Over my time in the mortgage industry many people have asked me the question, What do Closing Costs Cover?  So we thought it was about time for us to put out a video answering that question!If you're about to being the mortgage loan process or you're curious about getting pre-approved for a home loan we can help you with that as well as helping you understand each step along the journey as you're buying a house. In Fact, we've created a webseries on YouTube to help you ask questions and find answers to the most common questions we encounter during the mortgage process. In the latest installment of our Ask Darren series, a local realtor asks Darren Copeland of KC Loan Tips, a local Lee's Summit Loan Officer and Kansas City based company, about why people pay closing costs and what they c... 04/07/2015

We're experts on just about any home loan you can get, but What's the difference between Mortgage Programs?  Many people call us to get pre-approved and many of those same people don't know what program they qualify for, let alone how those programs differ from each other! Our primary focus when it comes to helping people get their home loans are on FHA, USDA, VA and Conventional loans.  We've made it our business to know as much as we can, so you don't have to figure it out on your own, A local realtor asked our mortgage loan expert, Darren Copeland from KC Loan Tips, about these differences and we got it all on video - just click on the video below to see how Darren answers this question that everyone should know. Darren Copeland and his team have been doing mortgages for over a decad... 04/03/2015

Do you know what your mortgage lender says the Biggest Challenge in the Mortgage Process is; it may be something that you can do something about as your journeying through your home loan!  We asked Darren Copeland, a Lee's Summit Missouri Loan officer to answer some of the most common questions that people have when it comes to purchasing a home or going through the mortgage process.  We've invited local realtors from all over the Kansas City area to ask Darren questions that they hear most often, and this one is a great questions.  Watch the video below to see Darren's answer: Now that you've heard Darren's answer to "What's the Biggest Challenge of the Mortgage Process" maybe you're interested in getting pre-approved for your home loan. You can get pre-approved here, and get your star... 04/02/2015

One of the most frequent questions we get asked after people get pre-approved for their home loan is How Much Money Will I Need for Closing Costs.  So in this episode of Darren Copeland's "Ask Darren" webseries featured on YouTube, a local Kansas City realtor asks him what about those mortgage related closing costs.    Darren and his team at KC Loan Tips are always striving to help people on the lookout for a the best mortgage deals not only get the right home loan, but also to educate them throughout the entire process.  They're one of the consistently ranked best mortgage teams in the Kansas City/Lee's Summit Missouri area and will be happy to assist you in choosing between FHA, VA, USDA or a Conventional mortgage loan.  Darren Copeland and LeaderOne Financial are a local home loan le... 04/01/2015

When Should I Buy Furniture? We're continuing blogging through our Ask Darren Series on YouTube, and we wanted you to know what the best time to buy furniture is when you're purchasing your new home!  Darren Copeland, your Lee's Summit MO home loan expert sat down with a local Kansas City area realtor and discussed this question on episode 4 of our 'Ask Darren' web series for KC Loan Tips. Click below to watch the video!   Now that you know the answer to When Should I Buy Furniture for your new home purchase you should really consider the benefits of getting pre-approved with a local lender. If you're not sure where to start the mortgage process, let us recommend that you get pre-approved with us, you can do it online very easily by clicking here and filling out the application! Then yo... 03/31/2015

Maybe you weren't expecting it, your credit slipped, something happened and now you're waiting after a bankruptcy wondering if you can buy a new home?  The good news is that having a bankruptcy doesn't end your dreams of owning a house, however it may delay them by a few years.  A Realtor in the Kansas City area joined our local Lee's Summit Missouri mortgage lender, Darren Copeland, in our Ask Darren series to ask this very question about waiting after a bankruptcy.  Watch the video below to find out more about how this unfortunate circumstance can be overcome to help you get a home loan! Now that Darren has answered your questions about how a bankruptcy affects your home loan dreams, feel free to apply online with us to get pre-approved for you mortgage.  We've got the best mortgage r... 03/30/2015

Many people are confused when it comes to Starting the Home Buying Process, but why is that?  We find that people just get excited about finding a home and we completely understand, what's not to get excited about finding that place to raise your family, to invite friends over for a backyard BBQ.  As you're dreaming about these things you need to realize that finding the home is often not the first step in the mortgage process, in fact, it's the 3rd step of the process.  The first step of the home loan process would be to find a local mortgage lender.  As great as the internet lenders make their rates sound, it's just better to find someone you can call on the phone and hear the same voices everytime you call.  The second step in the home loan process is ton get pre-approved with your l... 03/27/2015

