Frequently Asked Questions
Homebuyers and homeowners usually have many questions when they come to us for help with their home loans.
Below are answers to some of the questions we are asked most often. Don’t see the answer you are looking for here? Please call (919) 238-4934 to schedule a consult.
Q: What are your mortgage rates?
There is no blanket answer to this question, since mortgage rates change over time. Not only that, but your qualifications will affect the rates you receive.
If you contact us for a consultation, we will have a chance to provide you with some estimates based on your information. As one of the leading Raleigh, NC mortgage lenders, feel free to get in contact with us if you have any questions.
Q: What is the maximum amount I can borrow?
Certain types of mortgages have a universal cap, while others depend on the qualifications of individual borrowers. In either case, what type of loan you apply for and your borrower profile will determine the maximum amount.
Q: Is my credit score high enough for me to buy a home?
That depends on the type of mortgage you are applying for. We also will assess your income, debt-to-income ratio, and employment status when making lending decisions.
Many borrowers are surprised to learn that there are mortgage products aimed specifically at customers without perfect credit.
Some examples include USDA loans, VA loans, and FHA loans. During your consultation, we can discuss these and other options with you.
Something else to consider is your down payment. By making a larger down payment, you can compensate for some issues in your credit score.
Plus, you may be able to raise your credit score before submitting your application. We will advise you as to how you can go about that process during your consultation.
Q: Can I buy a home without a 20% down payment?
Yes, it is possible to move into a home without making a 20% down payment. Low down payments are available for conventional loans, FHA loans, VA loans, and USDA loans. Actually, with a VA or USDA mortgage, you can buy a house with zero down.
You do not need a perfect credit score to qualify for a low down payment or no down payment.
Q: What is a fiduciary?
A fiduciary is an entity that puts the interests of the clients it serves ahead of its own. This is how The Martini Mortgage Group operates, and is one of the things that most sets us apart from other mortgage companies.
At other companies, loan officers are compensated based on 100% commission. To ensure no conflict of interest, we pay our experienced strategists on salary.
We take as much time as necessary with you to understand your current situation and your vision for you future. Then we connect you with the products that can help make it happen.
Q: Do you work with borrowers where I live?
We are an Equal Housing Lender based in Raleigh and working with borrowers throughout North Carolina. We can also connect you with a mortgage in Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee and Virginia.
Get Answers to All Your Mortgage Questions
If you have more questions about buying a home or refinancing, you can contact us at (919) 238-4934 to schedule a consult. We look forward to helping you apply for the ideal home loan.
See What Our Clients Are Saying About Us
Stephanie Ehrets
20:10 12 Jun 22
Martini Mortgage Group has been nothing but the absolute best to work with! Katie and Keith helped make every step of the mortgage process a breeze. Being first-time home buyers and having little to no knowledge of anything that goes into getting a mortgage, the Martini Mortgage Group has made the process smooth & simple while instilling confidence in us every step of the way. Their mobile app is extremely user-friendly and communication was flawless, whether via the app, email, or phone calls. While we expected stress buying our home during the pandemic and housing crisis, we can honestly say we felt comfortable at every turn because of THIS team. We could not recommend MMG enough, and truly thank each and every team member for making our home buying experience fun, easy, and as stress-free as possible!!
Casie Gray
00:34 03 May 22
Kevin and his team (Logan and Keith) helped us every step of the way and it was like having your uncle and cousins help you. They were very personable and would call and answer any question we had. We just moved here from Georgia and we're thankful to have such warm, professional friends help us through the stressful process of buying a house. 10/10 ❤️
SOUTH FLORIDA SPEED
15:04 02 May 22
Amazing job. Helped me so much. Was very professional, friendly, and fast!
Robert Gallo
20:54 19 Apr 22
Blane McElreath
02:45 17 Apr 22
I was highly impressed with the professionalism that Logan and his team carried throughout my home buying process. Looking back, I am so relieved I was able to find and work with him throughout my purchase. He acknowledged all of my questions/concerns and treated them with importance and timeliness. Ultimately making one of my dreams come true in a skillful fashion.
