Loan Hunter

One of the most common questions I get after a buyer closes on a home is, “What is this supplemental property tax bill? I thought we included property taxes in the monthly mortgage payment!” Tune in to find out what supplemental property taxes are, why you get this bill, how to interpret it, and why you should pay it and not have your lender pay it for you. Please reach out to me with any question...

One of the top homebuyer questions is one that they are sometimes too scared to ask -  how does the professional they choose to work with get paid? Do you have to pay a bunch of money out of pocket to cover that person’s fee? The answers may surprise you and hopefully bring you some peace of mind. Please reach out to me with any questions! Email: heather@empirehomeloans.com Phone: (916) 952-1686 I...

With interest rates at all time highs, there is a lot of chatter in the marketplace about sellers having buyers assume their low rate mortgage in order to buy their house. Who wouldn’t want to take over a loan with a rate in the 2-4% range? Not all loans allow this, they take time, and you need some down payment. Listen in as I break down all that you need to know about this topic in our current m...

Have you thought about buying in the heart of Sacramento and wonder what it is like to actually live there? I am joined by Desiree’ Taylor of All City Real Estate, who actually lives and works in midtown, to share all the details from price points, schools, amenities, and so much more when it comes to living in midtown Sacramento. Listen in to find out what makes it unique and special compared to...

Do you want to live in a place where the landscaping is taken care of and the external maintenance of the property is covered for you? If so, you may want to consider buying a condo. On this episode, I dive into what the differences are between buying a condo and a single family residence, how the qualifying differs, the extra costs that may be involved, and the loan program differences. Please re...

When buying a home, we are always told that the higher the credit score, the better right? But what happens if you literally have never had credit or haven’t used any in so long that you don't have a score? Believe it or not, there are a couple of loan programs that will work! In this episode, I dive into the requirements and what you can do to get a credit score if you are more than 30-60 da...

Have you ever considered buying a mobile home in a mobile home park? Financing is very different since they are considered personal property - not many lenders can do them (but we can here at Empire Home Loans)! In this episode, I interview our top producer of Chattel loans, Carol Pope, to discuss everything you need to know if you are considering buying a mobile home in a park. P.S. We can do the...

Have you ever wondered what it means to have a co-signer or co-borrower on a loan and how it could affect your pre-approval? I cover everything you need to know about co-signing for someone and everything you need to consider before you say yes or ask someone to co-sign for you. Please reach out to me with any questions! Email: heather@empirehomeloans.com Phone: (916) 952-1686 Instagram: @loanhunt...

I have an amazing guest this week in Jim Hogle with US Consumer Credit Restoration, LLC. His company works with clients to repair their credit. Credit is a mysterious thing - we're all trying to figure out how to achieve the best score, but there is an algorithm the credit bureaus use to determine your score. I refer all of my clients in need to Jim as they have the best tips and tricks for a...

Ok folks, this one is a little hard to follow but trust me...it's worth it, because in this episode I explain all about how to get the best interest rate when you're purchasing a new home. You might see low interest rates all over the internet, but they're not showing you the total cost of what it took to get there. What does it mean to pay points or buy down your interest rate? I b...

Listen up - if there is ONE thing I want you to take away from this episode, it's that you do NOT need 20% down to buy a home! In this episode, I go over why that is the case, review down payments for different loan types, discuss  acceptable sources for down payments, and help you guarantee that you have enough money for your down payment. Please reach out to me with any questions! Email: he...

This time I'm tackling a topic that I get a LOT of questions about, and it's involved in every loan transaction - closing costs! I'll walk you through what recurring vs nonrecurring costs are, what they include, and how much money you should plan for when purchasing your home. Please reach out to me with any questions! Email: heather@empirehomeloans.com Phone: (916) 952-1686 Instagr...

I'm joined on this episode by my friend and insurance expert, Melissa Messer with Comparion Insurance, a Liberty Mutual company. She has over 20 years of experience and always guides all of her clients into the best coverage for their situation. We break down every aspect of homeowners insurance and why working with a local agent gives you a huge advantage over an online provider. We also dis...

Welcome back! This is the first in a new series of success stories, where I'll be sharing stories about experiences in my world - good, bad, and ugly. This week we're ending on a happy note! I had some clients whose bank denied their loan ON the closing date. Most deals only have one or two hurdles that you have to overcome but this one had quite a few. Fortunately I was able to help the...

Lorisa is back and this time we're talking sellers! It's just as important to use a solid Realtor when you're selling a home as when you're buying, maybe even more so. We cover what your agent should be doing for you, how to pick that agent, how to get your home ready, the best time to sell, and more - don't get overwhelmed with everything. We break down what you need to k...

In this episode I’m talking all about HELOCs - Home Equity Lines of Credit. With homeowners sitting on a bunch of equity, and interest rates for a traditional cash out refinance running high, a home equity line of credit is a good solution to access your home’s equity. I’ll tell you how they’re different from Home Equity Loans, how to best use them, and who should avoid them.  Please reach out to...

If you're looking to buy a new build home, this episode tackles just about everything you could possibly want to know! April has an extensive background in this sector and we break down all of the ins and outs of how the builder prices a home, what you should consider with upgrades, how closing costs work, and much more. You can reach April at 916-213-0340 or  aprilsullivansellshomes@gmail.co...

Welcome back! In this episode, my longtime friend and colleague Lorisa Sherwood, and I discuss why it's absolutely essential to hire a Realtor who knows what they're doing. You can find a lot of information online, but you really need a professional on your side. Buying a home is the largest business decision you will ever make and you need to treat it like one! You can reach Lorisa at 9...

Pre qualified, pre approved, what does it all mean? In this episode, I'm going to walk you through the pre qualification and pre approval processes. We'll talk about how it affects your credit, what information you should know after you are pre approved, and why most Realtors in this market won't even show you houses without being pre approved. Please reach out to me with any questi...

This week I invited my long time friend and trusted Realtor, Brian Kassis, to talk about our current housing market! He has over 30 years of experience buying and selling real estate in the Sacramento area and has been through many market cycles. We focused in on current interest rates, loan types, and whether it's a good time to buy or sell. There are a lot of people waiting for a housing cr...

Today we're talking about some of the most popular loans (and some that aren't) to help you decide which might be best for your situation. This is a high level overview, so stay tuned for more episodes in the future that break down each loan type in more detail! Please reach out to me with any questions! Email: heather@empirehomeloans.com Phone: (916) 952-1686 Instagram: @loanhunter916 N...

In this episode I'm joined by Brina Hertzler, Senior Account Advisor for Sierra Pacific Mortgage. We take a deep dive into the Dream For All Program and all of CalHFA’s programs designed to help anyone who can be considered a first time home-buyer.  Note: Dream for All  was released on 3/27/23 and secured all available funds by 4/7/23 though they expect to open up more funds in the future. Ca...

A little bit about me, your host, Heather Hunter-Jackson. Learn how I got into the lending world and discovered my passion for helping people get into homes and why I started this podcast in the first place. Please reach out to me with any questions! Email: heather@empirehomeloans.com Phone: (916) 952-1686 Instagram: @loanhunter916 NMLS: 129963 Company NMLS: 1839243 DRE: 01402583