If you're a first time home buyer Lee's Summit MO is a great place to purchase a house and raise a family. Living and working in this part of the Kansas City area is one of the dreams of many people looking for great neighborhoods and great schools.  If you're looking to purchase your first home there's a few things  you should know, that's why Darren Copeland created this video just for you as a way to talk to you about these need to know topics when buying your first home. One of the things Darren mentions in this video for First Time Home Buyers Lee's Summit is that you'll need to get pre-approved, if you'd like to get pre-approved with Darren and his team at KC Loan Tips, just click here to apply! We're experts in the Home loan business and can set you up for success. If you think y... 03/26/2015

One of the questions we run into a lot when people are working with a realtor or asking us: Should I find a House or Lender First?  We asked our local mortgage expert, Darren Copeland of KC Loan Tips and LeaderOne Financial, to answer this question and here's the answer he gave us! It's that simple if you want to have a stress free home loan process and eliminate all the possible worries of finding a house but not being able to afford it; You should pick your lender first.  If you would like to get pre-approved with us  you can do so by clicking this link: mortgage pre-approval application.  Or if you're not ready to make that jump, travel on over to our YouTube Channel that will answer a lot of great questions about the entire mortgage process and help you understand what getting a hom... 03/19/2015

Getting Pre-approved in Lee's Summit MO is probably easier than you think it is, especially if you're using a local lender with a local LSMO office.  Darren Copeland (who stars in the video above,) from LeaderOne Financial, is ready to help you understand and get pre-approved as soon as your ready to start your home buying process.   Darren and his KC Loan Tips team are ready to help you as you work your way through your VA, FHA, USDA or Conventional home loan process.  With our in house underwriters and a mortgage loan processor in our office we can assist you quickly and communicate with you efficiently throughout the entire home loan process.  There's no need to worry when you get pre-approved with a team as great as Darren's! If you're looking to get pre-approved in Lee's Summit, t... 03/18/2015

When you're looking for a company or really a person to finance your home loan, there's one truth that many people miss: Mortgage Rates Only Go So Far. A lower mortgage rate is going to benefit you in the long run, but sometimes you have to considersome of the other parts of the home loan that fits your needs and not just getting that lower rate.  Here are some two examples that illustrate why focusing just on the rate may not always be the best option. 1. Rates only go so far when using a nationwide lender. I hear people say it all the time, they can get a lower mortgage rate if they use ABC lender's nationwide website, what most people don't know is that to get those lower rates those internet mortgage companies will charge you higher fees, when in most cases  you could go to a local ... 03/13/2015

We're in the mortgage business and nothing makes us more sad than when people do one of our Mortgage Don'ts.  So we're took a few minutes to create the above video to tell you some of our pet peeves in the home loan industry.  All of the things in this list can derail your pre-approval process and ultimately  your home buying journey!  So, if you haven't already watched the video above from our Local Kansas City Mortgage Lender Darren Copeland (LeaderOne Financial & KC Loan Tips) who quickly explains these Mortgage Don'ts: Make any major purchases such as a car, boat, etc Don't apply for any new credit. Don't transfer money between accounts. Don't pay off any collections until you speak with us first.   If you'd like to learn more about the home loan process via our youtube channel and... 03/11/2015

Spring's just around the corner many people are ready to move into their first home, that's why we'd like to help all Lee's Summit First Time Home Buyers understand more about the home loan process and what it takes to make sure you get the best mortgage rates and the most stress-free process when buying that new house! We know that taking time out of your day to read endless blogs and websites can really suck up your time, so we asked our local LeaderOne Financial mortgage guru and author of "The Home Buying Handbook," Darren Copeland to take a few minutes out of his busy day at KC Loan Tips to talk to  Lee's Summit First Time Home Buyers about what they can do to get the best deal on their home!  We hope you enjoyed the video and getting see and hear from Darren, his team at KC Loan T... 03/06/2015

