Creekside Mortgage - Blog
News, tips, and updates just for you!Kerry N. Greenwald | NMLS#70269 | Treasure Valley Update | March 14th, 2023
Hey there Treasure Valley! I’m excited to say that we came out with our continued education classes here in Ada and Canyon County. We have three courses that are coming out for realtors who need their continued educations credits. I know two of the offices are based right here in Meridian and I’ll get the list of locations out to you guys. If any agents or anyone else around here wants to participate in those it’s two hours continued education credits. I like to put it on at no cost. Just so I can educate more and more people, especially the introduction of how VA transactions work and the benefit of the VA loan for Veterans. I like to teach from every avenue from identifying the potential benefits that a veteran may have to all the different concepts and stuff that go along with the VA loan. So, I’m proud to launch that class. I plan to probably do a few more courses throughout the year and throughout the states of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. We’re definitely going to go through and
launch it right here in Ada County first. So, it’s one of my exciting things to go through and get back to teaching which is what I used to do
many, many years ago. It’s something I’m passionate about. Definitely the more and more people I can teach about VA will benefit all of us in the end. Just want to let you know about that.
Have a great week!
KERRY N GREENWALD | NMLS#70269 | TREASURE VAMLLEY UPDATE | MARCH 7TH, 2023
Hello Treasure Valley! You’re seeing the different things going on all throughout the valley. You know from Kuna to Eagle there’s different activity going through. We have an inventory issue. I mean you can’t get around it. You just can’t find enough houses for sale and if you price the house correctly, it’s selling really, really quickly. Obviously if it’s not priced correctly, it’s sitting there for a while. So, it’s an opportunity both on the selling side and the buying side. There’s not a ton of buyers, but when there are some you know they’re trying to find the correct house and it’s been pretty difficult to do that. Another big product we see a lot of people doing are the VA Assumptions. They tend to be a little harder in the Treasure Valley just because a lot of people that bought their house 2-3 years ago the value of the property almost doubled during that time period. Them trying to go through and do an assumption is hard because you have to make up the amount down in full. So, there are unique situations where assumptions do work if the sales price is close to what they owe on the house or if you have the capital for a veteran to go through and make up that difference to get into what their current loan situation is. But they’re amazing. If they’re in the twos on interest rate let’s say for example, and the house is worth $600,000, they owe $400,000, you have to come in with $200,000 to make up that difference to put your Certificate of Eligibility into their name. It’s very inexpensive. It can be done directly through the bank, doesn’t involve one of us or a lot of times you can even avoid certain things on the real estate side of things too. So, it’s to your benefit to go through if you have the capital and cash to make up some of that difference. It doesn’t have to be a veteran, anyone can go through and do it. However, if it’s a non-Veteran the current Certificate of Eligibility is tied up on that property, it doesn’t go away until that person sells that house. So, you want to always be careful about that because you could be giving up your 28 years left on your loan, and they keep that loan for 28 years. You could lose your COE for 28 years and the capability of buying another VA house or doing anything else because of that previous property. So definitely call us. I’ll try to point you in the right direction and help as much as I can. This product is not something we could physically do, but I can show you some of the angles and stuff you can go through and get it to work. We love to go through and help any way we can. We’re right here and a phone call away.
I hope you have a great day!
Kerry N. Greenwald | Sr. VA Loan Specialist | NMLS#70269 | Clark County Update | MARCH 7TH, 2023
In Clark County right now, our average dollar per square foot is $325. So it’s ticking downwards slightly, not dramatically, but there are opportunities to go through and seek stuff out throughout the county. There are some hotspots. We’re still facing a little bit of inventory issue. You’d think based on what was going on right now,
