​Are you borrowers worried about not having enough funds for closing? If they do, or if they want to pay for taxes and insurance without an escrow account, we can help! We now offer escrow waivers on conventional loans up to 95% loan to value and 640 credit score! The best part of this? There is NO charge to the borrower. We're always looking for ways to help your clients! Now your borrowers can eliminate some of the up-front costs associated with a mortgage. With borrowers have more money in reserves, we can get loans approved fast and easier! 

As an Arizona independent mortgage brokerage, we shop for the best wholesale rates available. We save clients money, provide them with great mortgage products, and we are local! 

Every summer in Arizona we look to find the ‘coolest’ spots! Located about 3.5 hours away from Phoenix is the Grand Canyon Caverns. At a brisk 62 degrees year round, this cave is a cool escape from the Arizona summer. You enter through an above ground restaurant and walk through a gift shop with Route 66 items and much more. Don’t forget to take a picture on the world’s largest dinosaur saddle!

You access the cave by using an old elevator that takes you down 220 feet. If the elevator ever stopped working, there are stairs that were used in buildings in New York as escape routes. Once you arrive to the cave, you walk through a hallway that leads to a large chamber that is lighted beautifully. The Mystery Room in the cave provides natural air. 


We were led to their underground restaurant called Cafe Grotto. This restaurant was recently established in 2017 and offers a quieter and unique way to eat your meal! It has only 4 tables and offers a view of the chamber and... their hotel! Yes, they have one room that is located in the cave that is used as a guest suite. It has two beds, a tv, and a bathroom. The only catch? The only walls are the walls from the cave! They told us they rent it out most nights, and while I’m not sure I plan to stay there, it would be a one of a kind experience.

At the restaurant, you have a server that takes your order and calls (with a wireless phone) upstairs to the main restaurant. The food is brought down by the elevator. While the food is the same 220 feet above, the experience of eating your lunch down in the cave was a memorable one. 


After lunch we took a tour of the rest of the cave. It has a few other chambers that are larger than the first one you see when you enter the cave. The tour lasted about 30 minutes, and we all thought it was really cool! The tour guides knew all the history of the cave, and it was actually all very interesting. Watch out for the giant prehistoric sloth! 


All in all, everyone agreed it was a fun afternoon! It’s a great place to bring your kids and you can stop for milkshakes on Route 66 on your way home at the Sno Cap!

Fun fact: You can get married down there! There have been 12 weddings in its history. 

​-Evan

Grand Canyon Caverns Contact Info:
Details: 115 Mile Marker AZ-66, Peach Springs, AZ 86434
 (928) 422-3223, gccaverns.com.

Over the last month, I have had two potential clients give me a loan scenario to price out for them. When I told them the days rate, they both told me that 'the other guy' was quoting them the same rate. I told them that the way Road to Home Mortgage is structured, we should beat almost any other lender out there. The best way to compare fees and pricing is with a Loan Estimate. It is required of lenders to send out a Loan Estimate in 3 business days or less once you have specific information from a borrower (such as their name, income, address, etc). After reviewing my Loan Estimate to 'the other guys', I saved both of these borrowers thousands of dollars. One was over $4200 in just fees, and the other one was over $1700 in fees and $1600 in lower mortgage insurance for the loan. 

​While the rate might look the same, you still might be paying thousands of dollars extra in other fees!

Here are some things to look for on your loan estimate:
​

• Are you paying points to get your rate? This means you are paying money upfront to secure a lower rate
• What are the total fees in Section A. (Origination Charges) for your loan on the loan estimate?
• Do they offer a free appraisal?  At Road to Home Mortgage, we have loan programs that offer appraisal credits for the cost of your appraisal!
• What is your monthly mortgage insurance (if you are putting down less than 20%)? I saved one of these borrowers $200 a year with cheaper mortgage insurance!
  
  

Here is a great resource from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that reviews the loan estimate: Loan Estimate Breakdown.

​Below is a screenshot taken from the website mentioned above. You can take 5 minutes to review the details of a loan. It could potentially save you thousands of dollars! 

Until next time!

​-Evan