Nikki Sage
14:14 12 Apr 22
As a first time home buyer, I wasn't sure what to expect and the whole team at Martini Mortgage Group was very helpful, friendly, and walked me through the entire process. They were quick to answer all my questions and made it so simply and easy!!
Charles Ferranti
17:12 04 Apr 22
John Sisler
13:21 18 Mar 22
Kevin handled our work professionally and promptly.After explaining some options, that I was unaware of beforehand, Kevin helped us to get a far better deal than I could have on my own steam.Absolutely recommend!
Chris Brady
17:20 17 Mar 22
You could not find a more efficient, competent, and (surprising to say) fun place to help you with your financial arrangements. These are top-notch professionals and I would recommend them to anyone.
Kendra Davidson
01:46 08 Mar 22
Kevin is the absolute best. Not only at what he does, but also at providing critical advice and top referrals. Working with him on our mortgage was a wonderfully learning process and also fun. Would not hesitate to work with him again!
Tia Okesson
17:01 08 Feb 22
Getting a mortgage can be stressful, but Logan Martini and his team worked hard to support us and see us through the process! Would recommend!!
Alec Woodruff
11:46 22 Dec 21
A huge shout out the Logan Martini and Katie Schmitz! These two are the reasons I am a homeowner today in the midst of the craziness of one of the hottest markets in the country.Katie is absolutely amazing to work with. Super patient, responsive, and knowledgeable, Katie always took the time to answer my call or text or return my call if she wasn't available. She answered ALL of my questions (I had at least 500 and probably some repeat ones).Logan helped answer all my questions, helped me stay cool throughout the process and made the magic happen to make sure I got the deal I wanted.Even after losing out on multiple offers over a couple months long Journey, the Martini Group was always there for me. They quickly helped me get my things in check to make sure I could submit an offer as soon as I found a property I was interested in and provide the best rates.The Martini Group is the dream team. I shopped around but nothing compared to the experience I had with them. I will be using them in the future and recommend them to all my friends and family!
Jake Merzigian
23:01 15 Dec 21
Martini Group was more than phenomenal, and Logan specifically was a great asset on buying my first home. They were able to get me the lowest rate on the market, guide me in the right direction of with multiple loan options, and the entire process was SO seamless. Not only do I highly recommend, I will be refinancing with hopes of purchasing a second home in the near future. Thank you for everything you and your team brought to the table!
David Schmitz
01:40 15 Dec 21
eric trefzger
21:31 14 Dec 21
Logan Martini/ Martini Group was very helpful and responsive. Katie was awesome in answering any questions and helped getting my refi done ASAP! Would recommend 10/10!
Laura Webb
15:03 13 Nov 21
Communication was as great as it could get. Speed of working through everything was above and beyond. We have financed 6 houses over the last 15 years and this was the quickest and most efficient process we have worked through.
Alisa Zapata
23:52 12 Nov 21
The responsiveness and professionalism along with the customer service “attitude” Thanks so much
Charlotte Lifsey Warren
15:10 12 Nov 21
Everybody I worked with at Cardinal Financial was knowledgeable, helpful and SUPER responsive which is always appreciated with time sensitive situations. I truly appreciate the team effort we received from both Katie Schmitz & Keith Ingram throughout our whole refinance process! Katie was very knowledgeable with starting us off on which path would best benefit us the most during our refinance, making sure we understood the process and Keith brought it home with answering all our questions with documentation, how to handle current loan providers and any hurdles I ran into.
eric leder
20:07 07 Oct 21
Kevin is a awesome, I truly appreciated his professionalism and candor throughout the entire process. It was always wonderful to talk to him on the phone and his guidance was extremely helpful and on point. As a first time home buyer, Kevin made the whole process seamless and easy to understand, which allowed me to be confident in my decisions.Thanks Kevin!
Don Rose
11:01 05 Oct 21
Everyone was knowledgeable, patient and kind. Very easy to work with.