there would be a little bit more stuff coming onto the market, but there’s not and that’s the big issue. There’s the have and have nots out there on properties. You get something that is priced right, and it’s sold really, really quickly. If it’s priced wrong, it seems to be sitting on the market for quite some time. But you as a purchaser it’s tough and hard to find that right property, especially with what rates are doing. They tend to keep up ticking right now. There’s a lot of information coming out during the course of this week so that should do some correction on that, we’re hoping. It’s one of those types of things right now that’s influencing a lot of things happening in the market. Assumptions are also a big deal right now. I mean a lot of people call us quite often on VA Assumptions. I love to go through help and point those out. The unique thing on that is whatever is owed on the house versus what they’re trying to sell it for is has to be made-up with the cash portion brought into closing. That’s what’s difficult because you can’t seek lending on doing stuff like that. So, if you can find something that’s real close to what the margin is, what they’re trying to sell the house versus what they owe, it can be easier to go through and get an assumption. I love to go through and point those out and see if there’s any opportunity for you to do that. It’s very inexpensive compared to what a normal loan would be and of course you can take over their current interest rate. It’s a big deal. So, always here to help from vet to vet. Love to go through and do anything we can on that.
Thanks!
Kerry N. Greenwald | Sr. VA Loan Specialist | NMLS#70269 | Clark County Update
So Clark County continues to grow. We’re watching a lot of activity especially in the Ridgefield area. Even in the Battleground outskirts you’re still seeing development go through and happen. VA loans have been extremely popular in these areas and continue to increase with the market changing. It’s going more away from a sellers’ market to a buyers’ market and they’re accepting of more VA transactions and things are going
through and taking place. So, definitely don’t let anyone talk
you out of your VA rights. If you ever get someone in there, make sure that you go through and you keep that to your advantage. One thing that people aren’t aware of is you can have a secondary VA loan now. The VA limits have increased dramatically and are now over $726,000. So if you bought a VA house many, many years ago and you want to keep that house, keep it under VA. You might potentially be able to do a second VA transaction, which has been a very, very, very big deal in Clark County.
So definitely reach out to us and ask us those questions and we’re
here to help. Anything to do with the VA or other, I’d love it if you would give us a phone call, we’d love to go through and help you.
Thank you!
Kerry N. Greenwald | Sr. VA Loan Specialist | NMLS#70269 | Treasure Valley Update 2/28/2023
We got some cool statistics in for the Treasure Valley for last year. It kind of breaks things down. Approximately 85 transactions per month that were done in the Treasure Valley were VA. So, it’s a big deal. I know we’ve seen Kuna growing dramatically, Star is where a lot of things took place and all the way out to Caldwell. So, we’re seeing activity happening throughout the entire Treasure Valley on VA. Now a lot of those transactions were new construction or finalization of new construction, but we’re seeing that uptick compared to the year before dramatically. It’s more of a buyers’ market now. People are more willing to accept a VA transaction. I just beg everyone out there, if you’ve got your VA eligibility don’t let someone talk you out of that, especially if you have service-connected disability and you’re not paying any fee. If you’re doing anything in the Boise Metro area here in Idaho, you definitely want to take time, if you’re a veteran, to talk to us. We want to make sure that you’re doing the right transaction for you and the thing that best fits. This means, doing a 0 down and you tend to have a lower rate than what conforming rate is. If you have a service-connected disability you’re not paying that upfront fee to the VA so VA is going to be your option that you typically always want to go through. We don’t just do VA here. We like to work with veterans as much as possible being, a veteran myself, but it’s one of those things that we want to encourage you to do the loan that best fits you versus trying to persuade you to do that conventional loan that’s easier for the realtor and everyone else. It typically is not best for you as the consumer. So, take time to reach out to us. I’d love to go and have a one-on-one conversation with you Me or my team is always here. We would love to go through and help you.
Thank you!
Kerry N. Greenwald | NMLS#70269 | February 13th, 2023 | Why we opened a branch location in Idaho where we did
Today, I want to talk to you about how we decided on this location in Meridian, Idaho. I’ve always been big on being in the middle of an area. Being where our office is now, we are located in the center of the Treasure Valley. Our address is 1965 S. Eagle Road Suite 100 Meridian, ID 83642. We are located just 3 blocks south off of I-84. One of the key landmarks that is nearby is the new Top Golf that just got built in Meridian, ID. Across I-84 on the other side you have Saint Luke’s hospital. Some of the main crossroads located near us is Overland, and of course, Eagle Road.