All over the country people are saying that food that is local grown has health benefits & economic benefits.  It's the same for Lee's Summit Local Lenders! At first I didn't think there could be health benefits to using a local lender for your VA, USDA, FHA or Conventional Home Loan, but after thinking about it for a few minutes I see some benefits in the health area and I do know that there are definitely reasons why using a local lender helps the economy of your area, in our case, Kansas City, MO. Darren Copeland and his team from KC Loan Tips and LeaderOne Financial want you to know that they are local lenders who ready to help you see why choosing them is better!Here's why we believe Lee's Summit Local Lenders are great for your health and the economy.1. Home Loans and Mortgages ar... 03/05/2015

One of the things we consistently hear about the large national mortgage lenders is how Local Kansas City Lenders are much better!  We don't say this to brag or to diss these other large companies, it's just that we know that choosing a local mortgage lender is always going to benefit you.  Often times people think they will get a better deal with the national chains, and while that's sometimes true, most of the times you'll find that a Local home loan lender can get you the same rate and won't have some of the extra fees that the big guys will charge you.  Now, we'd like to introduce to you a Local Kansas City Lender, by the name of Darren Copeland, Darren and his team at KC Loan Tips, are a branch of LeaderOne Financial.  Leader1 is based in Overland Park, KS and serves the entire Kan... 02/19/2015

Sometimes you just can't explain it enough to your clients, being Mortgage Ready  before you go on the house hunt for a realtor can really reduce the stress of the entire home buying process.  That's why we created this 4 minute video to share with everyone!  We want the world to know that not only does being prepared, AKA Mortgage Ready, help  us out when getting your documents and all the background work done for your home loan, it will really help you out when it comes to keep your stress level low and keeping you informed of what's going on.  So once you've watched the video (and taken some notes... hint hint!) you can head on over to our website and click apply now to being the first step in the mortgage process!   02/03/2015

Monarch View Lee's Summit MO   Looking for a home in the Lee's Summit area?  Monarch view might just be the place for you.     Located near Hook Rd and Pryor, right off of 150 HWY, Monarch View is conveniently located to dining, shopping and highway access.  Monarch View is in the award winning Lee's Summit R-7 school district.  Students attend Hawthorne Hills Elementary, Summit Lakes Middle and Lee's Summit West High Schools.     Homes in Monarch View are single family, 4+ bedrooms, ranging in price from the mid $200's to well over $400,000.  Community amenities include a swimming pool(with active swim team for the kids), walking trails, play areas and an active HOA with community website.     To see a complete list of all available homes for sale in Monarch View, click on the link bel... 01/27/2015

There are many different ways to go about getting a home loan, but if you're a first time home buyer the best option maybe be FHA Home Loans Lee's Summit.  If you want to know more about this great program we've got great information on our website: KC Loan Tips, but that's probably not good enough for you - we've also shot this great little video to tell you all the benefits of the FHA Home Loans Lee's Summit!  In this quick video you'll learn all the facts you need to know about the FHA Loan program before getting pre-approved for one with us!   Here are some of the benefits: 1. Down payment is only 3.5% of the purchase price2. The down payment can also be gifted by a family member such as Parents, Grandparents, or a Sibling.3. The credit scores are more relaxed….in some cases as low ... 10/27/2014

It's time to take a brake from cheering the Royals to their first World Series in 30 years and start looking towards your Lee's Summit Mortgage.  The home loan process isn't a difficult one to begin, in fact we're going to give you the first two steps in the process, so you can get a head start on finding that new home! The First step in the Lee's Summit Mortgage Process is to get pre-approval from a local lender, like us.  There's a misconception out there that you can get a better mortgage rate with one of these companies that advertise online, but that's simply not true.  Much of the time,  you can't get a better rate with them and on top of that you won't be able to get the personal service that a local home loan lender can offer you!  We've been in the mortgage business for 11+ yea... 10/15/2014

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." This famous movie line reminds me a lot that there's plenty of stuff to do once you've made the decision to get started down the road to home ownership.  When you've finally made the decision to move your family from the renting lifestyle and you're ready to Get a Home Mortgage in Lee's Summit and that is an exciting thing, but it can move pretty fast and we don't want you to miss anyting!.  A lot of folks out there want to paint a picture that getting a home loan is a difficult process and that it's stressful, but the truth is that the entire process really isn't that bad.  There are a few things you need to know when you want to Get a Home Mortgage in Lee's Summit.  1. Pre-approval starts ... 09/19/2014