Why Should You Refinance?

Simplify your monthly payments and secure your home with a Conventional Refinance

Potentially eliminating mortgage insurance: A conventional refinance is a more stable loan from the perspective of the lender, which can reduce the need for monthly mortgage insurance payments.

20% of REALTORS say a kitchen upgrade helped close a home sale,​ according to the 2019 Remodeling Impact Report

Take advantage of better rates: Depending on interest rates, you may be able to secure better terms when you qualify for a conventional refinance than when you first took out the loan.

The FACTS about Home Refinance Loans

Refinancing can save you money: One technology provider for the mortgage industry believes that 5.9 million homeowners could cut 0.75% from their mortgage rate with a conventional refinance.

Home prices are only going up: If you can pay less money to own a home in the current market, you’ll be saving yourself a lot of headaches. The chief economist of the National Assocation of Realtors expects 2019 prices to be over 2% higher than they were in 2018.

It’s a good time to own more of your own home: It’s been a “seller’s market” since 2012, according to NerdWallet.com, which means that owning a greater percentage of your own home (as is required in a conventional refinance) helps you maximize your  equity.

It pays to strike while the iron’s hot: One of the most important things about a conventional refinance is that it allows homeowners to lock in favorable interest rates. Mortgage rates fell since 2018 in the first half of 2019, which suggests now is as good a time as any. Low rates, lower payments, and equity that’s never been more valuable. Is now the time for you to consider a conventional  refinance?

Potentially smaller payments: Using a conventional refinance on a mortgage can help you simplify and cut the monthly payments you make, giving you more financial wiggle room to own your home.

If you haven’t closed a new home purchase or refinance within the last 18 months, you’re likely eligible for mortgage rates ranging from 2.5% – 3.0%*. This offer is…

UNBEATABLE: Significantly better pricing than banks and other lenders

FLEXIBLE: Includes 30-year fixed, 20-year fixed, and 15-year fixed options

FAST: Close in less than 30 days

SPECIFIC TO HOMEOWNERS: Available on home purchases & rate/term refinances of primary or secondary residences. Conventional loans only.

LOCAL: Property must be located in Southern California.

2 Ways to Use Your FHA 203(k) Loan

Buy a Fixer-Upper (and Fix It Up)

Or... Renovate Your Current Home!

My fiancé and I worked with Phil and his team to buy a home recently. Phil and his entire team were excellent from start through close. They were awesome at educating you every step of the way. Their communication was a major key for a seamless experience. Thank you team Ganz!

- Stephen K.

Phil and his team worked extremely hard and fast to make my closing happen in a very tight schedule with only a month required by the seller. They were excellent in answering all my emails and processing all the documentation to make sure the deal happens. Phil’s strategic advices were on point. My kids and I are happier today because of their hard and diligent work. Words may not capture my immense sense of gratitude to each and all over them but I just want to say a heartfelt THANK YOU.

- Alberto P.

Phil Ganz is a one of the best loan officers I have ever worked with in the real estate industry. In each of my interactions with him he exudes so much knowledge and skills in the business. Not only is he prompt in his response time, he’s able to give me and my clients an exceptional level of service that is unrivaled by his peers.

Being an investor himself, he understands the mindset and position of each investor that comes to him and is able to find very inventive ways of making every deal work. He partners with many prominent agents allowing him to leverage his production level and relaying the best rates to his clients.

I am always happy to refer Phil and his team to my peers as well as investors that I meet because I know he can get it done. His win-win attitude allows the transaction to move along smoothly and gets us to the finish line.

It is my great pleasure to recommend Phil at Fairway Mortgages for all my Residential Mortgage needs.

- Lien V.

We had a great experience recently working with Phil and his team at Fairway. We always knew where we stood in the mortgage process due to Phil’s e-mail updates. His team kept us informed of items we needed to provide and any related deadlines. Phil and his team were extremely responsive to any questions we had. We even received our mortgage commitment letter ahead of our deadline set by the seller. I have purchased a home before and this process went much smoother than my previous purchase – highly recommend!

- Monica S.

As first time homebuyers, we needed to be able to trust in our lender’s guidance, and know that they would be able to answer our questions step-by-step along the way. Not only that, we needed someone who could advise us and guide us in the right direction throughout the process.

Ryan and the team at Fairway did this and so much more over the past few months as we successfully bought our first house. We met with Ryan when we first began our home search and he broke the entire process down for us over the course of our meeting. He explained things clearly, concisely, and took time to answer all of our questions completely. He did not let us leave feeling uncertain about anything, and we left feeling confident about our budget and finances.

Our home buying journey involved putting in a number of offers, and Ryan always helped us at a moment’s notice. Throughout the disappointment we faced with each rejection, he reminded us to trust the process. This advice really stuck with us, and it ultimately led us to the house of our dreams.

We can’t thank Ryan and everyone at Fairway enough for their support throughout these past months, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to other first-time buyers!

- Lauren F.

Our attorney recommended Phil and Fairway Mortgage after we had several issues with our original lender (Navy Federal) and we couldn’t have been happier.

My partner and I were first time homebuyers and Phil and his team were there for us for the mortgage process. They were able to give us a better rate than we previously had, and Phil sent us emails several times a week with helpful hints to keep our loan from falling through and maintaining our credit and updates with a timeline of where our loan was in the process. His team was also very professional and helped us get everything in on time despite the time crunch we were in since we had to switch lenders. We actually closed two days early.

