Your Local Mortgage Lender
Located in Appleton, Wisconsin
Personalized Mortgage Experience
Tom Seaman offers personalized service and loan options you'll love. We shop multiple lenders to find the best rate and product for you, getting you into your dream home faster.
With wholesale interest rates and cutting-edge technology, we make the mortgage process seamless. Trust the experts who focus solely on mortgages. Support your local community and experience elite client service.
Let us help you achieve your homeownership dreams!
The Home Loan Process
Mortgage Pre-Approval
Get pre-approved from one of our Loan Officers to see how much you can afford.
House Shopping
Work with a trusted Real Estate Agent to find a home you would like to move into.
Loan Application
Complete your home loan application to get the lending process started.
Don't take my word for it
Mortgage Programs
Experience the best mortgage experience located in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Home Loan Options
Our experienced mortgage advisors will walk you through the best mortgage loan program that will fit your specific scenario.
Conventional Home Loans.
FHA Home Loans.
USDA Home Loans.
VA Home Loans.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often can I refinance my mortgage?
There is no limit to the number of times you can refinance. However, you must qualify every time you apply and there will be costs associated with closing the loan each time.
Can I buy a home if I do not have money for a down payment?
Yes! There are a number of bond programs that offer low or no down payment financing options.
How do I know which mortgage is right for me?
The key to choosing the right mortgage is to understand the range of options and features available to you, as well as your budget, circumstances, and goals. Our licensed mortgage professionals are here to help you navigate that process. The more you know, the more comfortable and confident you will be choosing the best option for you and your family.
How long will the loan process take?
The Truth in Lending Act (TILA) does not permit a lender to close a loan until at least seven (7) business days have passed from the date your application was received. A typical home loan takes 30 days, as a number of third-party services such as appraisals, title work, and credit are required in conjunction with the mortgage process. Once you familiarize your Loan Officer with the details of your specific loan scenario, they will be able to provide you with a more specific timeline.
Will I qualify for a home loan?
The only way to find out is to speak with a qualified mortgage professional. Our Loan Officers have helped numerous clients who didn’t know if they could qualify to become home owners. We take the time to understand your financial situation and long-term financial goals, and then match you with the loan program that best fits your needs. Your approval for a loan may also largely depend on the price of the home you are financing. Getting pre-qualified prior to beginning your home search can give you an idea of what you may be able to afford.
Why do people refinance their mortgages?
Homeowners typically refinance to save money, either by obtaining a lower interest rate or by reducing the term of their loan. Refinancing is also a way to convert an adjustable loan to a fixed loan or to consolidate debts.
How much money will I have to pay upfront to buy a home?
This question does not have a simple, one-size-fits-all answer. The exact amount will depend on the price of the home you buy as well the type of mortgage financing you choose. Depending on your loan program, your down payment could be as much as 20% of the home’s price or as little as 3%, while some loans require no down payment at all.
Can I get a mortgage after bankruptcy?
You may still qualify for a home loan even if you have experienced a bankruptcy. The best way to find out if you qualify is to talk with a Loan Officer to discuss your options. Be sure to bring all paperwork regarding your bankruptcy so your Loan Officer can find the program that best fits your situation.
Should I lock my interest rate now, or wait until we are closer to our closing?
Interest rates fluctuate all day, every day. If an interest rate is good, it may be in your best interest to lock now. If you wait, you run the risk of an increase in rates later. If you are concerned that rates may go down after you lock, contact your Loan Officer to discuss your options. Some programs allow you to lock for an extended period and choose to lower your rate should a better one become available.
Most Recent Blog Updates
New Home Builders Are Buying Down Interest Rates Out of Their Own Pocket and Here Is What That Means
New Home Builders Are Buying Down Interest Rates Out of Their Own Pocket and Here Is What That Means
The Incentive Most Buyers Do Not Know to Ask About
Most people shopping for a home right now are comparing new construction to resale on price alone. They look at the listed cost of a new home and the listed cost of a comparable existing home and make their decision based on that comparison. That approach is missing one of the most significant financial advantages available in the current market and it is costing buyers hundreds of dollars per month as a result.
Here is what is actually happening with new home builders right now and why the monthly payment comparison between new construction and resale often looks nothing like the purchase price comparison suggests it should.
Why Builders Are Doing Something Regular Sellers Simply Cannot
New home builders are sitting on inventory and they need to move it. To do that they are offering incentives that no individual home seller has the financial capacity to compete with. The most impactful of those incentives is the builder-funded interest rate buydown.
Tom Seaman recently worked with a client who purchased a brand-new home and came away with a monthly payment that was hundreds of dollars less than the exact same home would have cost them as a resale purchase in the same price range in the same area. Same price. Same neighborhood. Hundreds of dollars less every single month.
The difference was the builder's rate buydown funded entirely out of the builder's own margins.
Why Builders Have the Margin to Do This When Individual Sellers Do Not
A homeowner selling their house is working with the equity they have accumulated and the net proceeds they need from the transaction to fund their next move. They do not have meaningful room to fund a significant interest rate buydown on top of accepting a competitive purchase price. The math simply does not work for most individual sellers.
Builders operate differently. They are managing margins across an entire development of homes and their cost basis is often significantly lower than the retail price. That margin creates room to fund substantial rate buydowns as a sales incentive without cutting into the financial viability of the overall project.
On a $400,000 home a builder-funded rate buydown can produce monthly payment savings that compound into hundreds of thousands of dollars in total interest savings across the life of the loan. That is an incentive with real and lasting financial impact and it is being offered right now on new homes in many markets specifically because builders need to move inventory.
The Important Caveat About Timing
Here is what every buyer who is interested in this opportunity needs to understand clearly. These incentives are subject to change every quarter based on how much inventory the builder is trying to move and what the competitive environment looks like at any given time.
What is available today may not be available in 90 days. The rate buydown that makes the monthly payment on a new construction home dramatically more competitive than a comparable resale could be reduced, restructured, or eliminated entirely in the next quarterly incentive review depending on how the builder's sales pace is tracking against their inventory goals.
This is not a perpetual program. It is a market-driven incentive that reflects the current builder inventory situation and buyers who are interested in capturing these deals need to be evaluating them now rather than assuming the same terms will be available when they are ready to act.
Find Out Which Builders in Your Area Are Offering These Deals Right Now
The specific builders offering rate buydowns, the terms of those buydowns, and which communities have the most aggressive incentive programs available varies by market and changes regularly. The fastest way to find out what is available in your area right now is a direct conversation.
Comment the word home and Tom Seaman will send you a direct message with information about which builders in your area are currently offering rate buydown incentives and what those programs could mean for your specific monthly payment situation.
Sources
NationalAssociationofHomeBuilders.org
MortgageNewsDaily.com
NAR.realtor
Investopedia.com
Forbes.com
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