The main city that everyone knows near us of course is Boise, Idaho and that is located just East of us. If you travel a little bit farther you will find Mountain Home, ID. A lot of people commute from Mountain Home Air Force base to Boise or Meridian. Directly North from us you run into Eagle, Idaho which of course is right off of Eagle Road. Eagle might be a little bit more of an expensive area to live in, but it is very popular. Directly South of us you have beautiful Kuna, ID. Kuna is a little bit less expensive, and it is a beautiful area with a great view of Boise and Meridian. Right in the middle, you find Meridian, ID. The giant land mass that runs through everything. Directly to the West of us you have Nampa, ID. If you continue up I-84, you will find Caldwell, ID. Right between Eagle and Caldwell, you will find Star and Middleton, ID.
Our main goal is to be centrally located so we can service all of these keys areas in the Treasure Valley. Meridian, Idaho has been a key location and we love everything about it. It is obviously a growing area and it will probably potentially pass the population point of Boise, Idaho within the next 10 years. There is a little bit more capability for growth here in Meridian, ID
The Treasure Valley is an awesome place to be. With Boise being the capital of Idaho, we are really close to the downtown area with the shopping and the restaurants and it makes the Treasure Valley a very desirable place to live.
We love our office and just wanted to tell you how much!
Kerry N. Greenwald NMLS#70269 | December 21st, 2022 | A Cold Front Hits Treasure Valley
I thought I knew what cold was, but wow has it been cold in the Treasure Valley this week! It’s a different thing for me to see snow sitting on the ground for over a week and not go away. It’s crazy that December is the coldest month of the year. But at least it is dry!
We are seeing market changes here in the Treasure Valley and other parts of the PNW. It is a positive sign that things are still moving. We are seeing stagnation in other areas where sellers are having difficulty selling their house, but we aren’t necessarily seeing that here. Yes, we are seeing values drop a little bit, but we are also seeing steadiness overall. The cool thing about buying a house right now is you have a seller willing to go through and provide funds towards closing costs and even buying the rate down.
We are here for any questions you may have. VA will always be my passion, but always feel free to reach out with questions on Conventional, FHA or anything else. Being a broker, we have a lot of ability to go through and look at many different companies that could potentially fit your specific needs.
Kerry N. Greenwald | November 29th, 2022 | Treasure Valley Update
As we head into the new year, I want to talk about how certain things might affect us here in the Boise area. Come January 2023, there is going to be a Social Security increase of a little over 8%. This is a positive thing, but it is also another inflationary driver. Anytime you are putting money into the system, it creates inflationary factors. A lot of people in the Treasure Valley are waiting for the day that values drop dramatically on houses. However, we are going to get things that will stabilize it. I think we are nearing the low of what values are going to be, but I do think we have a little bit higher of what interest rates are going to eventually increase to. It will be interesting to see how the Social Security increase will affect the market. Rent seems to be leveling off as more people decide not to sell their house, but to rent it out. I do think markets are going to pick up around the middle of 2023 and the market is still pretty strong in the Treasure Valley.
Hope that helps!
As we lead up to the election, what can you expect in the market?
by Kerry Greenwald | November 2nd, 2022 | Treasure Valley Area Update
Another week has come and gone. As the weather starts to change in the Treasure Valley, we are starting to see builders drastically cut back on productivity and for the most part industry values are holding. As I’ve said before, as we start to see a decrease in the production of new construction, we will start to run into inventory issues as we come into next year. This essentially means that values will hold or even have a 1-2% increase into 2023. The Treasure Valley is still a very desirable place to be even as we head into some colder weather. It’s a great community to live in. Another positive thing is that rates seem to be holding. On the verge of the election, we know that all sorts of things can happen. Don’t hesitate to reach out directly to us. The top ten steps in getting a loan are step #1: call us and let us worry about the other 9 steps. We have the ability to shop multiple different lenders to find one that best fits your situation.
Have a great week Treasure Valley!
Can I Remodel a House Using a VA Loan? VA Renovation Loans Explained.
Can I Remodel a House Using a VA Loan? The VA Renovation Loan Explained. VA Renovation Loan: What is it? Buying a home can have a lot of advantages but that doesn’t mean that a homebuyer won’t run into challenges! One of those happens to be when a buyer finds a home...
As we arrive at the midpoint of the year, we’d like to provide a brief update on what the latest and greatest news is, currently in the industry. What’s new? Unexpected by most in the industry, interest rates have not increased this year. Instead of shooting up as...

