FHA Loans Archives | San Diego Mortgage Broker 619-857-7191

Should You Choose the FHA Loan Program or the Conventional 97% LTV Program?

April 14, 2019 by Maureen Martin

Did you know that through Fannie Mae, it is possible to get a conventional mortgage with a down payment of only 3%? This is known as the 97% LTV program. In order to get a lower down payment, many homebuyers (first-time homebuyers in particular) turn to the FHA loan program. This program is popular for a variety of reasons, not the least … [Read more...]

Great News for San Diego Home buyers – The Conforming Loan Limits for 2019 Have Been Raised!

January 2, 2019 by Maureen Martin

Planning on buying or refinancing a home in 2019? You couldn’t have picked a better time for it! We’ve got some fabulous news to welcome in the New Year, and that is that conforming loan limits have taken a jump! Straight from the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the baseline limit for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has increased from $453,100 in … [Read more...]

FHA Loans in San Diego: Not Just for First-Time Homebuyers

November 13, 2018 by Maureen Martin

“I’m not a first-time homebuyer. Why would I apply for an FHA loan?” This is a common question directed at FHA loan lenders in San Diego. It points toward a common misunderstanding about FHA loans. FHA loans are so readily associated with first-time home buyers that is frequently assumed that those are the only purchasers who qualify. This is an … [Read more...]

Spring Buying Season & The Millennial Shift

May 12, 2016 by Maureen Martin

Millennials are the first generation to come of age in the post-recession housing market in a relatively positive light. Yet the No. 1 barrier to entry for young, would-be homebuyers? Credit. "The mortgage industry is poised to experience a monumental shift as more millennial homebuyers begin to enter the market," said Joe Tyrrell, executive vice … [Read more...]

Is An FHA Loan The Right Choice For You?

April 24, 2015 by Maureen Martin

Today, home buyers are faced with a plethora of mortgage options presented by qualified lenders. These include traditional fixed rate mortgages, adjustable rate mortgages, and interest only mortgages. Unfortunately qualifying and obtaining a mortgage is no easy feat. Anyone looking to own a home is taking on significant debt, and if their credit … [Read more...]

Obama Plans To Cut FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums

February 18, 2015 by Maureen Martin

Obama Plans To Cut FHA Mortgage Insurance Premiums On January 7, 2015, President Barack Obama announced that the administration plans to cut Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance premiums. This move is expected to open the housing market to roughly a quarter of a million Americans looking to buy a new home. The announcement President … [Read more...]

FHA’s Back to Work Program Allows Homeowners to Buy Again Sooner

September 11, 2014 by Maureen Martin

Due to financial hardships caused by the recession, many homeowners were forced to forfeit their houses in a foreclosure or sell them as a short sale. Typically, an ex homeowner who lost their home in one of these situations would have to stand aside and wait a minimum of 36 months before attempting to purchase another home with a loan from the … [Read more...]

FHA Has Agreed To End Its Controversial Full-Month Interest Policy

August 29, 2014 by Maureen Martin

Are you responsible for paying interest on your mortgage even after you have paid it off in full? When your principle balance reaches zero, does your interest clock stop running? The answer to these questions has been a shock to many home sellers and refinancers. If your home was financed with a loan insured by the Federal Housing Administration … [Read more...]

Are FHA Spot Loans Coming Back?

August 22, 2014 by Maureen Martin

History of spot loans The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) originated spot loans in 1996. The goal of spot loans was to allow single loans on smaller projects that chose not to get approved with the Federal Housing Administration or did not make changes to their legal documents in order to conform to FHA project approval standards. Spot loans … [Read more...]

Best FHA Lender – Maureen Martin

July 15, 2014 by Maureen Martin

If you’re interested in relocating in San Diego, and your financial possibilities and credit rating don’t allow you to qualify for the home of your choosing, contacting a qualified FHA-approved lender can be the best course of action to take. Considered to be among the most helpful, responsive and efficient FHA-insured loan providers in the area, … [Read more...]

