Author: Anthony Bird

My name is Anthony Bird, an owner of Riverbank Finance, a Grand Rapids Mortgage Company, based here in Michigan. I am a graduate from Grand Valley State University majoring in both Business Management and Marketing. I have been a mortgage professional in Michigan for 6 Years with experience as a retail bank loan officer as well as for private mortgage companies. Riverbank Finance is a local mortgage company that values community and the West Michigan Area. We hire only licensed loan officers that can custom tailor loans for our client's needs. If you have any real estate or mortgage questions, call me at 616-365-5792 or email me at info@riverbankfinance.com and I will do whatever it takes to help. Learn more about me on my Google Profile: About Anthony Bird. I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Why Property Taxes go up after Buying a Home

Be sure to investigate property taxes before you buy a home. Sure, the real estate listing may estimate the current property taxes but you need to take it a step further to get the full tax costs. One common tax number that is overlooked is the SEV or State Equalized Value. Property taxes are based… Read more »

Important Mortgage Program Updates Regarding USDA Loans, Conventional Loans and FHA Loans

FHA Back to Work Program: Buying a Home after Foreclosure or Bankruptcy The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has announced a program that allows a borrower to buy a home sooner after foreclosure, bankruptcy, deed-in-lieu, or short-sale. This new FHA program is called The Back to Work Program. This is an extension of the current FHA… Read more »

Top Reasons to Buy a Condo in Grand Rapids MI

One of the most popular  and affordable real estate options are to buy a condo in Grand Rapids, MI. Condo, which is short for Condominium, is somewhat like a perfect mix between an apartment and a house. There are many advantages to buying a condo versus purchasing a home. It allows homeowners to invest and build… Read more »

Top West Michigan Sporting Events

Sports events are amount the top things to do in West Michigan. The city of Grand Rapids and its surrounding suburbs host an array of events and games the residents love and enjoy. Many of the sporting events draw thousands of tourist and visitors each year. Here are just 5 of the top sporting events… Read more »

FHA Back to Work After Government Shutdown

While the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) was not fully closed during the government shutdown, they were running on limited staff for the 16 days of uncertainty. Most FHA Lenders and Banks continued to process and fund FHA loans during this time which has created a backlog of FHA endorsements and questions from these companies. In response to undoubtedly hundreds of… Read more »

The Government Shutdown is Over: Now Can I Close my Home Loan?

12:51 AM this morning of October 17th, 2013, President Obama signed a bill extending the Federal Government debt ceiling and allowing the Government Shutdown to end.  The US House of Representatives voted 285 to 144 to pass the bill which allows the government to reopen.  The US Senate had also passed this bill with an… Read more »

10 Reasons to Move to Grand Rapids, Michigan

Grand Rapids, Michigan is a city with a metro area of over a million people and is one of the most desired places to relocate in the world. The city is known as a great place for jobs, education, diversity, safety, and fun. The economy in the region is constantly growing and the real estate… Read more »

The Government Shutdown and Home Loans for Homebuyers

Buying a home can have many challenges from critical underwriters to conservative appraisers however, on the long list of things that can go wrong with a home loan you would not expect a government shutdown to be a factor. As of 12:00 AM today on October 1st, 2013 the Federal government has now shut down… Read more »