VA Loan Qualifications
What Qualifications should I be aware of when using my VA Benefit? When thinking about a VA Loan qualification it is important to keep in mind that there could be many of them depending on your circumstance. You may need to provide certain forms, proof of income,...

History of the VA Loan
What is a VA Loan? History The VA Loan has been around since 1944. It was originally signed in to law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide veterans with a home that was federally guaranteed with no down payment. This program gave veterans and their families...

5 Steps to Choosing the Best VA Lender
Buying a home is a great experience and it should never be anything other than that. If you are reading this, you are most likely a veteran and because of your service, you earned an amazing benefit - the VA Loan. Also, because this benefit is so amazing, many...

Rate Locking – What Does This Mean?
What is Rate Locking? A lot of times when you are buying or refinancing a home you hear the mortgage lingo and sometimes either your loan officer doesn't explain it, or you forget to ask. A term that you will most likely hear is "lock-in or rate lock". This sounds...

Cons of Renting VS Buying
Cons of Renting vs Buying We have already covered the pros of buying a house, today, we are going to go over the cons of renting. Renting can be great in some situations. For example, renting can give you a source of freedom when it comes to being free of maintenance...

Saving For A Down Payment While Renting
Save For A Down Payment Are you a Veteran? Guess what, if you use your VA entitlement, you DO NOT have to have a down payment in almost all instances. But, if you are planning on buying, it is still important to follow these steps to save your money. Here are the top...

Pros of Buying
Buying A Home Buying a home can be scary. You may think about the costs, the saving, the upkeep, or the commitment involved when buying or owning a home. Well, we are here to put those concerns to rest! We believe that as long as you are at the right time of your...

January: Rent VS Buy
Happy New Year! Happy New Year everyone! We hope you had a great and safe weekend. When you think of the New Year, the biggest topic is, what is your New Year’s resolution? I am going to lose weight, I want to be more organized, I want to pay off my debt, etc. These...
by Kerry Greenwald | October 12, 2022| Today, I want to talk about home values and what they are doing in Ada and Canyon County. Recently we have seen it switch from a sellers’ market to a buyers’ market. A lot of people are waiting to see the drop off in values that happened in 2006-2008, but we aren’t seeing that this time around. What is happening right now is inventory driven. At least 1/3 of people right now own a house and have bought in the last four years. They are going to have a hard time wanting to give up their low interest rates and sell their house. This creates an inventory issue. We also have a large segment of people that own their house free and clear. They also don’t want to go out and do anything in the current market. Without having enough inventory available, we aren’t going to have a major decrease in values like we did. Back then, we had too many people that owned houses and were underwater and were being forced to get rid of those houses.
Do I think we could drop in the single digits, percentage wise, yes, I think that can happen in the next year. But I also believe rates will continue to increase. I still believe that the highest point will hit next year, maybe in the 2nd quarter. I think right now, rates are going to keep going up until you stop inflationary factors. This isn’t happening yet, but we are getting closer.
My feedback right now is to buy something now versus renting. Payments and rates are going to continue to increase, and values are not going to drop like people are thinking they will. We are looking at following the model of the early 80’s where things just kept getting more expensive.
Don’t hesitate to reach out with any further questions!
Can I Remodel a House Using a VA Loan? VA Renovation Loans Explained.
Can I Remodel a House Using a VA Loan? The VA Renovation Loan Explained. VA Renovation Loan: What is it? Buying a home can have a lot of advantages but that doesn’t mean that a homebuyer won’t run into challenges! One of those happens to be when a buyer finds a home...
As we arrive at the midpoint of the year, we’d like to provide a brief update on what the latest and greatest news is, currently in the industry. What’s new? Unexpected by most in the industry, interest rates have not increased this year. Instead of shooting up as...

VA Loan Qualifications
What Qualifications should I be aware of when using my VA Benefit? When thinking about a VA Loan qualification it is important to keep in mind that there could be many of them depending on your circumstance. You may need to provide certain forms, proof of income,...

History of the VA Loan
What is a VA Loan? History The VA Loan has been around since 1944. It was originally signed in to law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide veterans with a home that was federally guaranteed with no down payment. This program gave veterans and their families...

