MORTGAGE BLOG

Market Update: Rates Trending Higher Amid Tariff Updates

Blog posted On April 11, 2025

A LOT has happened between the end of last week and the end of this week. While last week ended with rates trending at the lowest levels in six months, this week is a completely different story. Starting Monday, rates took a sharp trend higher. Right now, they’re hovering around the highest levels since February. So what happened to make them move?

6 Methods for Funding Your Home Purchase

Blog posted On April 10, 2025

Contemplating homeownership but running into affordability barriers? If you’re looking for supplemental ways to fund your future home purchase, we have a few suggestions. We’re here to help enhance the typical methods of mortgage financing. Down payment assistance programs, family gifts, employee benefits, and more could hold the key to your future as a homeowner. Ready to embark on your next great adventure?

CMG Welcomes Christie Schalock, Regional Sales Manager

News posted On April 08, 2025

Boise, ID – CMG Home Loans, the retail division of well-capitalized privately held mortgage lender, CMG Financial, is pleased to announce the appointment of Regional Sales Manager, Christie Schalock (NMLS# 18193). With a distinguished career spanning two decades in the mortgage industry, Schalock will oversee sales operations across Idaho, Utah, and Alaska, bringing her unwavering commitment to excellence and personalized support to homeowners in these regions.

From Renters to Homeowners: What You Won't Miss About Renting

Blog posted On April 03, 2025

Dealing with unresponsive landlords? Running out of patience when your ceiling is leaking and the maintenance office isn’t returning your calls? For any multitude of reasons, you may finally be on your last straw as a renter. Is it time to ditch the landlords and claim the keys to your own kingdom? Below is a refresher on all the frustrations that could pop up in a rental unit, taken from a myriad of rental stories and anecdotes.

CMG Home Loans Announces New Hire of Gus Floropoulos, Regional Vice President

News posted On April 02, 2025

New York, NY – CMG Home Loans, the retail division of well-capitalized privately held mortgage lender, CMG Financial, is proud to announce the hire of Regional Vice President, Gus Floropoulos (NMLS# 784266). With over 20 years of experience spanning Wall Street strategy and Main Street lending, Floropoulos is set to drive production, build strong teams, and expand CMG’s presence across Long Island and New York.

Your Mortgage Closing: What to Expect and How to Prepare

Blog posted On March 27, 2025

Your offer has been accepted, you’ve sent your earnest money in, and you’ve started working with your trusty mortgage team. Their goal is to get your loan through underwriting and fully approved for your closing. However, you’ve heard a lot of financial terms bandied about, and you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by all the “mortgagese” thrown around in this industry. Ready for an overview of your loan closing process to help clear things up? Let’s jump right into it!

Market Update: Rates Inch Higher Following Tariff Insights; Home Prices Cool

Blog posted On March 26, 2025

Mortgage rates had been on a nice downward trend until this past weekend. Following an announcement regarding reciprocal tariffs coming out April 2, rates trended higher. In other housing news, home values continued to show strength while new home prices cooled. Let’s dive into the insights below.

CMG Welcomes Jason Everette, Area Sales Manager

News posted On March 25, 2025

Lafayette, IN – CMG Home Loans, the retail division of well-capitalized privately held mortgage lender, CMG Financial, announced today the hire of Area Sales Manager, Jason Everette (NMLS# 1208653). With a robust background in the financial sector, Everette brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to personalized home loan solutions to the Midwest.

Your Home Offer Has Been Accepted. Now What?

Blog posted On March 20, 2025

It’s official…your home hunt is finally over! Now that your offer has been accepted and you’re under contract, you might think your job is finished. But there’s still more to come. Are you ready? We’re here to help manage your expectations for your closing and lay out your next steps.

CMG Home Loans Announces the Opening of New Las Vegas Branch

News posted On March 18, 2025

Las Vegas, NV – CMG Home Loans, the retail arm of the well-capitalized and privately held mortgage lender, CMG Financial, announced today the opening of a new branch in Nevada. Leading the Vegas location is Branch Manager J. Cole Boren (NMLS ID# 384591), a seasoned mortgage professional with nearly 30 years of experience, assisting homeowners in and around the Silver State as well as the majority of the states in the west.

Building Your Future: The Top Home Loans for Small Business Owners

Blog posted On March 13, 2025

Are you a small business owner? Worried about taking on a mortgage as a self-employed borrower? Don’t be! There are a number of home loans oriented towards entrepreneurs like yourself. We have alternative solutions for those whose tax returns don’t adequately reflect their income. Even if you don’t run your own business but you’re looking for more self-employed loan options, you’ll find this information helpful.

Market Update: Inflation Lower Despite Egg Prices, Job Market Hinting at Weakness, and Mortgage Application Activity Jumps

Blog posted On March 12, 2025

This morning, we got news about inflation and mortgage application submissions. Inflation on the consumer price index (CPI) came in below expectations in February while mortgage application submissions continued to surge.

CMG Home Loans Announces the Opening of New Denver West Branch

News posted On March 10, 2025

Denver, CO – CMG Home Loans, the retail arm of the well-capitalized and privately held mortgage lender, CMG Financial, announced today the opening of a new branch in Denver, CO. Leading the Denver West location is Regional Sales Manager Ashley Pratt (NMLS ID# 257354), a seasoned mortgage professional with nearly 30 years of industry experience.

