Melissa Stashing
Pacific Residential Mortgage, LLC
4949 Meadows Road, Suite 150
Lake Oswego, OR 97035
(503) 699-LOAN (5626)
(503) 905-4999 Fax
Over the last few months refinancing has seen what could be deemed a “boom” in our current lending climate; yet, according to the Bloomberg report, the refinance index decreased 3.1 % in the beginning of September, so why the recent slow? When I turn on the radio, open a paper or see a pop-up in my email, I am bombarded with phrases like; “Lowest Levels on Record! Historic Lows! Lower Your Payment! Rates as Low As.” Mortgage companies are using confidence boosting words to create hype in their marketing strategies, and this is important, but more crucial is providing information and education to consumers so they understand their options. In a time when we have some of the best rates in history, getting the word out about refinancing options is fundamental.
One of the best things you can do is dig through your file cabinet, find your mortgage statement and check your current interest rate. If it’s anything over 4.5% it’s worth a phone call. Just like your mom said, “you won’t know until you ask” and really, there are a lot of options. Many consumers who refinanced two years ago may have an incentive to refinance again and this is a good thing. From a local perspective, when consumers seek a lower monthly payment it increases disposable income which creates consumer spending and helps Oregon’s economy as a whole.
So here’s the scoop, there are programs that allow you to refinance without equity in your property or very little. There are options for large loan amounts and those for small. Each program has its own set of guidelines which we, the mortgage banker, will walk you through. Credit issues may not disqualify you if they can be resolved; it’s just a matter of looking at everything carefully. It’s our job to determine the best program for your situation and your ability to repay. The magic recipe for low rate bliss requires four basic ingredients from you: assets, income, credit and property. Although this may seem daunting, if you tell us what your situation is and we can verify it, you may be able to save a significant amount of money. The reality is that rates still are historically low and there is a lot of opportunity for consumers to improve their interest rates. Choosing a local company like Pacific Residential Mortgage helps make for a smart consumer because we have the skills and local expertise to educate our borrowers. In this new mortgage market, the difficulty isn’t in qualifying our consumers it’s simply a matter of gathering information, stirring the ingredients together, and you may be the one that takes the cake!
Sr. Mortgage Banker/Branch Manager
NMLS# 40033
OREGON REAL ESTATE ROUND TABLE 