Gulfside Mortgage Services was established by Laura Dorsey & Doug Bolling and opened on April 1st, 2003 with approximately 10 team members. They eventually grew and added two more branches one in North Port and one in Lakewood Ranch. Michelle Moore was the Manager of the North Port location and Tony Moore was the manager of the Lakewood Ranch location with over 30 team members combined with all three locations. After the great recession in 2007-2009 Doug & Laura had to make some tough decisions and closed both the North Port and Lakewood Ranch locations and kept only the Venice location open and had to downsize to approximately a 10-person team.Tony and Michelle became the best of friends in this journey and in 2007 they fell in love while on a cruise for Doug Bolling’s 50th birthday!In 2010 Doug and Laura had come to Tony and Michelle and presented them with a great opportunity and on December 10, 2010, Tony and Michelle officially took over Gulfside Mortgage Services. When they took over, they had to make many changes including downsizing to just 3 team members that included Tony and Michelle. They decided to go to Las Vegas for a big coaching conference and they signed up for coaching within 1 year they grew to about 15 team members! Over the last 12 years, Gulfside Mortgage Services had about 27 team members but with the market shift this year, they had to make some tough decisions and downsize, and currently have 15 team members. To have more opportunities to help more families, they recently have also obtained licenses in 3 additional states! So, now they are licensed in Florida, Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana!Tony and Michelle are the sole individuals at Gulfside Mortgage Services who have been present since its establishment on 04/01/2003, and they take immense pride in that fact. Despite various tumultuous events over the years, they prefer not to delve into them.Sometimes, people may question what drives Loan Originators to do their job. This is a common sentiment shared not only by the writer but by many MLOs as well. What often goes unnoticed is that 70% of their 40-to-50-hour work week is not compensated. To be clear, this is not untrue. While this topic could be discussed for hours, the reason Tony and Michelle persist is due to the indescribable satisfaction they get from helping a first-time home buyer. The gratitude received from these individuals is unparalleled and it serves as a reminder of their mission. Similarly, when a borrower wants to refinance, the feeling they get when they can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars monthly is incredible. The weight is lifted from the borrower’s chest, giving them the ability to either relax or invest more in their future. It’s difficult to put into words – but the joy experienced from making a positive impact in their lives is addicting, and it motivates Tony, Michelle, and all their team at Gulfside Mortgage Services, to help more people.
Buying a home is an exciting process, but it can also be intimidating. One of the most important steps in the process is obtaining a mortgage loan, which requires navigating complex calculations and paperwork. Fortunately, having the help of a professional mortgage lender can make this daunting task much easier. Here’s how working with a mortgage lender can ease the home-buying process.
Understanding Your Financial Situation
A mortgage lender will work with you to understand your financial situation and determine what kind of loan you qualify for. This includes looking at factors such as your credit score, income, debt-to-income ratios, and current financial obligations. The lender can then help you choose the best type of loan for your needs, such as fixed or adjustable rate mortgages or government-backed loans like VA, FHA or USDA loans. Furthermore, they will provide guidance on how much house you can afford based on your individual financial situation.
Organizing Paperwork
The paperwork involved in applying for a mortgage loan can be overwhelming—especially if you’re not familiar with the process or have never done it before. That’s why working with a mortgage lender makes good sense; they are experienced in dealing with all kinds of documents related to mortgages and can help put together everything from tax returns to pay stubs to credit reports so that your application is accurate and complete. They will also review the paperwork for accuracy and completeness before submitting it to ensure that nothing is missing or incorrect, helping speed up the approval process.
Securing Financing
Once your application has been approved by the lender and all necessary documents have been submitted, it’s time to secure financing for your new home purchase. A mortgage lender will work closely with you throughout this step of the process as well; they will review all available options so that you get the best terms possible on your loan—including competitive interest rates and favorable repayment terms—and guide you through signing any necessary contracts or agreements associated with the loan.
