What can cause your mortgage payment to change?

Image of Stephen Palermo Visalia Loan Officer sitting in his office explaing How to Use a Co-Signer for Your Mortgage

 What can cause your mortgage payment to change?—with Stephen Palermo If you’re a new homeowner who worked hard to negotiate the best rate for your home, you might be alarmed.  Seeing your bill suddenly change after paying the same cost for months is alarming. While those with an adjustable-rate mortgage or expiring temporary buydown might…

Read More

Use VA Loans for Investment

Image of Stephen Palermo sitting in front of Visalia Office Gold Standard mortgage Logo explaining Buy With No Down

Use VA Loans for Investment—with Stephen Palermo Many service members ask: Can I use VA loans for an investment property? The short answer is yes—but with conditions. As Stephen Palermo with Gold Standard Mortgage, I help explain how to navigate these rules and use VA loans wisely. VA Loan Basics VA loans offer zero down…

Read More

Latest mortgage rate trends in Visalia

Image of Stephen Palermo sitting in front of Visalia Office Gold Standard mortgage Logo explaining Buy With No Down

Mortgage Rate Trends—with Stephen Palermo As of May 27, 2025, mortgage rates trends in Visalia have shown slight fluctuations. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate averages around 6.90%, while the 15-year fixed rate holds steady at 6.11% . These rates are influenced by various economic factors, including bond market activities and Federal Reserve policies. Understanding Rate…

Read More

The Role of Appraisals when Home Buying

Image of Stephen Palermo sitting in front of Visalia Office Gold Standard mortgage Logo explaining Buy With No Down

Home Appraisals and home buyingBuying—with Stephen Palermo @ Gold Standard Mortgage When you start searching for a home, you need to know the home appraisals when buying connection. You will quickly learn how important an accurate home value becomes. As your Visalia loan officer, I always explain why getting a correct appraisal impacts mortgage rates,…

Read More

What is the Accuracy of Zestimate’s?

Image of Stephen Palermo sitting in front of Visalia Office Gold Standard mortgage Logo explaining Buy With No Down

How accurate are the online third party Home estimates like Zestimate’s—with Stephen Palermo Mortgage calculators and online home estimates, like those from Zillow or Redfin, are popular tools for potential homebuyers. These calculators give quick, rough estimates of monthly payments or property values, but what is the accuracy of Zestimate’s? As your trusted Visalia loan…

Read More