Mortgage Lender Blog | Maureen Martin with HomePlus Mortgage

Conventional Financing and Max LTV

April 25, 2012 by Maureen Martin

There are a lot of variables that determines the maximum loan to value on a conventional loan. The type of property, the zip code in which the property is located, the credit score of the borrower, the debt to income ratio of the borrower and the reserve requirements just to name a few. With that said, assuming all is ‘perfect’ you can go with as … [Read more...]

What is a VA Funding Fee?

April 18, 2012 by Maureen Martin

I am often asked what is a VA funding fee? A VA funding fee is just like an insurance policy for the lender that loans the money for the home. The VA 'guarantees' the lender against default. So if something goes wrong and the homeowner can no longer make the payments, the lender will be covered for any loss by the VA. Unfortunately just like … [Read more...]

What is a VA Mortgage?

March 29, 2012 by Maureen Martin

A VA loan is an amazing program that is eligible only to those who have been honorably discharged in the military or who are still active duty. In order to be on a VA loan you must either be a veteran, or married to a veteran. VA loans require NO money down up to the maximum $477,000 in San Diego County and $621,000 in Los Angeles and Orange … [Read more...]

What is an FHA Loan?

March 21, 2012 by Maureen Martin

I'm often asked what an FHA loan is. FHA loans were originated in the 1930's during the Great Depression to insure lenders against default with the sharply rising defaults and foreclosures which is similar to our market today! A few highlights of FHA financing include: As little as 3.5% down lower credit score restrictions … [Read more...]

Apply for VA Loan

March 1, 2012 by Maureen Martin

Apply before you buy. As a home buyer, it's best to contact a lender before signing a contract for a home. Getting pre-approved helps you to determine your maximum mortgage amount. When starting the VA loan approval process, you will want to make sure that you are prepared to review your past/present job history and credit history - as these will … [Read more...]

Apply for FHA Loan

March 1, 2012 by Maureen Martin

Like most loans, certain information will need to be presented when starting the application process to apply for a FHA loan. You will need to be prepared to provide a lot of information to be included with your loan application. Maureen can help. She'll provide you with a list of the data required, along with a timeline on the application. FHA … [Read more...]

First Time Home Buyer Help – What Is Escrow?

February 8, 2012 by Maureen Martin

This video explaining the escrow process when buying a home is part of Maureen's first time home buyer guide. In the following short video Maureen will explain the escrow process, and how it helps to protect you as the homebuyer when purchasing your first home. … [Read more...]

Top 10 Credit Do’s and Don’ts When Obtaining a Loan

February 3, 2012 by Maureen Martin

Good credit is critical when it comes to obtaining the best interest rates and terms on a mortgage. Here are the top 10 do’s and don’ts when looking to secure a mortgage. Don’t Apply For New Credit Every time that you have your credit pulled by a potential creditor or lender, you can lose points from your credit score immediately. Don’t … [Read more...]

How To Get A House With Bad Credit

February 3, 2012 by Maureen Martin

Taking the Mystery Out of Credit ‘Credit scores’ play an important role in today’s lending environment, yet how they are applied is often a “mystery” to the consumer. With access to a variety of new resources, consumers are now empowered to learn about and manage their personal credit and protect their credit identity from fraud and theft. What is … [Read more...]

Homepath Financing 101

February 3, 2012 by Maureen Martin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZEJ1GIIE7U Homepath financing is not only available to buyers but it's an amazing product that FannieMae offers on some of their bank owned foreclosures. Key points, 3% down, no appraisal, no monthly mortgage insurance, up to 6% seller concessions towards closing costs, 10% down for investors, honestly...it's … [Read more...]

Sam Button

23:11 27 Sep 23

I had the pleasure of working with Maureen for my first home purchase, and her service was stellar from start to finish! Things can be very daunting for a first time home buyer, and Maureen made sure to take the time to explain everything easily and effectively - she is a great communicator and she made the process much easier for me. I was previously working with a different lender and Maureen was able to match their fees and provide quite a bit lower interest rate for me! Definitely will be recommending her to friends/family in the future if they decide to purchase a home.

Edward Lepe

16:08 25 Aug 23

This review is long overdue but well deserved. Maureen came to the rescue when I purchased my home in April. I was working with a different lender that was referred to me by my realtor, after a few bad experiences and my gut telling me to get a second opinion, I called Maureen less than 3 weeks before closing. From the beginning, Maureen was genuine, professional, and kind, she let me know what she could and could not do, set the right expectations and made me feel at ease. She immediately got to work, I can tell she was genuine in her intent to help me...not only was she able to close in record time, but she saved me over 1% in my rate, lower closing cost and a lower monthly payment. All while closing in record time. Maureen is truly in a class above the rest, she's passionate about helping people, genuine, honest, professional and effective. Thank you Maureen!