Giving Peace of Mind
Other than offering competitive loan products, mortgage lenders also provide other types of security. Many lenders will offer protection against things like job loss or disability, which can help relieve some of the stress associated with paying a mortgage every month. Additionally, many lenders will also carry insurance in case something happens and you’re unable to make payments on your loan. This coverage is often included in most loans so you can rest easy knowing there is someone else looking out for your best interests should something happen.
Mortgage lenders also provide ongoing support throughout the life of the loan as well. They often provide helpful advice regarding managing money and credit as well as providing resources such as budgeting tools or even counseling services if needed. If a borrower is ever behind on their payments or facing foreclosure due to a financial hardship, many lenders will work out repayment plans or even loan modifications which can help avoid foreclosure altogether and give borrowers more flexibility when it comes to managing their finances effectively.
Working with a professional mortgage lender can make buying a home easier by providing guidance throughout each step of the process—from understanding your financial situation to securing financing for your new home purchase. If you’re considering buying property soon, partnering with an experienced mortgage lender like Gulfside is one of the smartest decisions you could make!
If you are in the market for a new home, chances are a well-meaning friend or family member has offered their opinions on why now is the worst time to purchase a home. This opinion doesn’t just come from family and friends and doesn’t always rely on market conditions. Regardless, the potential for frustration and exhaustion remains. But does this have to be the case? And perhaps more importantly, is this the case? Although the constant drumbeat of skyrocketing costs and low inventory is enough to put many homebuyers’ plans on hold, it doesn’t and shouldn’t, have to be the case. Purchasing a home should be an exciting, not an exhausting time. The struggles the economy has had, and are having, during the pandemic are all too real. What is the recent past had been a buyer’s market has shifted into a strong seller’s market. But does a competitive market necessarily equate to Buyer Fatigue? Should it? There are a great many variables that make home-buying a smart move, regardless of market conditions. Here are five key strategies (one being a must-have!) that can set homebuyers on the path to their dream home without frustration and without fatigue.
Be prepared. While it’s true that time isn’t necessarily on the homebuyer’s side during a seller’s market, collecting the required documents, before house hunting begins in earnest, will save valuable time and can put buyers in the perfect position to have their offer moved to the top of the list. Pay stubs, tax returns, bank statements, personal and business references, should be gathered in advance.
Be available. Rather than waiting for a more traditional, buyer-friendly time to see a house, such as Saturday afternoons, make yourself available during the day, or during evenings to tour a home.
Be knowledgeable. Real estate agents stay on top of interest rates and know what low, or high, rates can mean throughout the course of a home loan. Buyers should also keep themselves aware of interest rates and the housing market in general. Researching prices houses are selling for in their preferred area gives buyers a range of current prices.
Be flexible. Buyers willing to make concessions, where possible and reasonable, can turn a good offer into a winning bid. Flexibility on issues such as extending closing and move-in dates could go a long way in setting one offer above the rest. Be willing to negotiate and compromise.
And the one must have:
Be pre-approved, not pre-qualified.
With interest rates at near-record lows, these strategies can make purchasing a home now a very smart and fatigue-free move for the future.
2021 proved to be a great year for sellers and a tough one for those looking to buy. Sellers were able to price high and still receive above-asking offers, multiple offers, and all-cash offers to require no financing. With many people working from home and interest rates being low, you’d think that would make this a very desirable time to buy a home, especially if you’re a first-time homebuyer. Un-fortunately with the price hikes, limited inventory, and fierce bidding, this didn’t prove to be the case. The 2021 housing market saw a remarkable level of growth with home sales up a record 19.8%. According to Fannie Mae, median home prices are predicted to rise 7.9% more between the fourth quarter of 2021 and the fourth quarter of 2022. This will reflect a slowing of the current year’s growth, however, it still exceeds the norm for growth seen in years prior. With that esti-mation, it sounds like the housing market is expected to start returning to a “normalish” level of price appreciation within the upcoming year. In addition to the rise in prices, it is expected that mortgage rates will also climb to rates in the 3.1-3.4% range. The mortgage rates are not expected to pull down the prices of homes, howev-er, the shortage of homes available for sale will continue to drive a sustained strong apprecia-tion in home values. With all that being said, although it seems as though 2022 will remain a hot market, it will gradually begin to reflect a little friendlier environment for buyers.
