Your Real Estate Expert for Berkeley and Beyond
“Marilyn is exceptional. Her knowledge base, enthusiasm for her job, professional ethics, organization, sensitivity to our aesthetic requirements, loyalty and gentle perseverance set her apart.”
-- Bill and Carol Seidel
Marilyn Garcia, PhD
Broker Associate, Realtor®
DRE# 02014153
District Homes
1758 Solano Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94707
Direct:
(510) 390-5406
REAL ESTATE ANSWERS: When does it make sense to refinance your mortgage?
When does it make sense to refinance your mortgage? With forecasters saying that interest rates may trend downward in 2026 and 2027, you might be wondering if it’s time to consider refinancing your home loan. So when does it actually make sense to refinance? If you have a home loan with an interest rate around 3 percent, you will likely want to hold on to it unless you are planning to move, going through a divorce, or facing another life event that requires refinancing. Short of a major economic disruption, it is unlikely that rates will return to that level [...]
LOW RATES & HIGHER CONFORMING LOAN LIMITS
LOW RATES AND HIGHER CONFORMING LOAN LIMITS Interest rates are low, low, low right now! As I write this, the 30-year fixed rate is lower than it’s been since Freddie Mac began tracking mortgage rates in 1971. While it’s not surprising that rates are low given the economic impacts of the pandemic, it is still an opportunity for both buyers getting new loans and homeowners who can refinance their existing loans. Fixed rate 30-year conforming loans (up to the loan limits discussed below) can in many cases be had for under 3%. Even larger-amount jumbo loans, which were challenging to [...]