The VA Loan Is the Easiest Way to Own a Home

Are you looking to apply for a mortgage? You can simply apply by clicking this link to take you to the application. If you have any friends, family, or co-workers who are purchasing a new home or refinancing their existing home, please forward  this email to them or reply back to this email with their contact information. I very much appreciate your referrals. I'll take excellent care of them!

Not a veteran, but know someone that is? Please forward this message along, so we can help them with their needs!

Why choose the VA loan program?

The answer to this question is pretty simple: because veterans and active duty borrowers are not required to make a down payment when purchasing. 

This incredible offer is allowing thousands of people to buy homes. On top of this, VA loans feature no private mortgage insurance, flexible credit and income requirements, and also considerably lower interest rates than other loan products. 

You've earned your VA loan and the benefits that come along with it! Now is the time to secure an affordable and easy path to home ownership. 

If you're a veteran or an active duty soldier looking for a home in Southern California, please don't hesitate to contact us. We have an excellent VA loan specialist that can arrange a time to speak with you.

How Can You Get the Lowest Possible Rate?

Are you looking to apply for a mortgage? You can simply apply by clicking this link to take you to the application. If you have any friends, family, or co-workers who are purchasing a new home or refinancing their existing home, please forward  this email to them or reply back to this email with their contact information. I very much appreciate your referrals. I'll take excellent care of them!

With interest rates hovering near all-time lows, and talk of them rising by the end 2015, many people are asking whether they should lock in a low rate now. Today, we answer that question!

All loans are locked in at some point prior to closing. The question is whether you do it earlier in the process or later. Consider the following points to help you decide if you should lock sooner:

• Locking in sets the interest rate of your loan for a specific number of days. 
• Typical locks run in 15-day increments, up to 60 or 90 days.
• Once set, it's important for your loan to close within that period. 
• Locking is safe only if you're sure of the closing date.

Floating is the opposite of locking, and simply means your rate is not yet set. It's floating with the market - if rates go up, yours will too; if rates go down, yours will as well. 

So, is it better to float, so you can potentially lock in a lower rate at some point in the future? 

The problem with deciding when to lock your rate is that the best decision only becomes clear after the fact. If you float your rate until the last possible moment and rates fall, you win! If you decide to wait, however, and rates end up rising, you're going to be stuck with a higher monthly payment.

Nobody is really sure how rates are going to change over a given period of time. The best decision is really determined by your piece of mind - which option are you more comfortable with? Keep in mind that very few people ever lock at the perfect time. The market is always moving, and there are just too many influences that cannot be predicted.

Once your loan is closed, it's pretty easy to refinance if rates fall. If rates rise, you can be comfortable knowing you locked in a low rate ahead of time. Bottom line: the difference in rates from offer to close is usually pretty small. Since none of us can predict the future, simply do what will give you the least stress during the process.

Whatever your lending needs, don't hesitate to reach out to the Caragiannides Team! We would love to help make a difference! 

What Can You Do to Make 2015 Your Best Year Ever?

Hello and Happy New Year! Goals are a huge part of everyone's life, so today I thought I would share 5 tactics I've learned from my mentors and coaches that will help you take it to the next level.

1. Identify the categories of your life you want to improve: Years ago I studied Tony Robbins and he talked about a concept called "the wheel of life." Basically, find six to eight categories in your life that are important to you and rank how well you're doing in those categories. For example, my categories are: my faith, wife, family, personal development, friends, work, finances, and health.
2. Write down your goal for each category: I recommend coming up with two goals for each category, for a grand total of 16 goals for the year.
3. Identify why you want to hit each goal: Why do you want to achieve the goals you've set? What are you going to get out of each? Will it benefit the people in your life if you do? 
4. Identify your action plan for each goal: Come up with a system for tracking your progress. I personally check up on my goals every single day!
5. Identify the obstacle you might face: What is something that could get between you and your goal? What roadblocks might you come up against? Write down those things so you can prepare for them adequately.

These 5 tactics will help make 2015 your best year ever. If you have any questions about putting goals together, or would like more advice on how you can make this your best year yet, don't hesitate to reach out to me. I would love to hear from you!