Nick Pakulla Mortgage Lender Loan Officer in Maryland (MD), the District of Columbia (DC), and Virginia (VA)

Should I refinance to a 15 year mortgage? A number of borrowers who have the equity and cashflow are making the switch and refinancing to 15 year mortgages.  15 year mortgages are amortized over 15 years instead of 30 years, so the payment is slightly higher but the loan is paid off much sooner. ...

Announcing Rockville Restaurant Week, October 4-10 2010, serving special prix-fixe menus, priced at either $8 lunch/$15 for dinner or $10 lunch/$25 dinner.  There are 31 restaurants to choose from, foodies and savvy spenders alike will be pleased. What is Rockville Restaurant Week?Now in its seco...

Howard County Government is giving away free trees to County each county residence (while supplies last).  This is the sec­ond round of 2010 Trees, enti­tled 2010 MORE Trees in 2010!  Residents will need to fill out an online order form to make their selection.  (Don't forget to check with you Ho...

This is a very good article by Claudette Millette about the true costs of home ownership.   This goes on further to show that often when you are looking for your Loan Officer to give you the "maximum price" you can afford - this may be more than borrowers should take on.  Often times the bank wil...

Can I get a mortgage with 10% down?  The answer is YES, you can get a mortgage with 10% down.  The best option for this situation is what is called an 80/10/10.  This is comprised of two separate mortgages allowing the borrower to go up to 90% financing without mortgage insurance! The first mortg...

A little known option when shopping for a mortgage in Montgomery County Maryland is what's called an escrow waiver.  - An escrow account is an account setup by your lender that is funded in advance to pay your property taxes and homeowners insurance automatically.  - An escrow waiver is an option...

Yes, the mortgage lending standards have become very strict, but there is proof that they are working!  The Quarter 2 2010 losses are the lowest they have been since the government took over Fannie Mae in 2008.   The Washington Post featured an article that Fannie Mae “reported Thursday that its ...

David H. Stephens, the Assistant Secretary for Housing / Housing Commissioner released today a special notice with the intent of decreasing the annual upfront MIP down to 1% (currently at 2.25%) with a simultaneous increase in the annual MIP to 0.85-0.90% (currently at 0.50-0.55%).  The anticipat...

Butlers Orchard offers fresh local produce for us all to enjoy. Open every day except for Monday, you can either pick your own produce or purchase it in the farm store. What’s currently available to pick? Blackberries, blueberries and fresh flowers. Produce isn’t where it ends. Butler’s Orchard ...

When should you pay points on a mortgage? Deciding when or if you should pay points on a mortgage is not always as simple as just calculating the breakeven point.  There are a number of factors that ultimately play into the decision.  The simple quick answer is that often points cost more than th...