Matt Gibbons - Loan Officer at Salem Five NMLS# 297042

09/08/2026

Mortgage rates are still elevated—but that doesn’t automatically mean buying a home right now is the wrong decision.

Let’s get straight to the point: the most important number isn’t the rate by itself. It’s your complete monthly housing payment and whether it comfortably works within your budget.

That’s why getting preapproved matters. A full payment breakdown can help you understand the estimated principal, interest, property taxes, homeowners insurance, mortgage insurance and any condo or association fees before you start making offers.

Waiting for rates to fall isn’t a guaranteed strategy, either. Rates can change, and while home values aren’t guaranteed to increase every year, housing prices have historically risen over time. The home that fits your budget today could cost more later.

This isn’t about telling everyone to buy right now. It’s about running your actual numbers so you can make an informed decision based on your finances—not a headline.

If you’re considering buying a home in Hamilton, Beverly or anywhere on the North Shore of Massachusetts, let’s look at the full picture and determine whether the payment works for you.

09/07/2026

Wishing you a happy and safe Labor Day.

09/02/2026

There’s nothing better than getting the call from a client who says, “We found the one.”

Sometimes that call comes one week after getting preapproved. Sometimes it comes six, seven or nine months later.

My job as your mortgage loan officer isn’t to pressure you into buying a house before you’re ready. It’s to help you understand your options, build a strong homebuying plan and make sure your financing is ready when the right home finally comes along.

That means staying connected, keeping your preapproval updated and running the numbers before you submit an offer—so when you find your house, you can move forward with confidence.

If you’re considering buying a home in Hamilton, Beverly or anywhere on the North Shore of Massachusetts, you don’t have to wait until you’re actively touring homes to start the conversation.

Let’s get straight to the point and get you ready—whenever “the one” shows up.

08/31/2026

5.0 star review received on Experience.com for Matt Gibbons by Eleni A W - If I could give Matt more than five stars, I would. There truly are not enough words to express how grateful we are for everything he did for our family throughout this entire process.
Buying a home can be stressful, emotional, and overwhelming, but Matt was so much more than just our loan officer. He became someone we trusted completely and honestly feels like family to us now. He was there for every question, every concern, every unexpected hurdle, and every moment when we needed reassurance. He never made us feel like we were bothering him, no matter how many times we called, texted, or needed something explained again.
Matt worked incredibly hard behind the scenes to make sure everything came together for us. His knowledge, patience, communication, dedication, and genuine care for our family went far beyond anything we ever could have expected from a loan officer.
This home means so much to our family, and Matt played such a huge part in helping us get here. We will never forget how much he did for us or how supported he made us feel throughout the entire journey.
Matt, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You didn’t just help us close on a house, you helped our family begin an exciting new chapter. We are forever grateful, and there is absolutely no one else we would ever trust or recommend more highly.
If you are looking for a loan officer who will truly care about you, fight for you, communicate with you, and treat your family like his own, Matt is your person. Five stars doesn’t even begin to cover it

Click to see all 112 reviews of Matt Gibbons at Salem Five Mortgage, LLC, Senior Loan Officer | NMLS # 297042

08/31/2026

Just closed on a condo in Beverly! 🔑

A big congratulations—and thank you—to my buyers for trusting me to help them navigate the process and reach the closing table.

For many buyers, a condo can be a smart way to break into the North Shore housing market, start building equity and create a path toward a future move. But condo financing can come with a few additional steps.

With a condo, we’re not only reviewing the buyer’s finances. Depending on the loan program, the condominium development may also need to meet certain requirements, which can involve reviewing the association, insurance, budget, ownership and other project documents.

That shouldn’t discourage you from considering a condo—it simply means you want an experienced team helping you ask the right questions early.

If you’re looking at condos in Beverly, Hamilton or anywhere on the North Shore, let’s get straight to the point. I can help you understand the mortgage process, evaluate your options and navigate the details from preapproval through closing.

08/28/2026

If you watched Part 1, you know that saving 5% for a down payment doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve saved everything you’ll need to buy a home.

Your down payment is only one piece of the total cost. You may also need money for closing costs, moving expenses, furniture, appliances and the unexpected costs that tend to come with homeownership.

But here’s the good news—and the focus of Part 2: there may be several ways to reduce the amount you need to bring to the closing table.

Depending on your loan and financial situation, your options could include negotiating a seller credit, choosing a lender credit in exchange for a higher interest rate or using a down payment assistance program such as MassHousing, which may provide assistance through a second mortgage.

Each option has different qualifications and tradeoffs, which is why there isn’t one closing-cost strategy that works for everyone. We can run through the different scenarios and determine what makes the most sense for your budget and long-term plans.

Before you count yourself out based on one savings goal, let’s get straight to the point and look at what may actually be possible.

My DMs are open. Let’s review your options and figure it out together.

08/28/2026

5.0 star review received on Experience.com for Matt Gibbons by Douglas H - Matt was great! Super helpful, always available and explained everything clearly that I needed and gave great advice. Thank you Matt!!!

Click to see all 111 reviews of Matt Gibbons at Salem Five Mortgage, LLC, Senior Loan Officer | NMLS # 297042

08/26/2026

You saved 5% for a down payment—but is that actually enough to buy a home?

Let’s get straight to the point: your down payment is only one part of the cash you may need.

There are also closing costs, moving expenses and the money you’ll need after closing. Maybe the home needs appliances. Maybe you need furniture. Maybe something breaks during your first week because, well… homeownership.

That doesn’t mean you need an enormous amount of cash sitting in the bank. It means the “save 5% and you’re ready” goalpost won’t look the same for every buyer.

Before you start shopping, let’s talk through the full picture: your estimated cash to close, the monthly payment you’re comfortable with and how much you want left in savings afterward.

And stay tuned for Part 2, because we’re talking about ways some of those closing costs may be covered. You don’t want to miss it.

08/20/2026

Another buyer officially made it to the closing table. 🔑

A successful closing is never a one-person job. It takes a responsive buyer, a strong lending team and a real estate partner who knows how to keep every part of the transaction moving forward.

A big thank-you to Sabrina Carr Home Group with William Raveis Real Estate for the communication, collaboration and work she put in from the accepted offer through closing. When the loan officer and real estate agent work as one team, the buyer feels the difference.

Congratulations to our new homeowner! Thank you for trusting us to help finance this next chapter.

Thinking about buying a home in Massachusetts? Let’s get straight to the point and build your plan.

08/19/2026

The credit score you see on Credit Karma may not be the credit score used when you apply for a mortgage—and no, that doesn’t necessarily mean anything is wrong.

There are multiple credit-scoring models, and each one evaluates the information in your credit report differently. The model used for a car loan may produce a different score than the models commonly used for mortgage lending. Even scores pulled from an individual credit bureau can vary based on the model, bureau and date the report was generated.

Mortgage credit reviews can consider information appearing across a credit history that may extend back as far as seven years, including payment history, balances and other reported activity. Different models can also weigh that information differently.
So, while free credit-monitoring tools are helpful for watching trends, they shouldn’t be treated as a guaranteed preview of your mortgage credit score.

And if you don’t know me, I’m Matt Gibbons. Let’s get straight to the point: don’t rule yourself in—or out—based solely on a score from an app.

If you’re considering buying a home in Hamilton, the North Shore or elsewhere in Massachusetts, let’s review the information that actually matters for your mortgage options.