Why More Home Buyers Are Choosing Government-Backed Financing

Blog posted On March 06, 2025

More and more lately, home seekers are turning to government-backed loans for their home financing. According to HousingWire, FHA Loans accounted for 24% of primary home purchases in 2024, with VA Loans making up 10%. These types of loans have lower down payment qualifications — in some cases, 0% down — so it’s not surprising that future homeowners are taking advantage of these programs. Below, we’ll go over the type of government loans that we offer, created to offer affordable homeownership options for hopeful buyers.

CMG Home Loans Announces the Addition of LaSalle Mortgage, Bolstering Its Northern California Presence

News posted On March 04, 2025

Oakland, CA – CMG Home Loans, the retail arm of the well-capitalized and privately held mortgage lender, CMG Financial, announced today the opening of a new branch, LaSalle Mortgage. The branch will be led by Area Sales Manager, Phil Aguillon (NMLS# 1818749). A dynamic leader with over two decades of experience in the mortgage industry, Aguillon has built a reputation for driving market share growth, fostering high-performing teams, and delivering innovative lending strategies across the Bay Area.

How to Effectively Budget for Your First Home

Blog posted On February 28, 2025

Buying a home is an important decision, one of the biggest an adult can make. Everyone deserves a roof over their head, a happy house to come home to after a long day at work. We’re here to provide some handy tips and tricks for budgeting for your new mortgage, especially if you’re a first-time buyer. Every hopeful homeowner has to start somewhere, so why don’t we dive into some easy strategies, step-by-step, to get you started?

Market Update: Rates Trend Lower at a Steep Pace, Hovering Around 4-Month Lows

Blog posted On February 26, 2025

It’s been a good couple of weeks for mortgage rates. The bond market (which dictates rate trends) is on a six-week gain streak. Read more about what’s been going on in the market (and what’s to come the next week).

CMG Financial Appoints Tom James as Senior Vice President of Joint Venture Channel

News posted On February 25, 2025

San Ramon, CA – CMG Financial, a well-capitalized and privately held mortgage banking firm based in San Ramon, CA, is thrilled to announce Tom James as the new Senior Vice President for the Joint Venture (JV) channel. With over 20 years in the home mortgage industry, Tom brings a wealth of experience across Sales, Operations, and leadership. His diverse background has given him a unique perspective on building and maintaining joint ventures. Tom is deeply committed to service excellence and process innovation and has a proven track record of turning these principles into increased revenue opportunities.

Leveraging List & Lock™: A Smart Move for Buyers and Sellers

Blog posted On February 21, 2025

Been struggling with seller negotiations? Or are you stuck with a listing that just won’t sell? Don’t drop the price just yet — we may have the solution for you. List & Lock™ can help eliminate one of the biggest hurdles a buyer struggles with: the rate! Through this program, sellers can advertise discounted rates without lowering the listing price, a win-win for agents, buyers, and sellers alike.* Let’s tackle some of the benefits below.

CMG Financial Honored as a Tech100 Mortgage and Real Estate Winner

News posted On February 20, 2025

SAN RAMON, CA – CMG Financial, a well-established and privately held lender headquartered in San Ramon, CA, is proud to announce that it has been selected by HousingWire as a 2025 Tech100 winner for both the mortgage and real estate categories. This makes CMG the sole lender to receive recognition for both categories in 2025. This distinction underscores CMG Financial's unwavering commitment to innovation and excellence across the housing industry.

Love and Loans: How HomeFundIt™ Supports Your Homeownership Dreams

Blog posted On February 13, 2025

Love is in the air this week! To celebrate couples, we wanted to highlight HomeFundIt™, our down payment gifting platform. Often, prospective home buyers have used this program as a wedding registry, raising funds from their friends and family on their big day. Moving into a new home is one of the biggest steps for a couple, so we’re here to provide a program that can both boost your love story as well as your homeownership dreams.

January 2025 Month In Review

Blog posted On February 12, 2025

This Month’s Key Takeaways

• Buyers are payment-focused, not price-focused. According to a recent report from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), mortgage affordability remains the top concern for buyers, with 78% citing monthly payments as their primary hesitation.
• Financing incentives must align with buyer needs. A National Association of Realtors (NAR) survey found that 62% of first-time buyers used some form of financial assistance to make homeownership viable in Q4 2024.
• Sales teams need better conversations about affordability. Data from Fannie Mae’s latest housing sentiment survey indicates that 81% of buyers believe it's a bad time to buy due to high costs, meaning the ability to communicate affordability solutions effectively is more critical than ever.

Market Update: Mortgage Rates and Labor Market Hold Steady

Blog posted On February 10, 2025

Mortgage rates have been relatively unchanged over the past couple of weeks. This may come as a surprise with all of the executive orders and talk about tariffs, but we’ll get to that later. For now, rates are holding steady and trending at lower level than the same time last month.

From Tenant to Owner: How to Buy the Home You Rent

Blog posted On February 07, 2025

Love the home you’re renting? Well, you might want to consider broaching this topic with your landlord: are they willing to sell? With a little time and research, you could potentially convince them to let you buy the rental unit you’re currently living in. It’s worth a shot if you’re already living in an ideal home, despite it being someone else’s property.

CMG Home Loans Welcomes Shawn Williams, Area Sales Manager

News posted On February 04, 2025

Annapolis, MD – CMG Home Loans, the retail division of well-capitalized privately held mortgage lender, CMG Financial, announced today the hire of Area Sales Manager, Shawn Williams (NMLS# 216745). A skilled mortgage professional with 20 years of experience, Williams will be bringing his commitment to excellence and personalized client solutions to the Maryland area.