5 Steps to Choosing the Best VA Lender
Buying a home is a great experience and it should never be anything other than that. If you are reading this, you are most likely a veteran and because of your service, you earned an amazing benefit - the VA Loan. Also, because this benefit is so amazing, many...

Rate Locking – What Does This Mean?
What is Rate Locking? A lot of times when you are buying or refinancing a home you hear the mortgage lingo and sometimes either your loan officer doesn't explain it, or you forget to ask. A term that you will most likely hear is "lock-in or rate lock". This sounds...

Cons of Renting VS Buying
Cons of Renting vs Buying We have already covered the pros of buying a house, today, we are going to go over the cons of renting. Renting can be great in some situations. For example, renting can give you a source of freedom when it comes to being free of maintenance...

Saving For A Down Payment While Renting
Save For A Down Payment Are you a Veteran? Guess what, if you use your VA entitlement, you DO NOT have to have a down payment in almost all instances. But, if you are planning on buying, it is still important to follow these steps to save your money. Here are the top...

Pros of Buying
Buying A Home Buying a home can be scary. You may think about the costs, the saving, the upkeep, or the commitment involved when buying or owning a home. Well, we are here to put those concerns to rest! We believe that as long as you are at the right time of your...

January: Rent VS Buy
Happy New Year! Happy New Year everyone! We hope you had a great and safe weekend. When you think of the New Year, the biggest topic is, what is your New Year’s resolution? I am going to lose weight, I want to be more organized, I want to pay off my debt, etc. These...
Industry Frustrations 9/21/2022
After a frustrating transaction came to me from another box-store bank, I realized how often this occurs. The borrowers had a full approval letter in hand, but none of the leg work had been done. They never had their Certificate of Eligibility pulled and the bank had never pulled their credit. You can imagine how frustrated they were when they got to the end of the transaction and realized there were other issues. It is circumstances like these that give VA a bad rep. It may be more expensive for a lender to take these steps ahead of time, but it’s extremely important that when you issue an approval letter everyone knows the borrower is truly eligible to buy that property. These big box-stores are the worst about going through and confirming someone is approved without doing the leg work. As an industry, we must get better about this.
I just wanted to share our current industry frustrations. Don’t hesitate to reach out to Creekside Mortgage with any questions. We are always ready to assist with any of your VA needs.
Can I Remodel a House Using a VA Loan? VA Renovation Loans Explained.
Can I Remodel a House Using a VA Loan? The VA Renovation Loan Explained. VA Renovation Loan: What is it? Buying a home can have a lot of advantages but that doesn’t mean that a homebuyer won’t run into challenges! One of those happens to be when a buyer finds a home...
As we arrive at the midpoint of the year, we’d like to provide a brief update on what the latest and greatest news is, currently in the industry. What’s new? Unexpected by most in the industry, interest rates have not increased this year. Instead of shooting up as...

VA Loan Qualifications
What Qualifications should I be aware of when using my VA Benefit? When thinking about a VA Loan qualification it is important to keep in mind that there could be many of them depending on your circumstance. You may need to provide certain forms, proof of income,...

History of the VA Loan
What is a VA Loan? History The VA Loan has been around since 1944. It was originally signed in to law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide veterans with a home that was federally guaranteed with no down payment. This program gave veterans and their families...

5 Steps to Choosing the Best VA Lender
Buying a home is a great experience and it should never be anything other than that. If you are reading this, you are most likely a veteran and because of your service, you earned an amazing benefit - the VA Loan. Also, because this benefit is so amazing, many...

Rate Locking – What Does This Mean?
What is Rate Locking? A lot of times when you are buying or refinancing a home you hear the mortgage lingo and sometimes either your loan officer doesn't explain it, or you forget to ask. A term that you will most likely hear is "lock-in or rate lock". This sounds...

Cons of Renting VS Buying
Cons of Renting vs Buying We have already covered the pros of buying a house, today, we are going to go over the cons of renting. Renting can be great in some situations. For example, renting can give you a source of freedom when it comes to being free of maintenance...

Saving For A Down Payment While Renting
Save For A Down Payment Are you a Veteran? Guess what, if you use your VA entitlement, you DO NOT have to have a down payment in almost all instances. But, if you are planning on buying, it is still important to follow these steps to save your money. Here are the top...

