo Mortgage’s head of Capital Markets breaks down the latest mortgage rate forecasts, predictions, and outlooks for 2025. Read more
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AmeriSave vs. Rocket Mortgage
Key Takeaways Tomo Mortgage publishes this comparison and is included as one of the lenders below. We use public lender disclosures and federal HMDA data for… Read more
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Can I Get a Mortgage With a 580 Credit Score?
Key Takeaways What the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) permits at a 580 credit score FHA loans are built around the 580 credit score line. In fiscal… Read more
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Qualifying for a Mortgage on 1099 Income: How Lenders Actually Calculate It
Being a 1099 contractor doesn’t put you in a separate mortgage category. It does mean lenders read your income differently than a W-2 paycheck, and depending… Read more
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Rocket Mortgage vs. Better
Key Takeaways: That leaves three questions: which loan you need, where you’re buying, and what each lender quotes you on the same day. Who’s in the… Read more
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Prequalification vs. Preapproval: Which one do you actually need?
Key takeaways: If your agent asked for a preapproval, a prequalification isn’t the same document and won’t do the same job. The harder part is that… Read more
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How to Rate Shop for a Mortgage Without Hurting Your Credit Score
Shopping multiple mortgage lenders does not multiply the hit to your credit score. Under current FICO scoring models, multiple mortgage-related hard inquiries made within a 45-day… Read more
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How to Get a VA Loan on a Condo
Yes, you can use a VA loan to buy a condo, but the condo project itself, not just your specific unit, has to be on VA’s… Read more
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Online Mortgage Lender Comparison: Rate, Fees, and Close Time (2026)
There isn’t a reliable, apples-to-apples ranking of online mortgage lenders by name on conventional, FHA, VA, and jumbo rates, fees, and close time, rate quotes change… Read more
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VA Loan Limits by State and County: 2026
Veterans with full VA loan entitlement have had no VA-imposed loan limit at all since January 1, 2020, under the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act.… Read more
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Are Online Mortgage Lenders Cheaper on Closing Costs? Here’s What’s Actually Comparable
Most of what shows up in your total closing costs, appraisal, title insurance, taxes, escrow, is priced by third parties or local government, not by whether… Read more
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What Is a Mortgage Appraisal and How Does It Work With an Online Lender?
A mortgage appraisal is an independent, licensed appraiser’s estimate of a home’s market value. Your lender requires it to confirm the loan amount is actually supported… Read more
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What Is a VA Loan Certificate of Eligibility (COE)?
A VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) is the document that proves to a lender you meet the VA’s service requirements for a VA-backed loan. It confirms… Read more