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Get Pre-Qualified (better yet, pre-approved!)

Once you have the right mortgage lender, consider obtaining a pre-approval. In contrast, pre-qualifications are just guesses based on what you tell the lender. They offer no guarantee that you’ll get the loan.

With a pre-approval, the lender will actually pull your credit and get more information about you. You could even take it one step further by getting actual approval before you start home shopping. When you’re ready to make an offer, it will make the sale go much quicker. Additionally, your offer will look more appealing than other competing offers as your financing is guaranteed.

Castle Realty recommends the following finance professionals. They will be happy to chat with you about your financial goals, answer questions, and help you get pre-approved for a mortgage!

Jason Roberson

Guardian Residential Lending

 

 

 

Steve Ask

Movement Mortgage 

 

 

Melanie Boyajian

Academy Mortgage 

 

 

We’ll Find You The Perfect Space

Castle Realty is Thurston County’s choice for Real Estate that is more than just a transaction.  We get to know your Family’s needs and what you are looking for in a property.
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Know Your Financing Options

There are many types of loans available to buyers today, the most common of which are: FHA, VA and Conventional Fixed Rate Loans. While the conventional loan qualifying ratios are set at 28% and 36%, FHA and VA allow greater ratios for easier qualifying. The following is a list of loan programs that are used when one or more of the qualifying factors do not fall within conventional parameters. Stated Income Loans –for the self-employed buyer, or the buyer with income that is not documented. 5-25% required down and good or better credit ratings. 100% Loans (also known as ZERO Down Loans) – there are three types of zero down financing available: V. A. loans – can be Zero Down – Of course you must have V.A. eligibility and by having served in the armed forces or having had a spouse who served. True 100% loans – are available to people with excellent credit. There are usually two loans at closing: one for the bulk of the purchase, and a second, which makes up a small 5,10 or 20% junior lien. This second mortgage is usually at a higher rate of interest. Although there are two separate loans, one payment is usually made. Nehemiah Program – Nehemiah is a non-profit corporation based out of California that aids home buyers. A 4% Seller contribution to Nehemiah will yield a 3% down payment gift from Nehemiah to the Buyer. 1% the contribution money is retained by Nehemiah for its operating costs.Castle Realty, We specialize in creative financing and alternative financing, FHA and VA loans B,C and D loans – Sometimes paying high rates is an acceptable short term solution for buyers who have had recent credit issues. Seller Carry-backs, Real Estate Contracts, and Lease Purchases – are ways a seller can help make purchases possible for a buyer with credit or qualifying issues. Few homes offer these incentives, and fewer advertise as such.  First Time Buyer – Yes, there are several programs out there that cater to the first time home buyer and the low-income buyer. “Farm Home” loans( aka Rural Housing loans) have special programs available on certain houses in certain areas. Also there are special grant monies that come available from time to time for certain qualifying buyers. All of these programs offer below market rates, and special qualifying is required. There are usually a few strings attached as well: home buying courses are often required, and sometimes the homes fall under very tight scrutiny, above and beyond the typical lender’s interest. We can help with creative financing and alternative financing.

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Your backyard could have views like this!  Our Agency often features rare and hard to find properties like this one in Yelm, WA.  Search here for your next home.

The “Tax Saving Benefit” explained!

One advantage of owning a home is the tax write off. Many buyers do not fully understand this advantage, even if they have owned a home before.

The concept is simple enough:

Mortgage payments consist of principal and interest”. At the beginning of a 30-year loan, the payments mostly interest. Say your monthly payment is $1000 per month, it would not be unusual for the first few payments for $950 of that payment to be interest, and only the remaining $50 would actually go toward principal reduction.  Halfway through a 30-year loan, an average payment will be half and half; about $500 of the payment going towards interest and the other $500 would go towards principal reduction. By the end of 30 years, most of the payment would go towards principal reduction and only a very small portion would be to pay the interest. That’s the bad news.

 
The good news is that the interest on a loan for a primary residence is fully tax-deductible. This means you can save thousands of dollars every year off of your income tax. That extra money in your tax return could be the savings plan you never got around to making or a little investment money to add some improvements to your house.  After taking the tax savings into consideration, owning can be cheaper than renting. We can help with creative financing and alternative financing.
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No Hidden Fees

Buying a home is the biggest investment you will likely make in your lifetime.  Castle Realty is proud to be upfront with our no-hassle commission structure.

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Free CMAs (Competitive Market Analysis)

Castle Realty provides CMAs at no cost to you.  Knowing what your home is worth is one of the first steps to selling quickly.

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Browse For Free

Browse our current listings and see if we have a home that fits your current wish list.