Blog

First Payment

Mortgage payments are due on the 1st of the month.  However they are not considered late unless the payment is received after the 15th of the month.  And so your payment is “on time” if it’s received at any point up to the 15th.  The “June 1st” payment is not late unless it is received…

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Estimating DC Property Taxes

Here is a tutorial to how I estimate property taxes.  DC’s property tax rate for Class 1 residential property is .85%/year of the assessed value.   So if a property is assessed at $100,000, the annual taxes would therefore be $850 a year.  However DC homeowners might have reductions to their tax bill for a number…

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2021 Loan limits

Each year, the Federal Housing Finance Agency publishes loan limits.  These loan limits impact financing on almost every loan program.  2021 loan limits are out!   The 2021 conforming maximum limit is now $548,250 (minimum 3% down) The 2021 jumbo conforming maximum limit is now $822,375 (minimum 5% down) By increasing the loan limits from…

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Stability

Almost 200,000 Americans, and over 900,000 humans have passed away this year from Covid-19.  I’ve been through excruciatingly difficult conversations with friends who’ve lost parents and siblings.  Two friends have had to close their businesses permanently.  My brother was supposed to get married on Saturday; but he and his fiancé have tearfully postponed their wedding…

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Springboard

April 2020 update: this program is currently suspended.  See other programs which are currently available at https://alexjaffe.com/dpa We just released the Springboard down payment assistance program, which is available for home buyers in Maryland & Virginia! This is a conventional loan program without mortgage insurance which comes with a repayable down payment assistance loan of 4%…

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