Columbus buyers keep asking whether Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) down-payment help actually beats a straight FHA or conventional file. The honest answer is file-specific: income caps, purchase-price limits, first-time rules, and the payment after year one all have to…
If you already own a house in Columbus, Upper Arlington, Dublin, or Westerville and you want to buy the next one without selling the first, the usual blocker has been simple: Fannie Mae wanted a signed lease before the old…
Columbus mortgage payment surprises happen every fall when buyers realize their monthly property tax escrow comes in higher than expected. The listing shows a property-tax number, the payment looks comfortable, and the real monthly escrow comes in higher. The gap…
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac require UAD 3.6 for every new appraisal submitted to UCDP on or after November 2, 2026. The clock is the UCDP submission date, not the application date and not the contract date. That is the…
Central Ohio still produces primary-home prices that sit above the conforming ceiling, especially in Dublin, New Albany, Upper Arlington, and parts of Powell. A jumbo or high-balance mortgage is a limit and an overlay problem, not a luxury label. Making an offer on a…
Columbus first-time and move-up buyers still treat FHA as the default because the down payment number is smaller on a flyer. Conventional can be the cheaper path once mortgage insurance, occupancy, and cash to close are on one worksheet. FHA…
If you are buying or refinancing a home in Columbus, Dublin, Hilliard, or Upper Arlington this fall, you may hear your loan officer mention UAD 3.6. That is not a new kind of appraisal, and it is not a new…
Central Ohio veterans often have earned VA benefits and a file that still gets pushed into FHA because the last originator did not run residual income. A VA purchase or IRRRL (Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan) is a different underwrite: residual income, occupancy, and…
Every Columbus buyer wants a lower rate and a clean closing. In 2026, the difference between the two is almost never the headline number on a rate sheet. It is the shape of the file that arrives on the underwriter’s…
A Columbus buyer can do everything “right” and still lock the wrong file. The pre-approval letter looks official. The realtor wants dates. The bank already quoted something. Then the lock window starts, and nobody has actually compared the loan against…