Client Testimonials

Maureen Martin

5.0

Alissa Bjerkhoel

20:12 23 Jul 20

I CANNOT say enough good things about Maureen! I found out about her through a real-estate agent friend of mine in 2012 and she helped with our purchase of our first home. Since then, I have used her 2 more times. She is so quick, so responsive (emails back within the hour and, typically, within minutes), and very professional. Given the current low interest rates, I asked Maureen about refinancing on July 2nd. I signed loan disclosure docs on the 7th and the loan has fully funded today, the 23rd, only 16 days later! An absolute pleasure to work with. I will never use any other mortgage broker.read more

Ryan van Schilfgaarde

14:44 22 Jul 20

Maureen happily explored our options and answered our questions and then processed our refi in record time. She was very accommodating and responsive. Highly recommended.

Mike Adamski

21:52 11 Jul 20

There's absolutely nothing but efficient professionalism with Maureen. She's help us now with a purchase and a refi now, and both times were super easy and quick. Top-notch!

vanLeeuwen

18:43 12 Jun 20

Maureen Martin is a true professional. She provides excellent customer service and is extremely responsive to her clients. She assisted us with the refinancing of our mortgage and was able to secure a great interest rate. The whole process only took 22 days from start to finish! We highly recommend you contact her, if you considering refinancing or a new loan.read more

Camarin Faddis

18:28 04 Jun 20

I highly recommend working with Maureen! She was incredibly helpful, very responsive and knowledgeable and so much fun to work on something that can be difficult to do! She was able to get through some hurdles we had with ease and was able to get us closed in record time! If you need a loan, do yourself a favor and call her!!read more

lolly hunter

20:11 16 May 20

If you are considering purchasing a home, you should do yourself a favor a contact Maureen. She makes such a complex process seem effortless. She made me feel so comfortable with every step of the process. She’s honest and realistic and I really like that about her. Her response time is also something I appreciated. Will definitely use her in our future purchases! 😊read more

Robin Kastner

19:02 24 Apr 20

Excellent customer service for refinance! Could not have been happier working with Maureen. Very knowledgeable, kept me informed and updated throughout process. Absolutely would refer her to family/friends and would use her again anytime.read more

Sarah Rego

02:04 16 Apr 20

I found Maureen on Google - and saw all of the awesome things said about her. Well the are ALL CORRECT! She's the friendliest, most efficiant, kindest, most hardworking, level headed, just all around fantastic person! During a world pandemic she was able to get my loan through when many said no they couldn't. Well she DID it! She saved me a ton of money - and it was the easiest experience ever! Like SO easy! Call her! She's the best in town! Maureen - thanks again for giving my family a loan that will save us 3 years of mortgage payments!read more

Kelly Dembicer

22:44 15 Apr 20

Maureen is awesome to work with, especially during this crazy and unique time she was able to quickly close our refi and secure us a great rate, without missing a beat!. This is our second time working with her, she has helped us through our home purchase and now with a refinance. She is incredibly knowledgeable, very easy to communicate with and happily answers any and all questions throughout the process. You can tell Maureen genuinely cares about each client she works with and we will definitely be back to work with her in the future and are always recommending her to any of our friends and family looking to refinance or get a mortgage loan of any kind!read more

David C

19:09 09 Apr 20

My refinance loan with Maureen just funded! This is my second time working with Maureen. She did my original purchase loan back in 2012 and she made such an great impression on me with her outstanding knowledge, responsiveness, and communication skills, that I knew she would be the only lender I would ever work with again! So here I am working with her the 2nd time around during the middle of this Covid-19 crisis and she is even better! Despite all of the new obstacles in today's environment, she expertly guided me through the process and even made me laugh and have fun along the way! Thanks again Maureen!read more

Chris Cahill

18:13 04 Mar 20

I found Maureen online and found great reviews online, and am SO I glad I did. She helped figure out a very complicated issue and put together a fantastic loan for my family. Her work ethic and dedication to us for months prior to getting our loan put together really shows how much she cares. You won't be sorry you gave her a chance to earn your business. Thanks Maureen!!!read more

Kathy Le

17:41 27 Feb 20

Maureen was a pleasure to work with. She is fast, efficient and very knowledgeable. She provides awesome communication every step of the way which helped us feel comfortable the entire time.

