Tag Archives: loan

Navigating Mortgage Options: Key Questions to Consider

17 Monday Nov 2025

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Loan terms, rates, and products can vary significantly from one company to the next. When shopping around, these are a few things you should ask about.

General questions:

What are the most popular mortgages you offer? Why are they so popular?

Are your rates, terms, fees, and closing costs negotiable?

Do you offer discounts for inspections, home ownership classes, or automatic payment set-up?

Will I have to buy private mortgage insurance? If so, how much will it cost, and how long will it be required?

What escrow requirements do you have?

What kind of bill-pay options do you offer?

Loan-specific questions:

What would be included in my mortgage payment (homeowners insurance, property taxes, etc.)?

Which type of mortgage plan would you recommend for my situation?

Who will service this loan—your bank or another company?

How long will the rate on this loan be in a lock-in period? Will I be able to obtain a lower rate if the market rate drops during this period?

How long will the loan approval process take?

How long will it take to close the loan?

Are there any charges or penalties for prepaying this loan?

How much will I be paying total over the life of this loan?

Have any questions or are you ready to start your new home search in 2026? Give us a call today!  Kevin  Hanley, Mortgage Loan Originator Texana Bank NMLS and Jennifer Hanley, REALTORS Keller Williams Realty Atlantic Partners Southside 904-515-2479 Texana Bank – apply now

Don’t Buy a Car Before Closing on Your Loan (or furniture or open a credit card!)

06 Monday Oct 2025

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This section could be expanded to provide more depth about impact ability. Consider adding specific examples, explanations, or cThe chaos of moving day is a prime time to forget or misplace essential items. When you’re preparing for the big move to your new home, the following items are some of the most overlooked (and the most sorely missed in a time of need!). For example, many people arrive at their new house only to realize they can’t access basic necessities like keys or important documents, turning an exciting day into a stressful ordeal.

Jewelry, watches, and small valuables: These small, expensive, and often irreplaceable items are best kept in a safe deposit box or with trustworthy friends or relatives on moving day. Imagine the panic of unpacking boxes and discovering your grandmother’s heirloom ring is missing—carrying them personally or securing them separately prevents that nightmare.

Garage door opener: The old one won’t be of much use at your new house, will it? Be sure to leave it behind for the new owners. Also, make sure the old owners of your new house give you theirs! Without it, you could be stuck waiting outside your garage on arrival, unable to unload easily.

Spare keys: Sets to your old house should remain with the new owners, but don’t forget sets to the new house! There’s nothing more frustrating than arriving at your new place without a way to get in. Double-check with your realtor or previous owners to ensure you have all necessary keys, including any for side doors, mailboxes, or gates.

Old address books: Yes, we all have fancy new smartphones, but it seems like families all have a well-worn phone book stashed in a spice drawer somewhere. These are practically family heirlooms of information, so don’t leave them behind—scan or photograph pages if possible, but keep the original safe.

Unfinished errands: Do you have any clothes at the dry cleaner? Books due to the library? What about other video game or DVD rentals? It can be a real hassle to settle up on these items from 100 miles away, right? Make a final sweep of local spots a day or two before closing to retrieve and return everything.

Medical records: While a lot of medical information is digital these days, you should make sure you don’t misplace your copies, including dental information and prescriptions. It’s easy to lose them at the bottom of a hastily thrown-away box. Keep these in your personal essentials bag for quick access, especially if you need refills or appointments soon after moving—having them handy can prevent delays in care during the transition.

We make sure our clients’ experience selling their old home and moving into their new dream home is a smooth transition. If you’re interested in a hassle-free home selling experience, please get in touch today: Kevin and Jennifer Hanley, REALTORS 904-515-2479 The Hanley Home Team of Keller Williams Realty Atlantic Partners Southside www.HanleyHomeTeam.com

Saving Up for a Down Payment on a House? Down Payment Assistance Programs May Speed Up the Process!

27 Monday Jan 2025

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A big hurdle for many people who’d like to buy a house is saving up enough money for a down payment. But many people make that hurdle higher than it needs to be by aiming for a 20% down payment. According to Lending Tree, 31% of Americans still believe they need that much of a down payment in order to buy a house. And the percentage is even higher (at nearly 40%) for Gen Z, Millennials, and parents who have children under the age of 18.

Considering so many people think that’s the case, it may come as a surprise that the average down payment for a house came in at 14.4%, which amounted to a median of $34,248, as Forbes recently reported. It’s lower because while some people certainly do put 20% or more down on a house, many home buyers take advantage of loans that allow them to put down as little as 3%.

Just knowing that can certainly make owning a home attainable more quickly, but even saving up for a lower down payment can be difficult, and take more time than you want it to. It can be hard to set aside money for a down payment when you have to pay your bills, put food on the table, pay off student loans, and/or deal with unexpected expenses. 

So, how incredible would it be if you could get some help coming up with a down payment?! Well, you might be in luck…

There Are More than 2,000 Down Payment Assistance Programs

There are more than 2,000 down payment assistance (DPA) programs nationwide, which offer loans and grants which home buyers can use toward a down payment and closing costs when purchasing a house. They even included a state-by-state list of some of the programs available that you can use to get an idea of what’s available. The amounts vary, but can be anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars.

As you might expect, each program has qualifications and criteria you need to meet, but if you do, these are the four main types of assistance that are typically available:

  • Grants, which you don’t have to pay back. 
  • Loans that you pay back a little bit each month in addition to your monthly mortgage payment.
  • Deferred loans that only have to be paid back if you sell the house or refinance the mortgage.
  • Forgivable loans that don’t need to be repaid if you live in the house for a certain period of time.

While the article listed some of the programs available, they also suggest researching what else might be available in your area, because many programs are local and specific to an area. So use your favorite search engine to discover other potential money available to you. In addition, make sure to ask your local real estate agent or mortgage advisor for their insight and advice. 

It May Take Some Time and Effort, but It’s Worth It

Beyond the time it takes to find and assess all of your options, the application and approval process could add to the amount of time it takes for you to find a lender that can work with down payment assistance and get approved for the particular program and loan.

Depending upon the available programs, you may also find that there are limits to the amount you can spend on a house, or where you’re allowed to buy a house. While it may feel like you’re being limited, or make it difficult to find many houses within the price range in your area, consider the alternative. Buying a home within the budget and limitations afforded to you by one of these programs can save you months, or even years of saving up money for a down payment, and get you into a house much sooner. Doing so will get you on your way to building equity through paying down your mortgage, and benefitting from any increases in value the market creates, or that you generate by improving the property.

The Good News:

The Hanley Home Team’s incredibly helpful Down Payment Assistance Programs link on our website homepage which aggregates all the available programs for a particular home for you! Easy Breezy! https://hanleyhometeam.kw.com/down-payment-assistance or get in touch with Kevin Hanley today to discuss your mortgage options! Kevin and Jennifer Hanley, REALTORs The Hanley Home Team of Keller Williams Realty Atlantic Partners Southside 904-515-2479 HanleyHomeTeam.com – Kevin Hanley, Loan Officer, LoanPeople 904-422-7626 NMLS2639641 KevinHanleyJax.com