If you are wanting to buy a home, and already own one, there are different rules, requirements, and restrictions that are in place for each kind of loan program. Read on to find out the ins and outs of owning multiple homes for conventional, FHA, USDA, and VA home loans. Conventional Home Loans If you…
Posts Categorized: Buy a Home
Saving for a downpayment is often the most daunting part of the homebuying process. Having enough cash to put 20% down may seem out of reach, but don’t let that high number discourage you from becoming a homeowner. Despite what many people say, you don’t have to put 20% down to get the keys to…
There’s more to comparing the costs of renting and owning a home than the dollar cost of payments. Even with numbers like these, some still say renting is better: “Investing in a home is riskier than renting.” No risk, no reward. Besides, even studies conducted by the Federal Reserve show that owning can provide a net…
Many factors go into calculating value of a home. Most importantly, recently sold comparable properties must be considered. “Comps” should be similar in location, size, style, room count, condition, utility, etc. Appraisal is part art and part science, and the latter is hard to change. Sometimes, the hardest thing for owners is to be…
Understanding the HOW and WHY of Escrow Accounts Escrow accounts provide for the timely payment of taxes and insurance on your home. This prevents tax liens, loss of property and any lapse of insurance coverage. As part of your regular mortgage payment, 1/12th of the annual cost is collected. These funds are held and paid out as bills…
Other Loan Types
Mortgage Prequalification
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Taylor Walker
04:21 15 Jul 20
Mike Vanella and the entire USA Mortgage team made purchasing a home a breeze. I couldn’t have had a better experience! Very responsive, professional and knowledgeable. You will not go wrong if you go with USA Mortgage!!read more
Amanda Minear
19:15 13 Jul 20
I would recommend Michael Vanella to anyone looking to refinance a home. He has been nothing short of helpful in every situation! Michael went out of his way on multiple occasions to help make our refinance a success. Honestly, I am shocked by how many things he was willing to do for me so that I wasn't overwhelmed during the entire process!!read more
Amanda Brewer
00:31 07 Jul 20
Mike and his team made our first home purchase so easy! All of our questions were answered and they all have very timely follow up. We appreciate everything the USA mortgage team did to get our dream house.read more
Chanda Gerard
01:13 03 Jul 20
I would highly recommend USA Mortgage. From the beginning, Michael Vanella was always attentive to my needs and very accommodating to what I wanted while buying my first home. The process was easy and painless. I truly feel blessed for being able to work with such a diligent team and would do it all again for any future purchases.read more
Kadee Thompson
17:55 25 Jun 20
Working with Michael Vanella from USA mortgage has been nothing short of amazing! He literally seems to be available at any time of the day and during our loan process treated us as if we were his only client. While we hope to not be buying a home again for the foreseeable future, I wouldn’t go to anyone else. When you work with Mike, it feels like you are working with a friend, and not a loan officer who you are just another number to. Thank you Mike and team for helping us navigate everything!read more
Grant Portra
23:17 18 Jun 20
Michael Vanella and his whole team at USA Mortgage were great to work with. They worked with us and our individual situation to find the best loan terms. Michael was always available to talk and quick to pickup the phone when we had questions.read more
Marsha Idleman
00:50 02 Jun 20
Justin Lackey at USA Mortgage did an excellent job handling the refinancing of our home. Although he had to move from his office to his home due to the pandemic, he continued to provide seamless professional service to us and completed the loan within the timeline. I would highly recommend him.
Thank you, Justin, for doing such a great job for us.read more
Nancy Martin
18:22 22 May 20
Michael and his team are friendly, helpful and they know what they are doing. The walked us through step-by-step in our home loan process promptly answering every question we had. I recommend USA Mortgage without reservation to anyone!read more
Cari McConnell
14:02 24 Mar 20
Justin Lackey was my loan officer. There's a lot of uncertainty when it comes to buying your first home. You're not sure what you qualify for and your afraid someone will take advantage of you. Justin was always straightforward, honest, and wonderful to work with. I felt very confident every step of the way. He was always a phone call away to help me understand each step of the loan process. If you are a first time home buyer and you're not sure what your options are, I would highly recommend Justin.read more
Kristin Hall
19:16 27 Feb 20
Spencer at USA Mortgage Columbia, MO helped my husband and I purchase our first home. The whole process was so much easier than I thought it was going to be. The app made it so convenient to e-sign and upload all our documents. Spencer was very knowledgeable and professional. He answered all our questions and made himself available day or night. I would highly recommend using USA Mortgage and more specifically Spencer, to buy your dream home!read more
Joseph Resch
18:56 26 Feb 20
I worked with Justin Lackey on an FHA loan and I could not be more satisfied with his attention to detail, willingness to keep me updated beyond business hours and customer service. Every detail that was in his power to provide, he did so at his earliest opportunity.
He explains things meticulously and thoroughly so that even the layperson such as myself has a grasp on what I'm getting myself into. I'd highly recommend Justin!read more
Dakota Sanders
06:02 26 Feb 20
Michael helped me and my wife purchase our first home in a state half way across the US. He made it so easy and signing papers was no issue being long distance. He is very informative and patient with all the questions first time buyers have. I would definitely recommend him to anyone! Great experienceread more
Tammie Wilson
19:51 21 Feb 20
Michael is knowledgeable, experienced and shared information without pressuring us to make a commitment before we were ready. We spoke with him approximately 6 months before applying. He remembered us when we set our appointment to apply for our loan. We had the option of using an app to apply, but met face-to-face for some last minute questions. Michael and Spencer are organized and responsive to questions and concerns throughout the process.read more
Sarah Beattie
20:20 13 Feb 20
Michael Vanella is professional, market savvy and reliable. He was on top of giving me updates and honest about what to expect in the mortgage process. His passion for the industry is made clear by the hard work he puts into finding the best rates. 10/10 would recommend for a first time home buyer with lot of questions and anyone who needs help with the endless amounts of tedious paperwork.read more
david jones
13:03 01 Jan 20
Very knowledgeable and friendly. Justin was amazing at his job and always had the answer to what we needed next and got us over hurdles effortlessly. I would recommend him and USA mortgage to anyone looking for their serviceread more
Rachal Burton
02:29 23 Sep 19
Justin Lackey is great to work with! He made our first time home buying process as smooth as possible. He was always able to answer our questions and ensured everything was done right and on time! I would definitely recommend Justin Lackey and his team at USA Mortgage to anyone who needs a lender!
