Tag Archive | "Adjustable-rate mortgage"

Blog, Financial Safety, Mortgage

Will your ARM adjust this year? Don’t Worry…Be Happy10 Mar

If your mortgage is set to adjust this year, the smart move may be to let it. Today's conforming mortgages are adjusting lower than ever before -- as low as 3 percent. It may not be what you expected when you signed for your ARM several years ago.
Blog, Home Buying, Mortgage, Refinancing

What is going on with Jumbo Mortgages in Charlotte?20 Dec

A frequent question I get – what is the Jumbo Mortgage market like? Over the past year, those who qualified for loans that conformed to Fannie Mae guidelines (Conforming loans), saw very low interest rates and pretty streamlined approvals – you just needed to have documented income, a down payment of 3.5% to 20%, and a [...]
Blog, Financial Safety, Home Buying, Mortgage, Refinancing

What are your Rates?09 Dec

For many people the first question they ask a mortgage loan officer is, “What are your Mortgage Rates?” When I get this question, I could flippantly choose between any of these answers: A. That Depends A. Anywhere from 1% to 10%, what would you like them to be? A. 5% plus or minus A. Rates on what? As you can [...]
Blog, Home Buying, Mortgage, Refinancing

APR or Total Cost?18 Nov

APR is an acronym for Annual Percentage Rate.  It’s a government-mandated calculation meant to simplify the comparison of mortgage options.  It is probably the most misunderstood number at any closing or with any application. A loan’s APR can always be found in the top-left corner of the Federal Truth-In-Lending Disclosure. Because APR is expressed as a percentage, many people [...]

About

My first profession was an F-16 pilot with the United States Air Force followed by short stint as a commercial airline pilot with US Airways.  As a pilot, I honed my ability to stay focused on “the mission” while adjusting to unplanned circumstances like bad weather, equipment problems, and even enemy aircraft.  This ability serves me well as a Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist (CMPS).

Speaking as a former airline pilot, a long flight resembles a mortgage: you should start with a destination in mind, a plan for how to arrive there, and adjust your course along the way.  With a mortgage, the destination is paying off the loan and living in the right home.  You make course corrections by paying extra on the mortgage, using a home equity line or refinancing.

In a long flight, however, missing one simple thing at the beginning, like checking the oil level in the engines, or setting the heading wrong by even just one degree, could have disastrous consequences later on. Same with a mortgage.

I had big ambitions when I started my mortgage company (and still have them). I envisioned a company that would help homebuyers develop an integrated mortgage strategy that would lead to financial clarity, and a plan that would help them increase their financial security, minimize their tax obligations, and increase their net worth over time.

Read more about Tom Tousignant . . .

Contact Us

Tom Tousignant, CMPS
704-541-1171 Office
866-835-7153 Fax
Tom@StartWithTheHouse.com

Tom Tousignant LinkedIn ProfileTom Tousignant on Twitter

Newsletter Signup

Stay abreast of new mortgage products and finance legislation and how they may affect you. My newsletter updates provide mortgage-focused financial planning tips based on the ever-changing financial landscape.