Should you switch mortgage lenders at renewal, or just take the rate your bank offers you? Twice this week, I told a client to stay exactly where they are. Both were renewals. Both were with the same lender I’d placed them with myself, years ago. And both times, when I went shopping for a better […]
https://craigburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/stayput-hero.jpg7841168Pat Sawlerhttps://craigburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/craigburn-logo2-e1426637601970.pngPat Sawler2026-09-21 13:15:562026-09-21 13:19:46The Best Mortgage Advice I Gave This Week Cost Me a Commission
Someone told me last week they’d found a renewal rate that seemed too good to pass up. A few days later, it was gone — not because they were too slow, but because something in their life quietly changed underneath it. This happens more than people realize, and it’s worth understanding before you get attached […]
Every private file I take on starts with some version of the same question: “Realistically, how fast can this actually close?” Fair question. “Fast” gets thrown around a lot in this business, and it means different things depending on who’s saying it. So instead of a vague promise, here’s the actual math — real ranges, […]
https://craigburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/howfastisfast-hero.jpg7841168Pat Sawlerhttps://craigburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/craigburn-logo2-e1426637601970.pngPat Sawler2026-09-17 17:06:162026-09-17 17:07:02How Fast Is Fast?
Every pro forma I’ve ever seen has one thing in common: it looks fantastic. Steady rent growth, full occupancy, no surprises. That’s not because the deal is actually that clean – it’s because the spreadsheet was built to sell the deal, not underwrite it. I’m not saying anyone’s lying on purpose. Most of the time […]
“My tax assessment says my house is worth $410,000 — why is the bank only working with $365,000?” I get some version of this question almost every week, and it comes down to one thing: your property assessment and a lender’s appraisal are answering two completely different questions. Your tax assessment exists to fairly split […]
https://craigburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/assessed-vs-appraised-value-hero.jpg7841168Pat Sawlerhttps://craigburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/craigburn-logo2-e1426637601970.pngPat Sawler2026-08-31 12:07:002026-08-05 20:40:25Two Appraisals Walk Into a Bank… Only One Gets You a Mortgage
The Closing Date That Almost Fell Through (And What Actually Saved It) When you need a quick closing mortgage, the fix isn’t a faster bank. Banks don’t move faster under pressure — they move slower, because more moving parts means more that can hold things up. When timing is the priority, private financing works because […]
https://craigburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/closing-date-hero.jpg7841168Pat Sawlerhttps://craigburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/craigburn-logo2-e1426637601970.pngPat Sawler2026-08-29 18:02:402026-08-29 18:02:41The Closing Date That Almost Fell Through (And What Actually Saved It)
It comes up constantly — a spouse, partner, or family member wants to be added to an existing mortgage, and it’s framed as a quick administrative fix. A form, a signature, done. That’s not how it works, and treating it that way can catch people off guard at the worst possible moment. What people assume […]
https://craigburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/addmemortgage-01-hero.jpg1168784Pat Sawlerhttps://craigburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/craigburn-logo2-e1426637601970.pngPat Sawler2026-08-28 12:30:002026-07-26 17:04:31“Just Add Me to the Mortgage” Is Never Just Anything
If you’re self-employed and you’ve ever tried to get a mortgage through a bank, you already know the drill. You walk in with two years of Notices of Assessment, a business that’s been humming along just fine, maybe even thriving — and somehow you still get the same blank stare. The algorithm doesn’t care that […]
https://craigburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/self-employed-banks-hero.jpg7841168Pat Sawlerhttps://craigburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/craigburn-logo2-e1426637601970.pngPat Sawler2026-08-25 17:35:142026-08-25 17:35:15Self-Employed? The Banks Don’t Want to Hear Your Story. I Do.
A “bruised” credit score — something in the 600 to 650 range — doesn’t shut the door on getting a mortgage. But it does change the math, sometimes by tens of thousands of dollars over the life of the loan, and most people never see the actual number, just a vague sense that their rate […]
https://craigburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/bruisedcredit-01-hero.jpg1248832Pat Sawlerhttps://craigburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/craigburn-logo2-e1426637601970.pngPat Sawler2026-08-24 12:30:002026-07-26 16:54:53What a Bruised Credit Score Actually Costs You on a Mortgage
In a competitive market, waiving the inspection clause can make an offer look stronger to a seller — no conditions, no delays, nothing standing in the way of closing. It can also mean absorbing whatever’s wrong with the house entirely on your own, with no way back out. What the clause actually does An inspection […]
https://craigburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/homeinspection-01-hero.jpg1168784Pat Sawlerhttps://craigburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/craigburn-logo2-e1426637601970.pngPat Sawler2026-08-21 12:30:002026-07-26 16:41:54Confirmed live. Title: The Home Inspection Clause Buyers Waive to Win — And What It Actually Costs Them
Investing in real estate, particularly apartment buildings, can be a lucrative venture if done correctly. However, not all properties are created equal, and determining whether a specific apartment building is a wise investment requires careful analysis. One of the most critical metrics used by real estate investors to evaluate the profitability of a property is […]
https://craigburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/OIP-1.jpg201302Pat Sawlerhttps://craigburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/craigburn-logo2-e1426637601970.pngPat Sawler2026-08-17 13:02:542026-08-17 13:02:56How to Calculate Cap Rate
Both a second mortgage and a refinance let you tap into the equity you’ve built in your home. Past that, they’re not the same tool at all — they work differently, cost differently, and fit different situations. Mixing them up can mean paying more than you need to, or breaking something you didn’t need to […]
Here’s a gap that catches a lot of first-time buyers off guard, especially if they’ve done some general research online: land transfer tax rebates exist — but not everywhere, and not the same way. Where you’re buying determines whether you get real money back at closing, or nothing at all. The rebate that actually exists […]
https://craigburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/lttrebate-01-hero.jpg7841168Pat Sawlerhttps://craigburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/craigburn-logo2-e1426637601970.pngPat Sawler2026-08-14 12:30:002026-07-26 15:00:47The Land Transfer Tax Rebate Nobody Tells First-Time Buyers About
Every write-off you claim to lower your tax bill also lowers the income a lender sees when you apply for a mortgage. The same strategy that saves you money every April can shrink your borrowing power every other month of the year. Lenders don’t look at your revenue — they look at your net income, […]
https://craigburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/selfemployed-01-hero.jpg7841168Pat Sawlerhttps://craigburn.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/craigburn-logo2-e1426637601970.pngPat Sawler2026-08-10 12:30:002026-07-26 14:48:17Self-Employed? Your Tax Return Might Be Working Against You!
