Mortgage news and helpful tips

VA loan eligibility, verdict first: most veterans qualify — about 90 days of wartime-era active service, 181 days in peacetime eras, 24 continuous months for Gulf-War-to-present service, or six creditable years in the Guard or Reserve — and the Certificate of Eligibility is the proof, which a lender can usually pull online in minutes. The full service-era table, the three ways to get a COE, entitlement math with a Clark County worked example, restoration, surviving spouses, and discharge questions.

A mortgage rate lock freezes your rate and points for a set lock period while your loan closes. When to lock vs. float, what 30-, 45-, 60-, and 90-day locks cost, how float-down options work, what happens when a lock expires - and the exact monthly cost of floating, in real numbers.

How much house can I afford? Two honest answers: the lender’s ceiling — total debts up to roughly 45–50% of gross monthly income — and your budget’s number, which is usually lower. The full math chain on a $95,000 income, an income-to-price table, the approved-for-more trap, and the 2026 Las Vegas loan limits.

Refinancing wins when you keep the loan past your break-even point: closing costs divided by monthly savings. The framework in real numbers - when a refi wins, when it loses, rate-and-term vs cash-out vs streamline, and the honest math behind the no-closing-cost option.

There is no special "self-employed mortgage" - the programs are the same. What changes is the income math: two years of tax returns, averaged after deductions, with paper write-offs added back. How lenders count it, the write-off trap in real numbers, and the bank-statement alternative.

FHA vs conventional in 2026 usually comes down to credit score. See the side-by-side: 3.5% vs 3% down, flat MIP vs credit-priced cancellable PMI, 580 vs 620 floors, the 2026 Las Vegas loan limits, and a 660-vs-760 worked example priced both ways.

One discount point costs 1% of the loan and permanently lowers your rate. The break-even math that decides whether points pay off, and when a buydown or lender credit wins instead.

Credit, capacity, capital, and collateral — the four Cs lenders weigh on every mortgage. What each means, how they trade off, and how to strengthen your weakest C.

What actually moves a credit score before a mortgage: utilization under 10%, zero new inquiries, error disputes, and the rapid-rescore play. Score thresholds by loan program included.

An escrow account collects your property taxes and insurance with each mortgage payment. How the cushion works, why payments change after the annual analysis, and when escrow can be waived.