Every American dreams to own the perfect home of his or her own. If you are searching for your first home but are unsure of the mortgage financing process, this is the perfect article for you. Use the information in the following paragraphs to learn the key tips you need to understand to help you get a great deal on your mortgage financing.
If a 20% down payment is out of your league, do some shopping around. Different banks will have different offers for you to consider. Terms and rates will vary at each, some will give a lower downpayment, but a slightly higher interest rate. Look for the best mix for your current situation.
Work with your bank to become pre-approved. Pre-approval helps give you an understanding of how much home you can really afford. It’ll keep you from wasting time looking at houses that are simply outside of your range. It’ll also protect you from overspending and putting yourself in a position where foreclosure could be in your future.
Before getting a mortgage, study your credit history. Good credit is what can help you get a mortgage. Obtain copies of your credit history and scores from the three major credit-reporting bureaus. Study your reports carefully to ensure that no issues or errors must be resolved before you apply. Many lenders need a minimum score of 680, which complies with Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae’s guidelines. Most lenders want to avoid scores that are lower than 620.
Even before you contact any lenders, make sure that your credit report is clean. Credit standards are becoming even more strict, so work on your credit as soon as possible.
Find out how much your mortgage broker will be making off of the transaction. Many times mortgage broker commissions are negotiable just like real estate agent commissions are negotiable. Get this information and writing and take the time to look over the fee schedule to ensure the items listed are correct.
After you’ve been approved for your home mortgage and are ready to move in, consider starting a home emergency fund right away. Being a homeowner means always being prepared for the unexpected, so having a stash of cash stored away is a very smart move. You don’t want to have to choose between paying your mortgage and fixing a hole in the roof down the road.
Pay off your mortgage sooner by scheduling bi-weekly payments instead of monthly payments. You will end up making several extra payments per year and decrease the amount you pay in interest over the life of the loan. This bi-weekly payment can be automatically deducted from your bank account to make it easy and convenient.
Make sure you’ve got all of your paperwork in order before visiting your mortgage lender’s office for your appointment. While logic would indicate that all you really need is proof of identification and income, they actually want to see everything pertaining to your finances going back for some time. Each lender is different, so ask in advance and be well prepared.
Before looking to buy a house, make sure you get pre-approved for a mortgage. Getting pre-approved lets you know how much you can spend on a property before you start bidding. It also prevents you from falling in love with a property you can’t afford. Also, many times seller will consider buyers with pre-approval letters more seriously than those without it.
Before you contact a mortgage lender to apply for a loan to buy a home, use one of the fast and easy mortgage calculators available online. You can enter your loan amount, the interest rate and the length of the loan. The calculator will figure the monthly payment that you can expect.
Do not close out any credit card accounts while you are in the middle of applying for a loan. This will negatively impact you since all of your credit cards were used when determining your eligibility for a loan. If you need to close your account for any reason, wait until the loan process is over.
If you have filed for bankruptcy, you may have to wait two or three years before you qualify for a mortgage loan. However, you may end up paying higher interest rates. The best way to save money when buying a home after a bankruptcy is to have a large down payment.
Before you begin home mortgage shopping, be prepared. Get all of your debts paid down and set some savings aside. You may benefit by seeking out credit at a lower interest rate to consolidate smaller debts. Having your financial house in order will give you some leverage to get the best rates and terms.
As was stated earlier in this article, almost all Americans dream to own a home of their own. If you are in the process of looking for your first home, use this article to educate yourself on mortgage financing. By carefully reviewing the tips in this article you can get a great deal on your mortgage.
