Whitney Watson's (whitneywatson) Blog

On June 13, 2014, I introduced First Home Mortgage’s 80-15-5 piggyback loan product on my blog and the response has been overwhelming.  People from all over the country have emailed or called me as this product is very rare and they haven’t been able to find it in their markets. Who’s Interested?...

A jumbo or non-conforming mortgage typically requires a minimum down payment of 10-20%.  At First Home Mortgage we currently offer a non-conforming jumbo mortgage with a minimum down payment of only 5%. Here are some of the program details about the 5% down jumbo mortgage that we offer: Fixed ter...

If you’ve read any of my posts on the Northside, you know I’ve had quite a few house crushes there recently. The dynamic of the Northside is quickly transforming now that talented craftsmen like Josh Romano with Cobblestone Development Group are giving the area’s beautiful historic homes some goo...

True or false? All’s fair in buying and selling. All of us remember the 2003 hit rom-com with Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey, How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days.  Andy Anderson (Hudson), Composure magazine’s how-to girl, is writing an article about the things women do to ruin their chances with me...

It’s been a while since I’ve written a personal post, but I went on an amazing trip with my girlfriends this summer and I wanted to document it as there aren’t a lot of resources on the internet for budget-friendly Caribbean weekend girls getaways (a.k.a. RVA Momcation 2014). Trust me–I scoured t...

You’ve decided you are ready to buy a house, you have contacted a Realtor to get the online search process started, and just one thing stands in your way from beginning the physical house hunt: the mortgage pre-approval. You have probably been introduced to a lender by your Realtor, you have fill...

  The final tip for this series is a simple but effective one! Paying a bill twice a month keeps your credit card balance and utilization rate under control. Pretty simple right? If your balance looks a little high this month consider breaking it into two payments so it's a little easier on your...

In the 1920s and 1930s, the neighborhoods of Crescent Hills and Mansion Hills were developed in Hopewell, VA.  The homes were marketed to executives at DuPont, and many of the homes built were ordered straight from a Sears and Roebuck catalog.  According to SearsHomes.org, there are eight Sears a...

Credit series tip number 9: If you've cleaned up an account you had late payments or were delinquent on, consider calling the credit card company to request a removal of the negative information. You may not get a yes, but it's worth a shot! It's always worth a shot to give your credit card comp...

Credit tip number 8 is--To prevent fraud keep a close eye on your credit. While you're at it, check your elderly loved ones' credit scores too. Anyone can be a victim of fraud so it is important to keep an eye on your credit for anything unusual. The same thing goes for our elderly loved ones, a...