Spotlight on the Irvine Office

The Midwest Equity Mortgage - Irvine office serves Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties as well as other areas across the state of California. We are available for appointments in office, over the telephone, or in your home or place of business.

John Busher, Branch Manager

John Busher

John graduated from the University of St Thomas in St Paul, Minnesota in 2000 with a degree in Business Management. He began his career as a Personal Banker for a Fortune 500 Bank, moved up the ranks and accepted a promotion and transfer to Southern California in 2003. A year later he moved into the Mortgage Industry in San Diego. He was a top producer for a regional mortgage banker from 2003 until 2011. He joined the team at Midwest Equity in 2011 and was quickly promoted to Branch Manager. John’s 12+ years in the financial services arena make his knowledge invaluable as he pursues helping families save money. John and his wife Brenda, have three children, Jake, Nick and Mike.

4 Ways You Might be Killing Your Lawn [and Hurting Your Home Value]

A plush green lawn is part of that "white picket fence" ideal often associated with home ownership. Logistically, your yard is an extension of your home. It frames your landscaping as well as provides a great area for activities and enjoyment. A well maintained lawn can also add value to your home. A yellowing lawn can alternatively, hurt your home value. If you're struggling to keep your grass looking lush and healthy - here are 4 questions to consider that might reveal what is standing in your way. 

Do You Know What Type of Grass You Have?

Believe it or not - but there are dozens of lawn grass variations available to for homeowners to use in their yards. Many lawns are also composed of a mixture of grasses that work well together to create year-round enjoyment. Depending on your area, you might have a Bluegrass/Rye/Fescue grass combination or maybe you've chosen a Bermuda grass or a Bent grass. These variations might require different watering levels and maintenance. Knowing which kind of grass you are dealing with is half the battle to keeping your lawn "happy."
Click here for an easy tool to help identify your grass »

Part II: Home Refinance Checklist

To continue our 3 part series about Home Mortgage Refinancing, we want to point out that everyone has a different financial picture, unique goals and specific reasons why a refinance may or may not be the right course of action. Always seek out a mortgage professional to discuss your scenario so that you can make the best decision for you and your family.

Click here to read Part I: Should I Refinance My Home?

Getting Organized

Now that you have considered whether a mortgage refinance is right for you - we've put together a  Checklist to help get you ready to Refinance your home loan. Like most of us, a home refinance is easiest when the process goes smoothly and quickly. Choosing a qualified mortgage professional will help ease your stress but there are certain documents that you will need to gather and submit to make sure the lender has a complete refinance application.

[NEWS] 10% of Americans are "Credit Invisible"

A recent article in the New York Times, reports that "about 26 million Americans lack a credit file." Ann Carrns continues by adding that these "credit invisible" consumers...lack any credit history with the major nationwide credit reporting agencies, which tends to shut them out of the economic mainstream. These findings are according to a report issued on May 5, 2015 by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

"An additional 19 million Americans, or 8 percent of adults, have some credit history, but not enough to create a score. Eighty percent of adults, or about 189 million people, have credit scores."

Spotlight on the Chesterfield Office

The Midwest Equity Mortgage - Chesterfield office serves the surrounding counties as well as other areas across the state of Missouri. We are available for appointments in office, over the telephone, or in your home or place of business.

Scott Carpenter, Branch Manager

Scott Carpenter

Scott graduated from Hannibal-LaGrange University in Hannibal Missouri in 1994, where he was a student athlete and played on the basketball team.  After graduating with a BS degree in Business, he pursued a career in consumer finance, and in 1997 transitioned his career into Mortgage Banking.  Scott has been a leader in the St. Louis mortgage industry for over seventeen years. He and his wife Nicole have one son: Haden, and reside in Wildwood, MO.

Part I: Should I Refinance My Home?

To start off this 3 part series about Home Mortgage Refinancing, we want to first point out that everyone has a different financial picture, unique goals and specific reasons why a refinance may or may not be the right course of action. Always seek out a mortgage professional to discuss your scenario so that you can make the best decision for you and your family.

Thinking of refinancing? Grab our free worksheet to quickly calculate your LTV and assess all of your options here »

How is a Credit Bureau Score Calculated?

Whether you are looking to open a credit card, finance a car or buy a home...you've probably noticed that your credit score is important. A credit score is essentially used to assess how likely it is that a borrower will repay a loan. The score measures the relative degree of risk that a potential person represents to a lender or investor and is based on several areas of information (however, because of several laws against discrimination - it is not based on gender, race age or zip code.)

Credit Bureaus & Score Range

Fair, Isaac Credit Bureau scores range between 300 to 850 points - the higher the score, the less risk associated with the borrower. Below are the three national credit data repositories that contribute to your score:

• Equifax - 800-685-1111
• Trans Union - 800-888-4213
• Experian - 800-397-3742

Each of these bureaus may offer you a slightly different credit score depending on the data within their own credit profile. Keep in mind that a score is based on all credit-related data - not just negative data.