If there is a shortage of people purchasing new homes in 2013, it’s all because home mortgage lenders are far too selective with their lending process. You might have great credit and a steady job, but that in no way means you can find a good mortgage plan. Here are some tips that should help you locate a good mortgage.
Prepare yourself for your mortgage application early. If you plan to buy a house, you have to get your finances ready as soon as possible. This means building upon your savings and organizing your debts. If these things are something you wait on, you might not get approved for your home.
Avoid getting into new debts while you are getting a home mortgage loan. Your qualification options will be much more viable if you keep your debt to earnings ratio low. If you are carrying too much debt, lenders may just turn you away. Carrying a lot of debt can also increase the rate of your mortgage.
Long before you apply for a mortgage, look into your credit report and make certain everything is in order. Recent subprime lending practices have made qualifying for a loan much more difficult than it has been in the past.
Organize your financial life before going after a home mortgage. If your paperwork is all over the place and confusing, then you’ll just make the entire mortgage process that much longer. Do yourself and your lender a favor and put your financial papers in order prior to making any appointments.
Hire an attorney to help you understand your mortgage terms. Even those with degrees in accounting can find it difficult to fully understand the terms of a mortgage loan, and just trusting someone’s word on what everything means can cause you problems down the line. Get an attorney to look it over and make everything clear.
Get pre-approved for a home mortgage before shopping for a new house. Nothing is worse than finding the perfect house, only to find out that you can’t get approved for a mortgage. By getting pre-approved, you know exactly how much you can afford. Additionally, your offer will be more attractive to a seller.
Have the necessary documents ready. There are a few documents that you’ll be expected to have when you come in for a home mortgage. You’ll need to provide bank statements, income tax reports, W-2 statements, and at least two pay stubs. Having these at the ready will help make your meetings go much quicker.
Save your money. When you are going to finance a home mortgage, you will need to have some cash for a down payment. The more money you pay down, the lower your payments and interest rates. The down payment goes directly to the principal of the mortgage and is a sum you will not owe yearly interest on.
Never sign anything without talking to a lawyer first. The law does not fully protect you from the shrewd practices that many banks are willing to participate in. Having a lawyer on your side could save you thousands of dollars, and possibly your financial future. Be sure to get the right advice before proceeding.
If you are looking to buy any big ticket items, make sure that you wait until your loan has been closed. Buying large items may give the lender the idea that you are irresponsible and/or overextending yourself and they may worry about your ability to pay them back the money you are trying to borrow.
Make sure that you have a good amount of savings before you get yourself into a home mortgage contract. There are not certainties when it comes to the economy or job stability. To protect yourself you want to have enough money saved to make your payments for many months in case the worst does occur.
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.
Be careful when taking out a second line of financing. Many financial institutions will allow you to borrow money on your home equity to pay off other debts. Remember you are not actually paying off those debts, but transferring them to your house. Check to make sure your new home loan is not at a higher interest rate than the original debts.
With the tips listed above, you will be able to navigate the minefield of home mortgages. By approaching the subject in a knowledgeable way, you can find a loan that’s right for you without falling into the interest trap. So be careful out there and use information to guide you.