Pros of Buying
Buying A Home Buying a home can be scary. You may think about the costs, the saving, the upkeep, or the commitment involved when buying or owning a home. Well, we are here to put those concerns to rest! We believe that as long as you are at the right time of your...

January: Rent VS Buy
Happy New Year! Happy New Year everyone! We hope you had a great and safe weekend. When you think of the New Year, the biggest topic is, what is your New Year’s resolution? I am going to lose weight, I want to be more organized, I want to pay off my debt, etc. These...
Can I Remodel a House Using a VA Loan? VA Renovation Loans Explained.
Can I Remodel a House Using a VA Loan? The VA Renovation Loan Explained. VA Renovation Loan: What is it? Buying a home can have a lot of advantages but that doesn’t mean that a homebuyer won’t run into challenges! One of those happens to be when a buyer finds a home...
As we arrive at the midpoint of the year, we’d like to provide a brief update on what the latest and greatest news is, currently in the industry. What’s new? Unexpected by most in the industry, interest rates have not increased this year. Instead of shooting up as...
VA Loan Qualifications
What Qualifications should I be aware of when using my VA Benefit? When thinking about a VA Loan qualification it is important to keep in mind that there could be many of them depending on your circumstance. You may need to provide certain forms, proof of income,...
History of the VA Loan
What is a VA Loan? History The VA Loan has been around since 1944. It was originally signed in to law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide veterans with a home that was federally guaranteed with no down payment. This program gave veterans and their families...
5 Steps to Choosing the Best VA Lender
Buying a home is a great experience and it should never be anything other than that. If you are reading this, you are most likely a veteran and because of your service, you earned an amazing benefit - the VA Loan. Also, because this benefit is so amazing, many...
Rate Locking – What Does This Mean?
What is Rate Locking? A lot of times when you are buying or refinancing a home you hear the mortgage lingo and sometimes either your loan officer doesn't explain it, or you forget to ask. A term that you will most likely hear is "lock-in or rate lock". This sounds...
Cons of Renting VS Buying
Cons of Renting vs Buying We have already covered the pros of buying a house, today, we are going to go over the cons of renting. Renting can be great in some situations. For example, renting can give you a source of freedom when it comes to being free of maintenance...
Saving For A Down Payment While Renting
Save For A Down Payment Are you a Veteran? Guess what, if you use your VA entitlement, you DO NOT have to have a down payment in almost all instances. But, if you are planning on buying, it is still important to follow these steps to save your money. Here are the top...
Pros of Buying
Buying A Home Buying a home can be scary. You may think about the costs, the saving, the upkeep, or the commitment involved when buying or owning a home. Well, we are here to put those concerns to rest! We believe that as long as you are at the right time of your...
January: Rent VS Buy
Happy New Year! Happy New Year everyone! We hope you had a great and safe weekend. When you think of the New Year, the biggest topic is, what is your New Year’s resolution? I am going to lose weight, I want to be more organized, I want to pay off my debt, etc. These...
Sign Picture by the 142nd Fighter Wing Colonel.
Creekside Mortgage had a great experience today! We had the Colonel of the 142nd Fighter Wing in Portland visit our office today. As we were showing him around the office he noticed this picture and asked a couple questions about it. He asked what year it was taken...
Rent Vs Buy
Rent Vs Buy Hi, I'm Kerry Greenwald, Senior VA Loan Specialist and owner of Creekside mortgage. Today I want to talk to you a little bit about the age-old question, " Rent VS buy, is it cheaper to rent or is it cheaper to buy?” It is going to change on a year to year...
After Closing
You've Closed, Now What? Congratulations on closing your VA Loan. Now is when our relationship truly starts. Because you just went through and closed your loan it's very important I tell you a few things that are going to happen next. First, your lender has been...
What is a VA Home Loan?
Simply put, A VA Loan is a mortgage loan issued by approved lenders and guaranteed by the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs.
Your LIVE Week in Review
Join us every Wednesday at 2:00 PM for a short LIVE video about current events and how they are shaping interest rates and the housing market.
Are you Eligible for a VA Loan?
VA Loan Eligibility Requirements The VA Home Loan is an amazing opportunity for Veterans to own a home. Are you Eligible? We can help you find out! To be eligible for the VA Loan, Veterans, National Guard members, Reservists, military spouses, and Active Duty members...
