November 2017

Written by Robert H. Ruth

Thanksgiving is like a fixed rate mortgage

I have to admit that my favorite Holiday is Thanksgiving.

I love the food: turkey and dressing …mashed potatoes slathered with gravy …mmm!

I love going for a run or a long walk in the late morning, and the smells that greet me when I come home are intoxicatingly good. Maybe the crisp, late fall air that I come in from enhances the aromas from the kitchen.  

I also love the traditions of Thanksgiving, knowing that the roasting pan we use belonged to my mother in law. I can’t help but think that it holds not only the flavors of the turkey, but the memories of all those Thanksgivings past, and I feel like she is still at the table with us, sharing her love and stories of

Written by Robert H. Ruth

VA Loans are one of the very best loans available in the marketplace, but unfortunately, they are not as well understood as they should be, so with Veterans Day fast approaching, I thought it would be nice to explain the basics behind the VA loan program.

 Basic Eligibility Guidelines 

You may be eligible for a VA Home Loan if you meet one or more of the following criteria:

• You served 90 consecutive days of service during wartime, OR
• You have served 181 days of service during peacetime, OR
• You have more than 6 years of service in the National Guard or Reserves, OR
• You are the spouse of a service member who died in the line of duty or as the result of a service-related disability.
• If you are no

Written by Robert H. Ruth

Sometimes, during the course of processing a loan application, new information becomes evident that was either not disclosed or not known at the time of loan application. While not always deal breakers, this new information can cause delays in the transaction, anxiety on the part of the homebuyers, and frustration for all the parties involved. Let’s look at a few of these items in greater detail:

Changes in Income to Qualify

Knowing the borrower’s income enables a lender to determine whether the borrower has the ability to repay the mortgage. Usually the income is reliable and fairly easy to determine, say a borrower who receives a salary and can easily document their earnings by providing W2’s and most recent