Tips, trends and insights for homebuyers like you.
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How to Rate Shop for a Mortgage Without Hurting Your Credit Score
Shopping multiple mortgage lenders does not multiply the hit to your credit score. Under current FICO scoring models, multiple mortgage-related hard inquiries made within a 45-day window count as a single inquiry, not one penalty per lender. Some older FICO versions still in use by certain lenders shrink that to 14 days, and VantageScore uses… Read more
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2025 mortgage interest rate forecast
See how Tomo Mortgage’s head of Capital Markets breaks down the latest mortgage rate forecasts, predictions, and outlooks for 2025. Read more
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Does Tomo Mortgage Offer VA Loans?
Tomo Mortgage offers VA purchase loans and VA refinancing for veterans, active-duty service members, and eligible surviving spouses, available in 41 states and Washington, D.C. (confirm… Read more
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VA Funding Fee 2026: How Much It Costs and Who Is Exempt
The VA funding fee is 2.15% of the loan amount for a first-time VA loan with less than 5% down, or $8,600 on a $400,000 loan.… Read more
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How Much Does a $0 Origination Fee Save You?
A $0 origination fee saves you the full amount another lender would otherwise charge, typically 0.5% to 1% of your loan amount. On a $400,000 loan,… Read more
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Is E-Closing Legal in My State?
E-closing your conventional, FHA, VA, or jumbo loan with a remote online notarization (RON) is legal in most states as of 2026. In states without a… Read more
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Can I Use a VA Loan More Than Once?
VA home loan benefits can be used multiple times throughout a lifetime, with no hard cap on the number of uses. The most common path is… Read more
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Can You Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage Completely Online?
Full digital pre-approval is available in minutes at online lenders including Tomo Mortgage. It is a real underwriting decision based on verified income, assets, and credit,… Read more
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Who Qualifies for a VA Loan? Eligibility Requirements Explained
You qualify for a VA loan if you meet one of the VA’s service requirements: 90 consecutive days of active duty during wartime, 181 days during… Read more
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Online Lender vs. Traditional Bank: Mortgage Rate and Fee Comparison
Online mortgage lenders typically offer lower rates and fees than traditional banks, because they operate without a branch network and pass the lower overhead cost per… Read more
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What to Look for in a VA Mortgage Lender
Look for eight things when choosing a VA mortgage loan lender: VA-approved status, Certificate of Eligibility (COE) assistance, Section A lender fees, interest rate relative to… Read more
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What Determines Your VA Loan Rate?
Five factors determine your VA loan rate: credit score, loan amount, debt-to-income (DTI) ratio, loan term, and discount points, on top of a structural advantage built… Read more
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Online Mortgage Close Time: How Fast Can You Actually Close?
The industry average mortgage close time was just under 37 days for purchase loans in March 2026 vs 42 days for all of 2025, according to… Read more
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VA Loan vs. Conventional Loan: Cost Comparison
A VA loan is typically cheaper than a conventional loan for eligible borrowers who plan to stay in the home longer than about four years, mainly… Read more