Brian Adams

23:25 24 Feb 20

Maureen was contacted through YELP and was kind and very responsive to initial, questions. After following up, I decided to refinance with her as not only were rates/fees very competitive, but she explained everything and made the whole process very easy and extremely quick. I would recommend Maureen to anyone seeking to refinance!read more

Denise Gershwin

21:02 06 Dec 19

We are experienced home buyers so we have worked with many mortgage lenders in the past. Our experience working with Maureen was stellar! She was highly knowledgeable about our options and how they would affect various purchase options. She was very patient as our new home search evolved and was ALWAYS available to answer our questions day to day as they arose. Maureen and her assistant kept us informed of every stage of the escrow process, so we never once wondered about the status of our loan. Finally, she made sure we understood every aspect of the loan costs. Maureen really went out of her way to ensure that this was a positive experience. We feel we have been taken advantage of in the past, but now we found our mortgage lender for life. We would highly recommend her services for any of your mortgage needs.read more

Magdalena Patterson

18:27 16 Nov 19

Maureen Martin has helped me and my family trough out the years with home purchase loans as well as refinancing loans. She is definitely our lender for life. I highly recommend her and her team to do any home loans. She is very knowledgeable, honest, and gets it done. This year she and her entire team has made it possible for us to do 3 home loans.read more

Erica L

14:41 16 Nov 19

My updated review now that we’ve been fortunate to work with Maureen again! Maureen is truly amazing!! We consider ourselves very lucky to have found Maureen (simply via Yelp originally) to help us purchase our first home, and then again recently she was of course our ‘go-to’ to help us refinance our loan. During both of these processes, I can’t imagine working with anyone else to support and guide us through the complex details and steps involved. Maureen’s customer service is exceptional. She is extremely responsive and available to you every step of the way, with the utmost patience, warmth, integrity, efficiency, knowledge, professionalism, and overall just a truly good human! She is definitely the person you will want in your corner as your mortgage expert. She had reached out to us (gently) to let us know we could secure a lower rate through refinancing, and we are so grateful she did. We were hesitant at first, but she was able to provide us with the estimates on our savings without any commitment from us. So, if you are considering a refinance, I would encourage you to reach out to Maureen to at least get some ballpark figures. We were so happy we explored and then pursued it - as it not only reduced our monthly payment and will save us a lot over the life of our loan, but it also resulted in some extra up front “savings” in our pocket (due to the escrow refund and skipped payments) so that we could finally do our kitchen remodel that we have been dreaming about. A huge thank you to Maureen for once again being a true gem to work with!Original review: All of these glowing 5 star reviews for Maureen are fully deserved!! We are deeply grateful that we found her (on Yelp!) and chose her as our lender for our home purchase! She is truly wonderful to work with, from start to finish! She is very knowledgeable, immensely responsive, reliable, efficient, trustworthy, and a wonderful source of support and encouragement, which is especially valuable during the stressful home buying process. To give you an idea of her efficiency and ease to work with, we first connected with Maureen at the start of August, and she had us pre-approved for a loan (through a very simple online application) and connected us with an awesome realtor before we could blink. We had an offer accepted on a home soon after and got our keys to our new home yesterday! I've only known her for slightly over a month, and yet, she feels like a close friend! She was our biggest resource and advocate during the escrow process. I highly recommend Maureen to anyone starting a home search, and especially first-time buyers because you will greatly benefit from having her as a support, trusted resource, friend, and 'cheerleader' through the process!read more

Marisol Martin

01:52 13 Nov 19

Impressed by such great service. Ms. Maureen responded to my emails quickly and was always friendly. Very knowledgeable. She helped me understand my mortgage and all options to refinance.

Rick T

16:34 07 Nov 19

I called Maureen about some questions that I had and she was very helpful in giving me all the information that I needed. Very professional and helpful!

gerardo sanchez

19:29 23 Oct 19

It was the best experience I’ve had. My first purchase was nothing compared to this one.Maureen was magnificent and soooo efficient,and easy to access and work with her.Every time I had a question, she was so nice and quick to reply and advise me on everything.I wish I would have met you sooner in my first purchase. But you definitely made my second purchase of a home soooo great and easy that I will recommend you to everyoneread more

Christian Minnema

20:43 10 Oct 19

My wife and I have used Maureen twice in the last two years. First for our home loan and most recently for a refinance of that loan. Maureen is incredibly professional, quick, knowledgeable, and always available if you have any questions. I have already recommended her to family and friends for their financing needs. If you're looking for some one to help you with your mortgage Maureen is the answer.read more

