So you bought your first home in the last few years or you refinanced your home into all time low rates and now you want to move. But you don’t want to give up that sweet low rate and payment, what to do?My name is Chris O’Connell, I’m a mortgage loan originator, and as I…

Any one of these top 5 first time buyer mistakes can seriously jeopardize your home purchase. As a mortgage loan originator, I see people make mistakes all the time and I’m going to share them with you so you don’t make the same mistakes. #1 Waiting until the last minute to do your pre-approval You might…

The Federal Housing Administration just came out with the most affordable FHA loan ever! This could be an absolute game changer for many home buyers out there who are struggling to purchase an affordable home. There are 2 main reasons why this is such an affordable program and the biggest reason is, it’s a zero…

FHA loans can be the best option for a lot of people purchasing a primary residence, especially if your scenario is similar to the guidelines that we’re talking about in this article. There are 5 qualifying factors when it comes to FHA minimum loan requirements that every home buyer needs to know. What Every Home…

First time home buyer programs are actually conventional mortgage loans and they can be the best loan option for a lot of people. Recent changes have made them even easier to qualify for and they’re more affordable loan options. They can also be more competitive loans when you’re making offers, but you have to make…

I’m a mortgage loan originator and real estate investor in Minneapolis, Minnesota. And last year my wife and I decided we were not going to spend another winter in Minnesota, so we bought a second home in Charlotte, North Carolina. I want share with you the top 5 things to know before buying a vacation…

This is a classic question which my clients ask all the time, and one in which my wife and I have discussed amongst ourselves, should we buy a second home or investment property? There are some major differences in your financing options, which you need to know, that might answer that question for you. There’s…

I get asked this question all the time from past clients, “Hey Chris, we bought a house a couple years ago and I think we’re ready to buy something else. How do we go about doing that?” My name is Chris O’Connell. I’m a mortgage loan originator in Minneapolis, and what we’re talking about today…

There is a little known mortgage program in Minnesota for first time home buyers that allows you to put as little as 3% down on a duplex purchase. I used this same program to buy my first duplex and I want show you where to find this program and how to qualify for the best…

The Minnesota Housing Finance Agency’s Down Payment Assistance Program just increased the amount of down payment and closing costs assistance available to first time home buyers. These programs are awesome and you can use them in more ways than you think. How do I know? Well, I used one of these programs myself, so I’m…