Charlottesville’s Real Estate Blog since 2005.

Clear, Honest Market Analysis. For People, Not Realtors.

Why not to get credit cards in the time leading up to buying a home.But … apparently lenders wont’ have to run a second full credit check before closing on a mortgage:

Despite earlier reports to the contrary, it turns out that your mortgage lender will not have to pull a second full credit report on you hours before closing on your home purchase or refinancing.

In a clarification of a policy announced earlier this year, mortgage giant Fannie Mae now says that applicants will need to come clean about any debts they have incurred since they submitted their mortgage application — or debts they never disclosed on the application. But a formal pre-closing credit report will not be mandatory to confirm creditworthiness.

The chances of everyone in the lending pipeline (underwriters) actually getting this memo: slim to none. Best advice: be careful with your credit when you’re buying a home.

Interested in Learning More?

Jim Duncan has been helping buyers and sellers in Charlottesville’s neighborhoods for 25 years. Get local insight born of experience.

Dig Deeper

The “Quiet Period” of the Residential Real Estate Transaction

The “Quiet Period” of the Residential Real Estate Transaction

I remember well the quiet period, from when I bought my first house ... anxiety, questioning, wondering what I was doing that was inevitably going to screw things up. What is the "quiet period," or the time with little communication just before closing on a…

Who Are the Players in a Real Estate Transaction?

Who are the Players?  I have written about the value in assembling the A-Team and I’ve detailed those who touch your loan. I’ve advocated vigorously for using local lenders (here are two). But Who are the players involved in the transaction/real estate experience? Your Agent The person you hire to represent your best…

What’s a Kickout Clause?

From time to time, I'll see a house that's still active on the market (I showed one on Wednesday in fact) but is under contract with a kick out clause. Right now, there are 6 such instances out of 1764 active listings in the Charlottesville…

Interested in Learning More?

Jim Duncan has been helping buyers and sellers in Charlottesville’s neighborhoods for 25 years. Get local insight born of experience.