To start, we’ve seen a lot of houses with foundation issues and noticed how that affects the buying and selling process. Obviously there are certain problems you would want to get fixed right away, but especially when you’re thinking about selling. Once you know those problems, you can weigh your options – how much is it going to cost me to fix vs. how is my home perceived with the current foundation issues. We brought in foundation expert Jesse Trebil, who could help ease some of those concerns and answer some questions many homeowners have.

There isn’t a house in Minnesota that doesn’t have a crack in the foundation, Jesse said. It’s the “angry cracks” the professionals at Jesse Trebil Foundation System look for when evaluating a home. These are cracks that are leaking water or shifting and opening up. This movement means that the strength of your walls has been compromised – a cause for concern for anyone! So if you’re noticing bowing walls, uneven floors or sticking doors and windows, you may have a bigger foundation issue than just normal settling.

Jesse mentioned different techniques his company uses to fix these problems to save you time, money and eliminate the mess. Check out his website, www.safebasements.com to learn more. These are innovative ways to correct problems and Jesse Trebil Foundation System actually has patents on some of the products they use. Recently, they have developed a new wall system made of completely recycled materials so there is no risk of rot or mold growth – perfect for that damp basement you’re looking to finish. This non-load bearing energy wall is completely independent of the foundation, as well. So, as your foundation moves, these walls won’t bow or lean because of it.

In addition to Jesse, we also had Matt Helling and Alissa Csiki from Cambria Mortgage in studio. They talked about Jumbo mortgages since we seem to be running into those more and more, yet many are still confused by them. Matt clarified; Jumbo mortgages are any mortgage over $417,000 and occur through a private transaction instead of via the government. Because of this many view them as more of a risk and are hesitant because of their history of having exceedingly high rates. This however is no longer true and Matt and Alissa were able to explain why Jumbo mortgages are worth looking into.

Many of our clients that wanted to go with a Jumbo loan thought they needed to put 20-30% down. However, that is not the case. Alissa added that many believe they should put more down to get to that conforming $417,000 loan limit thinking there’s a huge difference in rates. But in the last few years, jumbo mortgages have become very competitive with conforming mortgage rates. Therefore, you could save your money, and put a minimum of 10% down and still get a great rate.