Thanks so much for everything!!
Rachal & Drew Owensread more
Christine Burton
22:11 18 Sep 19
I just wanted to say how amazing Justin Lackey was when I wanted to buy a home. He walked me through all the loan types and answered any questions I had. He stayed on top of things, and was very easy to get ahold of. I highly recommend him. I really appreciate all he did for me.read more
Lesley C
01:27 21 Aug 19
We used Michael Vanella with USA Mortgage for our conventional home loan. Mike kept us very well informed throughout the process. He answered every question I had promptly. I really felt like he had our best interest in mind. The process was very easy, as well. I am a very happy customer!read more
Wesley Storrs
23:34 02 Jul 19
Where do I start? Casey’s diligence on my file was more than thorough and the results show. A very honest and hardworking agent that will guide you step by step throughout the process. His work is impressive. Anybody shopping for a mortgage needs to stop here. The level of customer service and caliber of work exceed the expectations.read more
Benjamin Burgett
20:10 21 May 19
Justin Lackey and Kelly George did a great job walking us through the home buying process. They were very informative and helpful throughout the entirety of the loan process. Justin truly cares about what is best for each individual that is applying for a loan through him. Justin and Kelly made the home loan process as efficient and smooth as possible.read more
Calin Adams
13:46 30 Apr 19
Casey was great. My wife and I were first-time home buyers, and Casey made the process easy and painless. He answered our endless questions throughout all times of the day, and he always kept us updated throughout the process. We will definitely refer Casey to everyone we know!read more
Kaitlyn Gebhard
18:38 19 Apr 19
I was pretty clueless about the home buying process as a first time home buyer. Justin Lackey with USA Mortgage in Columbia answered all of my questions and put my mind at ease! He has fantastic communication skills and consistently kept me updated on the progress of my home loan. He is a very nice, friendly person to work with. He even assured me he would continue to help and answer questions about my conventional home loan after we had closed on the home. I would recommend him to anyone looking for a home loan!read more
Jesse Opel
22:19 13 Mar 19
Casey worked with us every step of the way. Was great at explaining the whole process to us and our best options. He always got back to us with a text or a call very quickly. I wasn’t even sure I was able to get a house. But after talking with Casey I was able to get my credit score to jump 150 points in three months. Enabling us to get a FHA loan.read more
Rachel Dickey
01:57 28 Feb 19
Michael was fantastic to work with! He was always available via text, call, or email to answer any of our questions and if he didn't know the answer, he would find out in a timely manner. Being a first time home buyer is intimidating and Michael made this process a breeze. I would definitely recommend him and his coworkers to any friends or family of mine!read more
Sierra Crawford
13:26 08 Oct 18
Jim was great to work with! He really made the home buying experience easy. He was very quick with keeping me up to date on everything and letting me know what needed done so I could close on time. He made the whole home buying experience very pleasant!read more
Laversa Siebuhr
14:45 31 Aug 18
We recently purchased a new home and worked with Patricia Bonuchi. She was great to work with! She made us feel comfortable in asking any questions we had. She went above and beyond for us coming to our work or home to get things signed or to have a quick meeting with us to explain the process. Patricia is knowledgeable, helpful and efficient. She was an invaluable asset to our home buying process. Go see Patricia!read more
Leesa Chrisco
00:33 24 Aug 18
Justin Lackey was extremely easy to work with. He shows a great level of compassion. He is extremely personable and professional. I would recommend him for a first time home buyer or anyone who has any mortgage needs. Top notch professional!!!!read more
Melissa Hardaway
23:36 28 Jul 18
Working with Michael at USA Mortgage has been a great experience. He answered our questions in a timely manner day or night and helped calm our fears during the ho e purchasing process. I would recommend him and USA Mortgage 100% to anyone who is looking for any of their home financing needs.read more
Lori Lackey
15:30 20 Jun 18
Justin Lackey with USA Mortgage in Columbia, MO was great to work with on financing a new house for us. Great customer service and very knowledgeable about the whole process. He made it fast and easy. We have not found our perfect house yet but Justin has been very patient with us and has answered all of our questions. I would not hesitate to refer him to all of our family and friends.read more
Pierre Young
17:24 21 Jan 18
Robert Peery gave me courteous service and helpful advice throughout the mortgage lending process. I was approved for a mortgage refinance loan on my condominium and also a mortgage loan on a new home at a lower interest rate than I was paying before. Thank you USA Mortgage for making the second home that I bought a really pleasant experience. I enjoyed working with my real estate agent Patty, too.read more
Lindsie Neeley
14:34 03 Jan 18
Michael and Dana went above and beyond for my family. They made the purchase of our first house happen even after being turned away from other lenders. Quick to respond to any questions even after business hours. I can never thank them enough. Highly recommended!!read more
Emily Connon
19:12 21 Dec 17
I was very pleased with my experience at USA Mortgage. My loan officer and his staff were incredibly helpful throughout the whole process. They went above and beyond to ensure I was taken care of every step of the way. I highly recommend USA Mortgage to anyone looking to buy your future home!read more
