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Mortgage learning center

Mortgage guides and tools to help you understand your options and make smarter mortgage decisions.

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MUD and PID taxes in Austin suburbs
What Are MUD and PID Taxes, and How Do They Affect Buying in Austin’s Suburbs?
MUD and PID taxes are additional costs on homes in many newer Texas neighborhoods, especially in Austin suburbs like Leander, Hutto and Manor. A municipal...
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What Are Bank Statement Loans and How Do They Work?
A bank statement loan is a Non-QM mortgage that lets self-employed borrowers qualify using 12 or 24 months of personal or business bank statements instead...
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First-Time Home Buying Process: From Preapproval to Closing
The first time home buying process follows nine steps: prepare your finances, get preapproved, go house hunting, make an offer, sign the contract and formally...
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How Much Money Does a First-Time Homebuyer Need in Texas?
The cost of buying a house in Texas is more than the down payment. A first-time buyer should budget for the down payment (0% to...
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First-Time Homebuyer FAQs: Gifts, Co-Borrowers, Previous Ownership and More
First-time homebuyers with unusual situations can often still qualify. FHA and conventional guidelines allow gift funds from eligible donors, parents as non-occupant co-borrowers, renewed first-time...
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What Does “First-Time Homebuyer” Mean?
A first-time homebuyer is generally someone who hasn't owned a principal residence in the past three years, not just someone who has never owned a...
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1099 Mortgage FAQs: Common Questions Self-Employed Borrowers Ask Us
A 1099 mortgage lets an independent contractor or freelancer qualify using 1099 income and tax returns instead of W-2 pay stubs, but lenders generally want...
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1099 Mortgage Rates, Down Payment, and Cost Considerations
A 1099 loan's cost depends heavily on which path you use: standard tax-return-based underwriting gets conventional pricing with 3-5% down, while a dedicated 1099-only program...
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How to Evaluate a Lender for a 1099 Mortgage
The right 1099 lender should be transparent about how much of your gross 1099 income they use to calculate qualifying income, whether a 1099 loan...
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