What can I do to get a great mortgage? How can I find low rates I can afford? What should I know before I talk to any lenders? When do I start the process? How can I find answers to all of these questions and more? Read on for expert mortgage advice.
If you are considering quitting your job or accepting employment with a different company, delay the change until after the mortgage process has closed. Your mortgage loan has been approved based on the information originally submitted in your application. Any alteration can force a delay in closing or may even force your lender to overturn the decision to approve your loan.
Consider the Federal Housing Authority to be your first stop when looking for a new mortgage. In most cases, a mortgage with the FHA will mean putting a lot less money down. If you opt for a conventional loan, you will be required to come up with a serious down payment, and that can mean not being able to afford the home you really want.
Try to have a down payment of at least 20 percent of the sales price. In addition to lowering your interest rate, you will also avoid pmi or private mortgage insurance premiums. This insurance protects the lender should you default on the loan. Premiums are added to your monthly payment.
Know how much you can afford to put towards your home mortgage. Do not rely on the lender to tell you the amount you qualify for, causing you to borrow the maximum amount. Try planning your budget and leaving some room for unexpected expenses. This is usually the case when you buy a home. You can use banking calculators to determine how much you can afford on a home and provide an estimate of the monthly mortgage payments.
During the pre-approval process for the mortgage loan, avoid going on any costly shopping sprees while waiting for it to close! Right before the loan is finalized, lenders will check your credit. All major expenses should be put off until after your mortgage application has been approved.
Know your credit score and keep unsavory mortgage lenders at bay. Some unscrupulous lenders will lie to you about your credit score, claiming it is lower than it actually is. They use this lie to justify charging you a higher interest rate on your mortgage. Knowing your credit score is protection from this fraud.
Get mortgage loan estimates from at least three different mortgage lenders and three different banks. By shopping around, you may get a lower interest rate, pay fewer points and save money on closing costs. It’s almost always preferable to get a fixed interest rate. With variable rates, you may not know from month to month what your mortgage payment will be.
Prepare your paperwork before applying for a mortgage. There are many items that a lender will require. These items include the last two or three years worth of tax returns, copies of each of your monthly credit card statements and installment loans. Three months bank statements and two months worth of pay stubs are also needed for approval.
Reducing your debt as much as possible will increase your chances of being approved for a mortgage. If you are not in a good financial situation, meet with a debt consolidation professional to get out of debt as quickly as possible. You do not need to have a zero balance on your credit cards to get a mortgage but being deeply in debt is definitely a red flag.
When considering the cost of your mortgage, also think about property taxes and homeowners insurance costs. Sometimes lenders will factor property taxes and insurance payments into your loan calculations but often they do not. You don’t want to be surprised when the tax office sends a bill and you learn the cost of required insurance.
Make sure that all of your loans and other payments are up to date before you apply for a mortgage. Every delinquency you have is going to impact your credit score, so it is best to pay things off and have a solid payment history before you contact any lenders.
Check with your local Better Business Bureau before giving personal information to any lender. Unfortunately, there are predatory lenders out there that are only out to steal your identity. By checking with your BBB, you can ensure that you are only giving your information to a legitimate home mortgage lender.
If your appraisal isn’t enough, try again. If the one your lender receives is not enough to back your mortgage loan, and you think they’re mistaken, you can try another lender. You cannot order another appraisal or pick the appraiser the lender uses, however, you may dispute the first one or go to a different lender. While the appraisal value of the home shouldn’t vary drastically too much between different appraisers, it can. If you think the first appraiser is incorrect, try another lender with, hopefully, a better appraiser.
Now do you have all of the answers to your questions? We hope that the content posted here has been helpful and will assist you in the mortgage application process. Continue reading articles just like this one to be sure that you know all you need to before you begin.