Sophia Ferranti
23:03 20 Sep 21
Logan went above and beyond our expectations as our mortgage lender and took over after having a horrible experience with another lender not doing their job in a timely manner and costing us time and money. Logan came in and got us a better rate, and overall loan terms that we weren't even close to having with the previous one and had so much patience with the hundred questions I had making sure I had the best experience. I didn't feel out of the loop or like I didn't understand because they took the time with every detail. I highly recommend Logan. He is skilled, knows the business, will make sure you are well taken care of from start to finish and has excellent communication skills, great humor and customer service! The Martini Group is the way to go!
Matthew Geus
12:27 20 Sep 21
Everyone on the team was very helpful and informative, as well as fast to action when action was needed. Special thanks to Katie and Logan!!
Eric Nguyen
14:18 16 Sep 21
Logan was great at communicating updates on closing and was able to get creative to save the deal.
Joey Rotunno
13:50 13 Sep 21
Logan Martini was extremely helpful with getting my loan done. I am a first time homeowner so I knew nothing about the process and he helped me every step of the way. I honestly don't know what I would have done without him!
Mitchell Dudley
11:59 13 Sep 21
Logan and team were extremely helpful throughout the entire lending process from prequalification to closing. Katie, Keith, and I communicated regularly to ensure documentation was completed correctly and submitted on time. I couldn't have asked for a better first time home buying experience. Thank you to the entire Martini Team!
Brandon Edge
03:08 11 Sep 21
Logan and his team was always willing to answer my questions and offer guidance to me as a first time buyer through the entire process. I would highly recommend Logan for all your financing needs.
Heba Andrawis
02:10 11 Sep 21
I had an amazing luck to deal with you, I thank you very much and appreciate your effort and support,, you always provide the best service and assistance, and welcome all questions and inquiries as soon as possible, and all of this you offer with great pleasure and patience . thank you so much, really Would highly recommend Martini Mortgage Group for all mortgage needs! Their team was super easy to work with. This was our first home purchase so it was very overwhelming at first for us with numbers/new terms/etc. Katie S. did a phenomenal job explaining and breaking it all down for us so that we would understand everything! She helped answer all the questions we had (even on the weekends and after hours) Her and Logan really worked with us to get us in our home and made sure we were comfortable with everything. We will be using them again on our next home purchase.
Joe Fowler
22:45 10 Sep 21
When securing a mortgage, there is no team finer than the team at Cardinal Financial. From that first phone call, to the very end, I was met with nothing but over the top service from Logan, Keith and Katie. When I needed pre-approvals for properties, Logan supplied it immediately, even evenings and weekends! Once we finally made an offer on a home, that is when I really became impressed with how well the team functions. After submitting the required paperwork, is was processed immediately. No waiting games. Any questions I had (and there were many), were answered immediately, either via e-mail, or phone calls.If one is looking for a mortgage, I highly recommend this team. You won't be disappointed!
michelle scaraglino
22:21 10 Sep 21
Everything was made so simple for us, and there was a lot of grace given when we had some difficulty acquiring a couple of items.
Peter Clayton-Luce
16:31 03 Aug 21
110% Recommend the Martini Group. They did an excellent job ensuring our loan was good to go for closing time. They were very knowledgable and helpful with all my questions. Will definitely be back for my next one! :)
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Martini Mortgage Group at PCL Financial Group is a division of Celebrity Home Loans, LLC | NMLS # 227765 | For licensing information, go to: www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org | www.celebrityhomeloans.com | Please review our Disclosures & Licensing information. | Celebrity Home Loans, LLC has no affiliation with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, the US Department of Veterans Affairs, the US Department of Agriculture or any other government agency. Equal Housing Lender. For further information about Celebrity Home Loans, LLC, please visit our website at www.celebrityhomeloans.com. Receipt of application does not represent an approval for financing or interest rate guarantee. Applicant subject to credit, acceptable appraisal, title, and underwriting approval. Not all applicants will be approved. Other terms and conditions apply. Contact Celebrity Home Loans, LLC for more information and up-to-date rates.