Ask most people what determines how much house they can buy, and you’ll hear two answers: credit score and down payment. Both matter. Neither is the number that actually decides your ceiling. The number that does the real capping is called your debt service ratio — and lenders use it on every single application. It’s […]
The Best Mortgage Advice I Gave This Week Cost Me a Commission
Should you switch mortgage lenders at renewal, or just take the rate your bank offers you? Twice this week, I told a client to stay exactly where they are. Both were renewals. Both were with the same lender I’d placed them with myself, years ago. And both times, when I went shopping for a better […]
One life change away
Someone told me last week they’d found a renewal rate that seemed too good to pass up. A few days later, it was gone — not because they were too slow, but because something in their life quietly changed underneath it. This happens more than people realize, and it’s worth understanding before you get attached […]
How Fast Is Fast?
Every private file I take on starts with some version of the same question: “Realistically, how fast can this actually close?” Fair question. “Fast” gets thrown around a lot in this business, and it means different things depending on who’s saying it. So instead of a vague promise, here’s the actual math — real ranges, […]
The Spreadsheet Lie Every Investor Believes
Every pro forma I’ve ever seen has one thing in common: it looks fantastic. Steady rent growth, full occupancy, no surprises. That’s not because the deal is actually that clean – it’s because the spreadsheet was built to sell the deal, not underwrite it. I’m not saying anyone’s lying on purpose. Most of the time […]
Two Appraisals Walk Into a Bank… Only One Gets You a Mortgage
“My tax assessment says my house is worth $410,000 — why is the bank only working with $365,000?” I get some version of this question almost every week, and it comes down to one thing: your property assessment and a lender’s appraisal are answering two completely different questions. Your tax assessment exists to fairly split […]
The Closing Date That Almost Fell Through (And What Actually Saved It)
The Closing Date That Almost Fell Through (And What Actually Saved It) When you need a quick closing mortgage, the fix isn’t a faster bank. Banks don’t move faster under pressure — they move slower, because more moving parts means more that can hold things up. When timing is the priority, private financing works because […]
“Just Add Me to the Mortgage” Is Never Just Anything
It comes up constantly — a spouse, partner, or family member wants to be added to an existing mortgage, and it’s framed as a quick administrative fix. A form, a signature, done. That’s not how it works, and treating it that way can catch people off guard at the worst possible moment. What people assume […]
Self-Employed? The Banks Don’t Want to Hear Your Story. I Do.
If you’re self-employed and you’ve ever tried to get a mortgage through a bank, you already know the drill. You walk in with two years of Notices of Assessment, a business that’s been humming along just fine, maybe even thriving — and somehow you still get the same blank stare. The algorithm doesn’t care that […]
What a Bruised Credit Score Actually Costs You on a Mortgage
A “bruised” credit score — something in the 600 to 650 range — doesn’t shut the door on getting a mortgage. But it does change the math, sometimes by tens of thousands of dollars over the life of the loan, and most people never see the actual number, just a vague sense that their rate […]
Confirmed live. Title: The Home Inspection Clause Buyers Waive to Win — And What It Actually Costs Them
In a competitive market, waiving the inspection clause can make an offer look stronger to a seller — no conditions, no delays, nothing standing in the way of closing. It can also mean absorbing whatever’s wrong with the house entirely on your own, with no way back out. What the clause actually does An inspection […]
How to Calculate Cap Rate
Investing in real estate, particularly apartment buildings, can be a lucrative venture if done correctly. However, not all properties are created equal, and determining whether a specific apartment building is a wise investment requires careful analysis. One of the most critical metrics used by real estate investors to evaluate the profitability of a property is […]
Second Mortgage or Refinance? The Difference Nobody Explains Properly
Both a second mortgage and a refinance let you tap into the equity you’ve built in your home. Past that, they’re not the same tool at all — they work differently, cost differently, and fit different situations. Mixing them up can mean paying more than you need to, or breaking something you didn’t need to […]
The Land Transfer Tax Rebate Nobody Tells First-Time Buyers About
Here’s a gap that catches a lot of first-time buyers off guard, especially if they’ve done some general research online: land transfer tax rebates exist — but not everywhere, and not the same way. Where you’re buying determines whether you get real money back at closing, or nothing at all. The rebate that actually exists […]
Self-Employed? Your Tax Return Might Be Working Against You!
Every write-off you claim to lower your tax bill also lowers the income a lender sees when you apply for a mortgage. The same strategy that saves you money every April can shrink your borrowing power every other month of the year. Lenders don’t look at your revenue — they look at your net income, […]
The 3-Digit Number Your Realtor Won’t Mention
Ask most people what determines how much house they can buy, and you’ll hear two answers: credit score and down payment. Both matter. Neither is the number that actually decides your ceiling. The number that does the real capping is called your debt service ratio — and lenders use it on every single application. It’s […]