Adjustable-Rate Mortgages in Richmond: When a 5/6 ARM Beats a 30-Year Fixed

What the two numbers in a 5/6 ARM mean, how index, margin and the three caps turn an open-ended fear into arithmetic you can do…

Recasting a Richmond Mortgage vs Refinancing: Which One Actually Lowers the Payment

A recast re-amortizes your existing loan at the same rate after a lump sum. A refinance replaces the rate and the term and costs real…

Buying Before You Sell in the Richmond Area: Bridge Loans, HELOCs and Contingent Offers Compared

Three ways to buy your next Richmond home before the current one closes, what each actually costs, and which one a seller in a 1.8-month…

Seller-Paid Rate Buydowns in Richmond: How a 2-1 Buydown Works and What It Costs

A seller-paid 2-1 buydown worked all the way through on a $460,000 Richmond purchase: year one and year two payments, the exact escrow subsidy, the…

Renovation Loans in Richmond: FHA 203(k) and Fannie Mae HomeStyle Compared

FHA 203(k) Limited caps renovation funds at $75,000 and will not touch structure. Standard 203(k) handles structural additions but brings a HUD consultant. HomeStyle allows…

VA Loans in the Richmond Area: Entitlement, the Funding Fee and What Sellers Get Wrong

Full and remaining entitlement after a prior VA loan, the current funding fee tiers translated into dollars at the Richmond median, the appraisal and the…

Rate Locks on a Richmond Mortgage: How Long to Lock, What a Float-Down Costs and What Happens If You Blow the Date

What a mortgage rate lock actually commits, how 30, 45 and 60 day pricing works, what float-downs and extensions cost in dollars, and the worked…

FHA and VA Approval for Richmond Condos: Why Some Buildings Cannot Be Financed, and How to Check

FHA project approval, the single-unit route, VA's separate approved list and conventional project standards decide whether a Richmond condo can be financed at all. Here…

Gift Funds for a Richmond Down Payment: What Your Lender Needs and How to Document It

A gift has to be documented, sourced and non-repayable. What the gift letter must contain, who counts as an acceptable donor on a conventional loan,…

USDA Loans Around Richmond: Which Powhatan, Goochland and Hanover Addresses Actually Qualify

Large parts of Powhatan, Goochland, western Hanover, New Kent and Charles City sit in USDA eligible rural territory. Short Pump, Glen Allen, Midlothian and the…