Creekside Mortgage - Blog
News, tips, and updates just for you!Market Heating Up
Today I want to spend a little bit of time talking about the market heating back up. Yes, I still believe it's somewhat of a buyers’ market. However, there are some indications that are changing that tone. Rates are on the decline right now. They’re coming down, which...
Treasure Valley Update
Hello Treasure Valley! Ada and Canyon County have a little separation between the two with Nampa and Meridian, but we can see through growth and activity that they're going to touch here soon. My prediction is within five to seven years you're going to have no defined...
Continuing Education Courses
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...
Inventory Issue in the Treasure Valley
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...
Clark County Update
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...
VA Loan Limits Clark County, WA
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...
Cool Statistics for the Treasure Valley for last year
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...
Why we opened up a branch office in Meridian, ID
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...
Cold Front hits the 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...
Social Security Increase
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....
Builder Cut backs in the Treasure Valley
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...
Sellers Market
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...
Home Values in Ada and Canyon County
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...
Ada and Canyon County
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...
Industry Frustrations
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...
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...
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...