Moving can be one of the most stressful events in your lifetime. Moving isn’t necessarily complicated, but it’s oftentimes something we dread doing in a rushed time period, and it’s typically A LOT of tedious work. You don’t have to be a brilliant organizer to pack and move stress-free; you just have to apply some basic rules.
If you implement a little planning, you will alleviate many of the everyday stresses that accompany a big move. The most important rule is not to procrastinate. So many people wait until the last minute, and suddenly, the project seems too massive to accomplish in the time there is to do it. If you know you’re moving, start de-cluttering, organizing, and boxing things you don’t use regularly. Start months in advance.
When you’re ready to start, have a large garbage bag for trash, a box for items to be donated, and your boxes for packing. Moving day is a perfect opportunity to get rid of some things you don’t use or things you forgot you had.
Be sure to label your boxes. It will make the unboxing much easier if you have the name of the room and a description of what items are inside. Put heavier items at the bottom of boxes with lighter items on top. Maximize space by filling the boxes as much as possible and taping them extra well to avoid any accidents. Clothing, towels, and sheets are great for helping to pack breakables and dishes.
When packing your closet, gather a bundle of hanging clothes and use a garbage bag to keep them together and protected from dirt (the hangers can poke right through the opening). Ziploc bags are another great tool for keeping small items together and organized. Tape the baggie to any accompanying objects, so it doesn’t get lost. Pack your essentials, i.e., comfy clothes to unpack in, personal care products, work items in a special box or bag, so that you won’t have to hunt for things you need immediately.
The more times you move, the more creative techniques you will come up with to pack wisely. Most importantly, just stay focused and keep moving forward!
Tony and Michelle became the best of friends in this journey and in 2007 they fell in love while on a cruise for Doug Bolling’s 50th birthday!In 2010 Doug and Laura had come to Tony and Michelle and presented them with a great opportunity and on December 10, 2010, Tony and Michelle officially took over Gulfside Mortgage Services. When they took over, they had to make many changes including downsizing to just 3 team members that included Tony and Michelle. They decided to go to Las Vegas for a big coaching conference and they signed up for coaching within 1 year they grew to about 15 team members! Over the last 12 years, Gulfside Mortgage Services had about 27 team members but with the market shift this year, they had to make some tough decisions and downsize, and currently have 15 team members. To have more opportunities to help more families, they recently have also obtained licenses in 3 additional states! So, now they are licensed in Florida, Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana!
Tony and Michelle are the sole individuals at Gulfside Mortgage Services who have been present since its establishment on 04/01/2003, and they take immense pride in that fact. Despite various tumultuous events over the years, they prefer not to delve into them.
Sometimes, people may question what drives Loan Originators to do their job. This is a common sentiment shared not only by the writer but by many MLOs as well. What often goes unnoticed is that 70% of their 40-to-50-hour work week is not compensated. To be clear, this is not untrue. While this topic could be discussed for hours, the reason Tony and Michelle persist is due to the indescribable satisfaction they get from helping a first-time home buyer. The gratitude received from these individuals is unparalleled and it serves as a reminder of their mission. Similarly, when a borrower wants to refinance, the feeling they get when they can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars monthly is incredible. The weight is lifted from the borrower’s chest, giving them the ability to either relax or invest more in their future. It’s difficult to put into words – but the joy experienced from making a positive impact in their lives is addicting, and it motivates Tony, Michelle, and all their team at Gulfside Mortgage Services, to help more people.
