John Boxmeyer's (jboxmeyer) Blog

  It's virtually impossible to change your score in the time between when most people decide to buy a home or refinance their mortgage and when they apply. So the short answer is, you really can'...

A lender's pre-approval is a limited-time commitment to fund your mortgage loan. A pre-approval may include an interest rate lock. To obtain a pre-approval, a lender evaluates your credit history, and calculates your housing and debt ratios. You should expect to verify your income, length of empl...

Home affordabilityTo determine how much of a home you can afford, you need to calculate your expected monthly payment. Most of your payment will go toward loan principal and interest, also called P+I. However, your monthly payment is also likely to include amounts for property taxes and homeowner...

  Deciding to buy or rentBuying a home is a rewarding experience. You derive a great deal of personal satisfaction from owning a home. Homeownership allows you to build up your personal net worth over time. Moreover, long-term increases in housing prices nationwide makes homeownership a relativel...