Broker insights
These articles cover what we wish every borrower knew before signing. They give clear answers on loans, costs and the process, with the local details that matter in Southwest Colorado.
For a step-by-step guide, visit the Learning Center.
- Should you lock your mortgage rate? Pros, cons and tipsWhat a rate lock protects, what it costs, and how to choose a lock period that covers your closing.
- What moves mortgage rates, and what you controlThe market forces behind mortgage rates, and the personal factors that determine the rate you are actually offered.
- Who does your loan officer really work for?How retail loan officers and Mortgage Brokers differ, how each is paid under federal rules, and what to ask before you apply.
- Best mortgages for first-time home buyers in Southwest ColoradoThe main loan options and local help for first-time buyers in Montezuma, La Plata, Archuleta, Dolores and San Juan counties.
- Drop your rate the easy way: FHA Streamline, USDA streamlined-assist and VA IRRRLHow the three government streamline refinances work, what they skip, and what is still checked.
- CHFA loans: what down payment help really costsHow CHFA's grant and second mortgage work, what they can cost over time, and how to compare before you choose.
- How we choose your loan programThe seven steps we follow to compare every realistic way to finance your home, and why small details like a 679 score can matter.
- Is now a good time to refinance? How to tellA refinance makes sense when the numbers work for your plans, whatever the headlines say about rates. Here is how to check.
- How to get your VA certificate of eligibility (COE)Who qualifies, the fastest way to get your COE, the documents VA may ask for, and what to do when something goes wrong.
- Co-borrowers and co-signers: how family can help you qualifyHow adding a co-borrower or co-signer works on FHA, conventional, VA and USDA loans, and what it means for the person helping you.
- Fannie Mae HomeReady: the 3% down loan to know aboutWhat HomeReady offers, who qualifies, and how it compares with FHA and other low down payment loans.
- Showing you the money: how cash to close is calculatedWhat goes into your cash to close, line by line, with a simple worked example.
- Using AI to buy a home: where it helps and where it falls shortHow to use AI tools well when you buy a home, and where they fall short on loan rules, local details, pricing and privacy.
- Renovation loans compared: HomeStyle, CHOICERenovation, 203(k), VA and USDASix ways to buy and repair a home with one loan, compared side by side, and how to choose the one that fits your project.
See your own numbers
Your Mortgage Plan puts every option that fits side by side: payment, cash to close and cost over time.