Mortgage Lender Blog | Maureen Martin with HomePlus Mortgage

Conventional Loan Limits in San Diego Raised for 2020

December 5, 2019 by Maureen Martin

If you are hoping to qualify for a conventional loan to purchase a home in San Diego or elsewhere in SoCal, I have some exciting news for you for the New Year. The conventional loan limits for 2020 are going up! The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) made the announcement on November 26th. Let’s look at the new loan limits throughout the … [Read more...]

Income Up? Now Is a Great Time to Purchase or Refinance in San Diego

November 18, 2019 by Maureen Martin

Have you been earning more in recent times than you did in the past? If so, your good fortune reflects a regional trend as described by the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). According to the data, between 2017 and 2019, there was a 5.7% increase in income per capita in the San Diego metro area. This can be compared with … [Read more...]

With Home Prices at a Low Year-Over-Year, Now is the Time to Harvest the Fruits of San Diego’s Real Estate Market

October 7, 2019 by Maureen Martin

Heading into fall, we have great news for San Diego homebuyers. According to data from CoreLogic, the median price for homes in San Diego County has dropped. This is something which hasn’t happened in 7 years. Last year at this time, the median cost of a San Diego home was $584,500. This year, it is $584,000. Even though that drop is small, we … [Read more...]

Negative Equity Has Fallen Dramatically Since the Recession

September 10, 2019 by Maureen Martin

Most of us have stories from the recession days. You probably knew homeowners who were “underwater”—who owed more on their homes than they were worth. You might even have been in that position yourself. If so, you may have wondered how common it is for homeowners to find themselves underwater in today’s world. Have things improved since the … [Read more...]

Been Thinking of a Refinance? Take Advantage of Today’s Low Rates

August 13, 2019 by Maureen Martin

Did you know that mortgage rates have been low for the past six months? You may recall last month’s post when I shared data that those low rates held steady through July. Now, I have really fantastic news for August—and that is that rates have dropped even further, making this the perfect time to get a refinance. The World Property Journal has … [Read more...]

With Mortgage Rates Holding Steady and Demand for Housing Growing, Now is the Time to Buy

July 16, 2019 by Maureen Martin

If you have been thinking about buying a home in San Diego, this may be an ideal time to move on a property. According to the World Property Journal, Freddie Mac has published data in its Primary Mortgage Market Survey reporting that mortgage rates have held steady during early July. The article quotes Freddie Mac's chief economist, Sam Khater, … [Read more...]

First Time Homebuyer Problems and Solutions

June 17, 2019 by Maureen Martin

Shopping for your first home in San Diego? As excited as you may be, there may be many obstacles you perceive to be standing in your way. But it is common for first-time homebuyers to overestimate these challenges. You may be surprised by how many solutions already exist to help you qualify for your first home loan. Let's go over some common … [Read more...]

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May 15, 2019 by maumar

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Tips for Affording Your Down Payment as a First Time Homebuyer in San Diego

May 1, 2019 by Maureen Martin

For many borrowers looking to purchase their first home, one of the biggest obstacles can be making the required down payment. You may however be surprised by how affordable your down payment could be. The following suggestions will help you to buy a home now without digging too deep into your savings. 1. Choose a loan type with a low-down … [Read more...]

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...]

Client Testimonials

Maureen Martin

5.0

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

Next Reviews Write a review

Conventional Loan Limits in San Diego Raised for 2020

Income Up? Now Is a Great Time to Purchase or Refinance in San Diego

With Home Prices at a Low Year-Over-Year, Now is the Time to Harvest the Fruits of San Diego’s Real Estate Market

Negative Equity Has Fallen Dramatically Since the Recession

Been Thinking of a Refinance? Take Advantage of Today’s Low Rates

With Mortgage Rates Holding Steady and Demand for Housing Growing, Now is the Time to Buy

First Time Homebuyer Problems and Solutions

Test

Tips for Affording Your Down Payment as a First Time Homebuyer in San Diego

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

Conventional Loan Limits in San Diego Raised for 2020

Income Up? Now Is a Great Time to Purchase or Refinance in San Diego

With Home Prices at a Low Year-Over-Year, Now is the Time to Harvest the Fruits of San Diego’s Real Estate Market

Negative Equity Has Fallen Dramatically Since the Recession

Been Thinking of a Refinance? Take Advantage of Today’s Low Rates

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Mission Statement

To provide our customers with the highest level of customer service and the most competitive mortgage rate and term.

Corporate Headquarters

Get In Touch