Whitney Watson's (whitneywatson) Blog

When the weather warms up, a favorite place I like to take my daughter in Richmond, VA is Maymont. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve been there, but it never gets old. Maymont originated as a 100-acre estate belonging to James Henry and Sallie May Dooley. After both of them passed away, the...

Wanda Fears has put together a great list of Richmond's top  family friendly places to visit! Be sure to visit her blog to leave comments. (Image Courtesy of Kings Dominion)   Richmond is known for being a great place to raise kids. It almost doesn’t really matter what part of town you are locate...

Let’s talk about Lunch. Not just the mid-day meal, but the restaurant Lunch. | Supper! in Scott’s Addition in Richmond, VA.  Lunch is a very cozy restaurant where you can get some of the best southern cooking I’ve had in Richmond. If you have to wait for a table, you’ll want to stick it out—it’s ...

It’s that time of year where we have beautiful weather in the morning and early afternoon, but right as 5:00 is approaching things start looking like this:   It is so scary driving into those very angry looking clouds not knowing what to expect. As I got closer to home, it looked like a tornado h...

This question comes up during just about every refinance transaction.  Clients want to know why their mortgage payoff is higher than the principal balance reflected on their most recent mortgage statement. The answer:  Your mortgage loan payment is paid in arrears.  Therefore, when you make your ...

Today is Thankful Thursday and I am thankful for Panera’s Hidden Menu.  I discovered it online when I was doing a crazy Paleo challenge a few months ago.  It’s so hard to eat healthy when you’re on the run or don’t have time to pack a nice lunch, so I’m glad Panera has these great healthy options...

Picture Source In general, a self-employed borrower must have been self-employed for a minimum of two years in order to use that income to qualify for a mortgage loan.  A loan officer will request tax returns for the most recent two years and a year to date profit and loss statement to calculate...

Has your loan officer requested to see all of your bank and financial statements, even retirement funds beyond what you will be using for your down payment and closing costs?  This might seem like more information than you need to provide, but there’s a reason behind it–your loan officer isn’t ju...

Here’s what we’ll be eating this week: Monday- Black Bean, Spinach, and Chicken Enchiladas with Fiesta Lime Rice Tuesday- Roast Beef and Arugula Sandwiches and Chips Wednesday- Healthy Baked Fish Sticks with Green Beans, Red Peppers, and Onions Thursday- Dinner at Fire House 15  Friday- Grilled ...

The Dilemma: Obtaining Financing for an Investment Real Estate Purchase in Richmond, VA While Living in Canada I was contacted by a couple who wanted to buy an investment property here in Richmond, VA.  I’ll name this couple Dan and Kate. They used to live in Richmond, VA, but they have recently...