Creekside Mortgage - Blog

Recently I was presented with a question that I think few people take into consideration when talking about the VA Home loan program. The question was asked by a young woman I met at the dog park. She asked “Can I use my husband’s VA benefit to buy a house if he was...

So you got your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) and it says that you qualify for $36,000. That’s great if you could get into your time machine and buy a house back when that amount was decided on in 1987! Let’s take a step back and get a little history on the VA...

There will not be a Week in Review video this week but our hope is that this post will help make up for the missing video. Rest assured, Creekside Mortgage, Inc. will have a video post next week for your viewing pleasure. Mortgage rates have risen to 3 month...

We’re experiencing the normal calm that happens before the storm, and it’s about to break loose. The Federal Reserve will be making an announcement Wednesday, and is expected to discuss (again) the plan to pull out of the bond market. If they announce or even hint...

That beautiful house just down the street, it’s the one you drive by and think to yourself, “If I had that house I would have a huge garden, swings for the kids and a garage to finally work on my bike.” Well, it just went on the market. There is a big, bright for sale...

Thanksgiving is almost here and whether you’re looking forward to spending time with friends and family or dreading the event entirely we all have something to be thankful for. The lessons I learned in Iraq are true still today, “things can always get worse”, that’s...

This nation’s pride and joy, our military veterans, have put their lives on the line for the rights and values we hold dear. It’s no wonder we have no problem offering those service members the opportunity to get into housing with much more relaxed lending standards...

This year our own Mike Frakes represented Creekside Mortgage, Inc at the 2013 Symbol of Freedom benefiting CDM Long-Term Care services. This year’s event not only honored our Veteran’s but also commemorated a dark day in history. Fifty years ago this month, President...

On Friday, November first, Creekside Mortgage, Inc attended the Clark County Veterans Assistance Center’s Black Tie dinner and auction. Proceeds from the event will go towards assisting veterans as they make the transition from military to civilian life. The evening’s...

We have all heard of the stock market and watched during the news as reporters give a brief synopsis of the current state of the economy. However, this does not always reflect the situation for home buyers or home owners.  What many are not accustomed to hearing...

For most people, buying a home is a very important decision that is only made a few times in a lifetime. So how is the average person supposed to know all the possibilities and options available when buying a home? You simply can’t because it’s not your job, and...

Summer is coming to an end and while it may be sad, it has brought some pretty nice changes in the market. Ok, we’ll be the first to admit that the start of Summer brought some very unpleasant changes including a drastic spike in interest rates. But with Summer...

Wednesday is quickly approaching, and it’s the day that we’ve been waiting for since late May. Ever since the word leaked that the Federal Reserve might begin reducing it’s monthly $85 billion bond market purchases, September 18 was considered to be the day that...

Due to service, military personnel are often removed from what is considered traditional circumstances. Whether its being deployed overseas or stationed on a military base stateside, our military end up with limited opportunities to build tradition credit histories...

Over the last five years or so, there were an increased number of short sales because of negative economic situations for millions of people. For many people, these foreclosures and short sales have ruined their credit and made it extremely difficult to get back into...

In the mortgage industry there are many acronyms, and they make it difficult and intimidating for Veterans to get loans.  So we’ve put a list of terms on our website that are commonly used in a VA loan transaction. But before we direct you there, we’d like to...

There are several reasons you should use your VA benefit to buy a home. Veterans and military families all over the country are taking advantage of the huge savings that a VA loan brings, and we want to tell you why. In many cases, buying a home using a VA loan is...

You know you’re a reliable and honest person, but the lender knows other people aren’t always like you. As a result, lenders have several standards to help measure your ability to repay the money you borrow. It’s easy to see getting a mortgage from a one sided...

Interest rates for home loans have been going crazy, especially this last week. The main driver behind the interest rate spike is the looming pullback that no one seems to know when exactly will happen. This week’s big driving force was the release of minutes from the...

Ten years ago the market was setting the foundation to have a major housing crash. Looking back now, for a lot of people, it would have been better to rent. Unfortunately we didn’t know, and a lot of people learned the hard way, that what goes up, must come down....

Getting a new home has been a little more difficult the last few months. More people are trying to buy in a market where less homes are available for sale. Another large factor in the ability to buy a home is interest rates. Interest rates have been increasing...

We just released this month’s newsletter! We know it’s later than usual, but it’s because we wanted to be able to include the announcement of our new website and video series.   We know that the mortgage industry can sometimes be a little daunting. That’s why...

You are very important to us. That’s why we’ve allocated so many of our resources to a new tool for you.   Each week, Kerry Greenwald, the owner of Creekside Mortgage, will be doing two videos with topics that are meant to help you. The first video is part of a...

We're thrilled to announce our brand new website, loaded with tools and resources to help you prepare to finance your current or new home! We'll have weekly videos that share insights and tips about the loan process. We'll also have a "Week in Review" video featuring...

We’ve talked about it before and you’ve noticed it - housing prices have gone up. In some of the most dramatic circumstances, places in Florida and Nevada saw a 20% increase in home values. Fortunately the rapid increase in home prices has leveled off. Most analysts...

When it comes to buying homes, there are three groups to pay attention to. The largest group of purchasers is existing homeowners who are “moving-up”, “moving-down”, or “moving-over”. They bought 44.6 percent of homes in June, up from 43.8 percent in May. Then you...

  Interest Rate Performance This week has been a good week for interest rates. They have mostly stabilized, which is a good thing since the past two months have brought a fairly dramatic upward spike.     Interest Rate Future It appears that interest...

Every year the Southwest Washington Region - American Red Cross produces a book of helpful resources for military families. One of our favorite parts of the book is the section that lists various discounts at stores and for services. They have compiled a list of 174...

What comes to mind when you think of the word “negotiate”? There are lots possible reactions to this word. Many people get nervous, other people feel a sense of pride in their ability to crush the competition. Negotiating is really about two things. The first is to...