Ron Steen

23:05 30 May 23

Spent 10 minutes on the phone with her and she helped me immensely. Without trying to push a sale or make a deal, she helped me answer questions and was truly trying to help me even though she had nothing to gain. I will recommend her to anyone that will listen. SHE IS AMAZING!!!

Yara Tercero

16:42 24 May 23

Maureen helped us close in record time even with repair negotiations. She was super on top of everything. Couldn’t have asked for a better experience with an always stressful process of buying a home. 1000% recommend Maureen. She sticks to her word and won’t promise anything she can’t deliver on.

Melanie Davis

10:39 19 May 23

If you are looking for a review to help you decide if you should use Maureen, this is it. She’s up front and “kept it real” with me. I had shopped around for the best rate for my refi and lenders quotes were all over the board and I couldn’t make sense of it. I called her to see what she could do and not only did she have expert knowledge of the market, she offered excellent advice on how to navigate it to my benefit. No one else did that. She was patient and explained how things worked so I understood what decisions I was making. I prefer to work with someone who will tell me like it is instead of what they think I want to hear. I saw first hand how some brokers don’t care, you’re just another client to them. But she advocated for me as if she were me and that is invaluable and rare. I can’t thank her enough for her insight, experience and support during the process. I’m so glad I called her.

Jerome Farnan

18:06 17 May 23

Maureen is more than a mortgage broker, she's a helpful person who really wants to do what she can to make the process go smoothly. She is super knowledgeable about the mortgage business, real estate, financial trends and seemingly everything that is remotely related to mortgages. This made me very comfortable with the process and helped us greatly to coordinate the escrow people and the real estate people, and all the documents and information needed. If you get in touch with Maureen, she will start helping you before you even know what you need.

Christian Thorn

18:29 11 May 23

An amazing person to work with. Plans ahead for any hiccups in the process and is very organized. Definitely recommend her to anyone looking to purchase or refi a home!

Cam Tran

18:22 11 May 23

We've bought 4 homes so far and Maureen has been the BEST lender we've worked with! She has outstanding communication and you can tell she is dedicated to her work. She was prompt, easily accessible and always willing to answer any questions we had. She was also ready to fund us for an earlier closing! If you're looking for a lender, SHE'S THE ONE!!

Emily Mitchell

18:23 27 Apr 23

My experience working with Maureen starts off with a story of a lifetime. I am cofounder and president of a local nonprofit animal sanctuary, and towards the start of 2023 I found myself in one of the most challenging situations of my life. My husband and I had made the difficult decision to separate, and if the animals and I were going to stay at the property in Ramona, CA I would need to qualify for my own loan and refinance the house.This is where Maureen comes in. From the beginning, I knew I was in good hands. I had diligently searched for a good lender who could give me a good rate that would allow me to afford the house, and Maureen beat the competition. Not only that, but she was pivotal in pursuing an opportunity to lock-in on a good rate one evening when rates had momentarily dropped (rates went back up the very next day, so I was very lucky to have had a responsive and determined lender like Maureen!). Maureen never rushed me, encouraged me to do whatever was best for my unique situation, and was extremely patient with all of my questions. Perhaps above all, Maureen was kind, thorough, and a great listener throughout the entire process. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the phone call with her while I was driving one of our sheep home from the vet, midway through the process of securing my loan. I felt a little embarrassed that I had to speak loudly over a very opinionated sheep in the car, but that didn’t seem to phase Maureen. It only fueled her desire to help.Committing to a new loan is a big deal and can be stressful, especially with the future forever home of an animal sanctuary at stake. I’m beyond thrilled and relieved to report that my loan officially funded yesterday, and I could not have had a better lender on my side. 10/10 recommend Maureen for your future loan needs. She might just rescue you (and your animals)!

Rosie Zuno

15:32 27 Apr 23

If we could give more stars we would! We have had the pleasure of working with Maureen Martin multiple times in the past 10 years, not only for personal transactions, but we also refer her to our clients and close family because she is simply amazing. She is a true professional, her work ethic is outstanding and we could not be happier to work with her and her team. As a Professional Realtor myself, I can say that Maureen Martin is the best in the industry, I have worked with may Lenders, none like Maureen and the team she has built. When working with her as my lender, I know the transaction will go smooth because she is on top of her game, and her team is as efficient as her. Thank you Maureen for always being there to help us with personal transactions and also my clients, we really appreciate you!!! We look forward to working with you again soon 🙂

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