James Marvel

04:13 21 Sep 19

My wife and I are first time home buyers using my VA loan. Maureen encouraged us every step of the way, and went above and beyond in making sure we were able to purchase our home. We got pre-qualified and were able to offer a 21-day escrow to help get our offer accepted. We highly recommend Maureen. She was able to give us a frank, honest assessment about what we could afford, which helped us find the right home. Thank you, Maureen!!!read more

JMS Silver

05:16 15 Sep 19

Maureen is an absolute pleasure to work with! She’s professional and prompt and always ready to help and educate anyway possible. Her team was able to help us close on our dream home in no time and so efficiently. She helped make a stressful closing, hassle free and smooth. I’d definitely recommend her to anyone and would love to work with her again in the future! She’s also very knowledgeable on VA loans and processread more

Amanda Cline

01:35 29 Aug 19

I recently worked with Maureen Martin as my mortgage broker for a home purchase in Northern California. I originally came across Maureen when I was living in San Diego through a mutual friend. I hadn't been a homeowner for over 13 years and Maureen helped guide me all the way as though it had been my first time. This was a years-long process as I came out of a $15K+ debt situation and saved for the down payment, but Maureen stuck by my side, offering financial advice and when it was finally time to pull the trigger when all the stars aligned, I had complete confidence in her. She is incredibly thorough and detail-oriented and found a fantastic rate on the loan. We went through several home offers before landing on "the one" and she was so patient in explaining everything to me, multiple times! Working with her hundreds of miles away (Norcal vs. Socal) was no issue at all. I cannot recommend her enough - she consistently went above and beyond to help me through and made it as easy as possible. Thank you Maureen!read more

Katie Jones

22:44 26 Jun 19

I can't say enough about Maureen and her team! She is so amazing and wonderful to work with. We were in the process of buying a home while our daughter had surgery and Maureen was incredible through the entire process. She helped us know what we could afford and made herself available to answer any questions we had. She provided personalized pre-approval letters for every offer! She also goes above and beyond by calling listing agents to assure them your loan will go through! We bought with a VA loan and her understanding of the VA loan was so helpful! Maureen took care of us and helped us get our new Home! She is amazing!read more

Katie Jones

22:43 26 Jun 19

Mary DeLisio

05:18 30 May 19

I found Maureen on google while searching for brokers in the San Diego area. I loved her bio and something told me she was the perfect broker for my boyfriend. I encouraged him to call her but was a bit sacred and nervous being a first time buyer. He thought he wouldn’t qualify but Maureen made him feel so comfortable and walked him throughout the whole process. Needless to say he was approved and in less than a month and a half he received his keys and closed on his first home. I can’t say enough how awesome Maureen was and so professional. She is so detailed and knows her business well. Next home will definitely be calling her again. Thank you Maureen for making our dream come true! Rodrigo & Maryread more

TERRANCE RUSNAK

21:05 17 May 19

We were introduced to Maureen when we moved last year. We were about to close escrow on the house we sold, and needed to expedite escrow and get a mortgage for the house we had just bought. She took charge of the situation and made it happen quickly and efficiently. She was extremely knowledgeable, highly professional and above all motivated to facilitate our needs. Friendly, very proficient and easy to talk to, she made the process understandable and effortless at a time when moving issues had our complete attention and were our highest priority. When interest rates recently dropped, we again turned to Maureen to refinance and she did not disappoint, doing her thing and looking out for our best interests. We had gone through the refinancing process several times in the past with others whom we trusted and felt good about. Our recent experiences with Maureen allowed us to reach an obvious conclusion - she's the best! Highly recommended!!!read more

Michelle Edmonds

23:47 14 May 19

5 stars all the way!! Working with Maureen has been amazing, She’s professional and incredibly responsive and does a fantastic job of explaining all of the ins and outs of mortgage financing options. My home buying process has been very lengthy, with several offers that have fallen through (in no part due to the mortgage terms) but Maureen has stuck with me through thick and thin. I trust her completely and highly recommend her services.read more

Brian Dinh

23:33 14 May 19

I’ve used Maureen for a few of my properties over the years and she’s been nothing but amazing and refreshing to work with.... she’s available when you need her and she’s professional and extremely competent and knowledgeable. You can’t go wrong and I’ve had a few other friends go through her and love her as well. Nothing like word of mouth! Thanks Maureen you’re the best.read more

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