Low Housing Inventory – Kerry’s Weekly Thoughts 7.5.2017
Hey Facebook world it’s Kerry Greenwald with Creekside mortgage! Coming at you again with the week in review and with the topics that are going on right now. I really blew it my last one I said rates should hold steady. We had a pretty difficult 3 out of 4...
6.28.2017 – Kerry’s weekly Thoughts
Facebook live good afternoon, I’m glad this gives me another chance to have a conversation with you about current market conditions and what's going on in our overall environment. Rates once again have been help holding steady and I'm still recommending to hold...
FEDs increase Rate – Kerry’s Weekly Thoughts
Good morning or good afternoon Facebook world it's a good day to come and have these conversations today! Janet Yellen a did her big meeting, where they did agree upon raising or increasing interest rates by quarter now the the target rate is between 1 to 1.25 on the...
Kerry’s Weekly Thoughts
There are a couple cool things going on right now. It looks like we've had a stagnant week though for the most part. With the president's event going over to Europe and everything last week and the events that have happened so far the beginning of this...
5 things you didn’t know about the VA Home Loan
Even though there has been millions of Veterans that have bought a home using their VA Benefits, there are still things that Veterans may not know about the VA Home Loan. Hopefully this article will bring some light to the amazing product, the VA Home Loan. 1....
New Employee!
Meet Lori Boyer! Our most recent hire. We are super exicted to have her here. She brings alot of experience from the Realtor, mortgage and finance world! Welcome Lori!
VA Loan Docs, What you need.
VA Loans are amazing! They allow people who have served our country to get into a home with zero down payment, no mortgage insurance, and low interest rates. As VA Loan experts, Creekside Mortgage, located in Vancouver, WA, has devoted itself to understanding...
Plumber VS Hardwood Installer
Here’s a question for you. Would you hire a plumber to lay your hardwood floor? There are two different scenarios to this question. First scenario, you hire the plumber to install your nice, expensive hardwood floors. He gets the job done, but...
4000th VA home Loan
Creekside Mortgage recently closed its 4000th VA Home Loan! We love serving Veterans. This is something that we are honored to be a part of. Creekside Mortgage would like to thank all Veterans everywhere for all the service they have given to this...
The Do’s When Preparing To Get A Mortgage
A couple week’s ago we went over the Don’ts while preparing for a mortgage. This week I want to give you some Do’s that will make preparing for a mortgage that much easier. The main objective to preparing is to make sure everything goes smoothly when you...
The Don’ts When Preparing To Get A Mortgage
Getting a mortgage can take time and you need to make sure you take certain things into consideration when preparing to buy a home. There are things that could potentially hurt your chances of owning a home and we have compiled a list for you so you see what...
Proud to Serve!
There are many ways for an individual or a group to give back to their community. Ranging from volunteering to donations, the opportunities available for giving back are vast. But what if I told you about a company that not only gave back to the community,...
BE HEARD
Through every daily experience, through every struggle or hardship, through every success story in a person’s life, it is easy to say that each individual has a different view on how things should be ran. For example, rules and regulations that positively effect...
Trick or Treat
We did it Pacific Northwest! For Halloween, children and adults enjoy common festivities including dressing up, office parties, and of course, trick or treating. This is the only time of year when people can become the professionals they idolize, or the...
Mortgage Rates Free Falling
In January, 2014, Theodore and Jessica were looking to purchase a house to raise their two year old son. They were tired of living in a small apartment, having aspirations to live in the perfect neighborhood. Being a sports enthusiast, Theodore was looking...
Key Benefits of Using VA Loans
When purchasing a home, there a lot of decisions that buyers are constantly plagued with. They would have to consider what type of loan they would want, figure out how much they qualify for, and figure out what broker and realtor to use. However, if there...
Who to go to first?
Jeff and Barbra met each other in the air force, serving together for years in the state of Oregon. After falling in love and getting married, they decided on purchasing their first home! However, being very uneducated about real estate, mortgage, or...
Ridgefield Prediction