We would definitely recommend Phil and Fairway Mortgage. Thanks guys! We’re so excited to be finally moving into our new home.

- Enzo M.

Phil and his team are great to work with. Phil was very responsive from the initial call to the congratulations call when the mortgage was approved. His team was also very helpful explaining all the requirements for the underwriting as well as following up with the seller’s team to get all the requirements for approval. Phil was also very helpful in explaining the rate movements and we were able to some money by locking in before the recent big increases in rates. This was my first home buying experience so everything was new and it was great to have Phil and his team there to walk me through the entire process. I highly recommend working with Phil!

- John M.

Phil is a rock star. I’m so glad to have found him and his great team. They fought really hard to help me get a mortgage, which as both my wife and I are self-employed, it wasn’t a straight forward process.

The reason I worked with Phil in the first place was that some other guy who had been “recommended” to me by a broker stood me up for our first call. In frustration, I thought to myself, how can I find a great mortgage person? Given that I find everything else on Yelp, I thought maybe there would be someone well reviewed on Yelp. Of course, Phil slays it in the Boston market, but he truly deserves the amazing reviews.

Phil and his team are always available, they are super professional, and they got me an amazing interest rate. In fact, my rate was so good that my father-in-law insisted that it had to be an adjustable rate…It was 30 year fixed baby!

He also went above and beyond in many ways. One quick example, was when we were worried about whether our home appraisal would come in at the right amount, Phil actually reached out to one of his personal real estate friends, who knew the town we were buying in to get his insight. They actually sent us a number of comps!

Anyways, I could go on and on, but these folks are a no-brainer. Phil is not just some mortgage sales guy. He helps you through the entire process. If you are thinking of going with some “guy” recommended to you by your mom, uncle, broker, or in-laws, just stop. Do yourself a favor, and go with Phil. I’m really glad that I did.

- Marc W.

-I got a fantastic rate.

Phil responded to everything I needed really fast whether by email/phone/text

I was able to determine pretty quickly that I could trust Phil, and during the process it became very clear that Phil is looking out for everyone’s best interest, not just his and Fairway’s

Fairway has systems in place to insure my sensitive information is handled securely.

Once we were in the final stages there was a whole team of people working to make sure we could get to closing in a pretty tight window.

Phil delivered on every promise. What else do you need?

- Corey M.

Your Renovation Wish List Could Include...

Increase window size

Bring in more natural light

Finish a basement or attic

Create a mother-in-law apartment or guest space

Correct foundational issues​

Protect your investment for the long-term

Add a detached garage when one does not exist​

There’s room for everyone

Knock down walls​

Open up the floor plan to create versatile, welcoming spaces

Flood-proof your property​

Add a retaining wall to prevent expensive damage

Repair the pool​

Tired of leaks and cracks? Fix the pool & start enjoying it

Expand or refresh the kitchen​

Cooking is just more fun in an updated kitchen

Add square footage​

Growing your family? Grow your home alongside it!

And so much more! ​All funded by your single, convenient FHA 203(k) Renovation loan.

And start planning your renovations now!

After remodeling, ​74% of owners have a greater desire​ to be in their home, and ​65%​ ​have increased enjoyment​ in their home.

Source: National Association of Realtors® 2020 Remodeling Impact Report

How Does a Renovation Loan Work?

Depending on the types of repairs you plan to do, ​you have two options​ when it comes to securing a FHA 203(k) Renovation Loan: Limited and Standard.

The Limited 203(k) loan

The Limited 203(k) loan is for non-structural or “cosmetic” repairs. It covers up to $35,000 in renovation costs. With a Limited loan, you can do nearly anything that doesn’t affect the home’s structure! ​Think kitchen and bathroom remodels, carpet and flooring replacement, painting, appliance replacement, and much more.

The Standard 203(k) loan

The Standard 203(k) loan is a loan for projects with repair costs over $35,000. It can be used for structural or non-structural repairs. With a Standard Loan, you have even more flexibility. ​You can expand the home’s footprint, improve accessibility for differently abled people, and even move the home to a different site.

Check my eligibility today! Discover what you can do with an FHA Purchase or Renovation loan!

What Do You Need to Know about Refinancing?

What is a conventional refinance loan?

“Conventional” means that this refinance loan is what most people mean when they talk about refinancing their home. Refinancing means changing the existing terms of the loan, usually to secure better terms for the homeowner. You can use this strategy to lock in lower payments.

Can I refinance from an FHA loan to a conventional refinance loan?

You can, provided that you meet certain criteria, such as owning enough equity in the home. A conventional home loan typically requires that you purchase as much as 20% of the home’s equity in the form of a down payment. If you have more equity, the better your chances will be of securing a favorable refinance.

What are the advantages of refinancing?

Numerous! You can save money, lower your monthly payments, and potentially even lower or eliminate the cost of monthly mortgage insurance. You can also shorten the term of the loan if you want to take advantage of a higher income to make a long-term investment in the ownership of your home.

Should I get a fixed rate or variable rate loan?

There’s no one answer for this. Generally, if your goal is to lock in current interest rates, a fixed rate loan can be highly favorable; variable rate loans are less predictable, but they typically mean that you’ll have lower payments in the short-term future, which increases your home affordability.

What stays the same if I refinance?

You won’t change the amount of principle owed on the loan, which means that home refinancing is not a “shortcut” except that it may be easier to make your monthly payments. Your collateral on the loan also will likely not change.

Your home, your way.
That’s the FAIR WAY!