In an interview with The Real Estate books in the fall of 2012, Kerry Greenwald was asked this question, “What do you see happening in Clark County in the next five years?” Kerry replied, “I imagine that Clark County will experience major growth in the next five...
Check Your Credit! Don’t Forget it!
When it comes to purchasing home loans, the main question that many people have before initiating the process is, “How is my credit?” Before mortgaging a loan, lenders need to be assured that they will receive an adequate return from their investment before...
“To Buy, or To Rent?”
When taking a look into your future, there are three main things that you and most other people imagine having in their lives: a family, a career, and a home. While having a family and career is somewhat unpredictable, deciding where, when, and how to find a...
Good News For the Housing Industry
Existing Home Sales Up 4.9% in May In the greatest gain since October, the housing market posted a 4.9 percent increase in existing home sales. The May increase propelled us right into the Summer selling season and is fueling a lot of excitement for the improved...
How to Select a Lender
There are many ways to approach the process of selecting a lender for your home mortgage. Some people choose to make impulsive decisions, calling the first lender they find. Other people may be overly thorough by starting an application with several lenders during the...
Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
It all began with a bright outlook on life. Jason had a great job, a fast car, lovely furniture, and what seemed like the start to a happy future. Then the unexpected happen, and Jason’s happy life got filled with medical bills and sleepless nights. The “unexpected”...
From Business Owner to Punk
Vancouver, WA – The owner of a local mortgage company now has a new hairdo. Kerry Greenwald is sporting an edgy purple Mohawk to help kids of military families. Kerry challenged his employees, friends, and family to raise $2000 for The Oregon Summer Star...
Where to start when buying a home
What came first, the chicken or the egg? I’m not here to argue with you because obviously it was the chicken, but that’s beside the point. When it comes to buying a home, the question is often asked, what comes first, the financing or the home search? While the answer...
Divorce and Mortgages
Picture This, The Sun Setting And A Full Moon Slowly Rising Over The Ocean, A Warm Ocean Breeze Gently Rustles The Palm Fronds On A Palm Tree Above Two Young Lovers. They Watch The Sunset And Moon Rise In Tranquil Silence, Holding Each Other’s Hands And Both Believe They Will Be Together For As Long As They Live.
What is the VA Home Loan Eligibility Amount?
If you served our country in the armed forces, we thank you. It has come to our attention that many of you may not have been given guidance on your veteran benefits, or maybe you were a little too exhausted in basic training to fully grasp what they were saying....
Surviving Spouse Benefit
I have been asked many questions about the VA Home Loan guarantee, but none as serious as the one asked by Amanda (Name changed for privacy) regarding the use of the VA benefit to a surviving spouse. Regrettably, her husband lost his life while he served early on in...
How Much is a Down Payment?
Twenty percent for a down payment may not seem daunting until you realize that for a $200,000 house, you’d need to come up with $40,000 in cold hard cash! Not a lot of people I know have that kind of money just laying around - especially first time home buyers. But...
What is the VA Funding Fee and why do I have to pay it?
Our country is extremely grateful for the service provided by our military men and women. As a small token of all our appreciation, the government has a loan program for United States Military Veterans. Veterans who take advantage of this loan program get the benefits...
Don’t Get it Wrong
Monday marks 85 years since the birth of one of this nation’s most famous civil rights leaders. Martin Luther King Jr. helped pave the way for equality in legal rights. MLK day is an opportunity to remind us of the ideals, for which King, lost his life trying to...
PSU Update
We hosted a lunch and learn at the Veterans center at Portland State University Wednesday. It was a great opportunity to work with some Veterans on a more personal level. Mike Frakes, Pam Conrad, and Joe Kuziel were there to represent the lending side of the mortgage...
The Mortgage Industry Has a New Acronym – QM
Getting a home loan can be an intimidating process, and I know because I’m in the final stages of buying our first home. Adding one more confusing acronym to the mix doesn’t help the situation out too much either. That’s why we’re here - to help you get a better...
New Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency
Melvin L. Watt was sworn in Monday as the new director of the the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Watt came in guns blazing with a huge change. In December, the previous director, Edward J. DeMarco had announced a plan to reduce the slightly monopolistic hold...