buyingcredit scoredebtfinancingfirst time buyersmortgagereal estateresearchUncategorized May 30, 2017

10 Questions For Mortgage Lenders

The most frustrating part of your homeowner purchase if you are not paying cash?  The mortgage application and approval hands down!  Start off your journey with some great advice!

Prepare for your meeting with your mortgage lender by showing up with these 10 questions.

Buying a home starts with finding the right mortgage lender. Here are the questions you should ask mortgage lenders, before you sign on with one.

Steering clear of homebuyer’s remorse requires more than just picking the right home in the right neighborhood. According to a 2016 survey by J.D. Power, 27% of new homeowners ultimately came to regret their choice of lender. One major reason for the dissatisfaction was overall poor customer experience, including lack of communication and unmet expectations. Another factor? Pressure from the lender to choose a particular product or loan. You can remove some of the tension and turmoil of house-hunting by carefully vetting potential lenders. Here are some questions to ask potential lenders before you commit.

10 Questions to Ask Mortgage Lenders

  1. 1. What mortgage programs do you offer?

    In many cases, choosing the best loan for your specific financial situation requires working with a lender who offers a wide array of loans. You don’t want to work with a lender who tries to push you into one loan simply because that’s the only option from their limited selection.

  2. 2. Do you regularly handle the type of loan I’m looking for?

    If the type of loan you’re looking for is more specific than, say, a conventional fixed-rate mortgage, a little more expertise is useful and in some cases, it might be necessary. An uncommon home loan like a United States Department of Agriculture loan, for instance, must go through an approved lender.

  3. 3. What are the qualifications for the loan I’m seeking?

    Even when two lenders offer the same type of loan, their minimum requirements could differ. For instance, Department of Veterans Affairs loans require a minimum credit score of 620, but a lender might require a minimum score of 640. So comparison-shop. Don’t assume the same type of loan means the same terms.

  4. 4. Do you offer down payment assistance programs?

    If you’re concerned about meeting down payment requirements for a loan, this is an important question to ask. Some lenders offer assistance programs. Putting more down generally lowers your interest rate. Even paying just a half-percentage point less in interest can make a huge difference in the lifetime costs of your mortgage.

  5. 5. Can you give me an estimate of the rates and fees I might expect to pay?

    While an initial estimate doesn’t guarantee your final, out-of-pocket expense, it can be a solid jumping-off point for evaluating lenders. However, rates fluctuate, so try comparing lenders on the same day to get the most accurate mortgage rate comparisons.

  6. 6. Can you quickly provide an in-depth preapproval lender letter to my real estate agent?

    If you’re house-hunting in a hot real estate market like Jacksonville, FL, or a home for sale in Colorado Springs, CO, time is of the essence. Make sure the lender can quickly provide an in-depth preapproval letter to your real estate agent. You want a preapproval letter that makes the seller confident you qualify for the home — and, ideally, you want it to be delivered before competing offers arrive.

  7. 7. Will you be able to do a mortgage rate lock?

    Since a small change in rates can cost thousands in the long run, check to see if the lender offers a mortgage rate lock. Be sure to ask about the associated fees, including how much it costs to extend the lock should it expire before closing.

  8. 8. Do you handle mortgage loan underwriting in-house?

    There’s a big reason to ask this one. If the loan underwriting is completed in-house, loans can be processed quicker and questions answered more efficiently. And that means fewer potential complications or delays that could push back a closing date a situation that can sometimes cause a sale to fall apart.

  9. 9. What is the time estimate for processing my home loan?

    When you’re coordinating the end of a current lease or timing a home sale with a new home purchase, knowing the estimated time it will take to process your loan is key. Of course, it’s always a good idea to build in a small buffer if you can and not just because loan preparation can take longer than expected. Surprises sometimes pop up during the final walk-through before the home sells.

  10. 10. Can I expect communication in a straightforward and timely manner?

    If your communication thus far hasn’t been efficient and helpful, that could be a bad sign of things to come. Find out if you’ll have a single contact who you can count on or just a general customer service line.

    Source:  Trulia Blog

 

buyingcredit scoredebtfinancingfirst time buyersreal estateUncategorized May 23, 2017

I Can’t Get a Traditional Mortgage… What Are My Alternatives?

 

Quandry: You are faced with circumstances that may prevent you from obtaining a traditional mortgage. Don’t panic…you have alternatives!

You want to buy a house, but your credit history isn’t in tip top shape, or you cannot show a consistent cash flow even though you have a lot of money saved in the bank making you an undesirable candidate to borrow in the eyes of the lenders.

What are your options? When it comes to real estate, here are some of the most common alternatives to a traditional mortgage for you to take into consideration:

Borrow from a Self-Directed Individual Retirement Account (IRA). Self-Directed IRAs are different from Roth IRAs and traditional IRAs. A Self-Directed IRA gives you the freedom to invest in many nontraditional assets, such as mortgages, real estate, promissory notes, tax liens, precious metals, private businesses, etc. With a Self-Directed IRA you get asset protection and tax advantages as they are government-sponsored retirement plans. Due to the self dealing rule, the IRS does not allow you to borrow against your own self-directed IRA, or those of your lineal relatives and business partners. This means that you would need to know someone who has a Self-Directed IRA to borrow from, or a third party financial company that facilitates those types of transactions. For more information on how to get private lending with a Self-directed IRA, read more on Self-directed IRA Lending.

Borrow from your Whole Life Insurance policy. Whole Life Insurance is a basic cash-value life insurance. When you pay the regular premium on a Whole Life Insurance policy, you are essentially accumulating wealth through the equity growth that you are contributing which goes into a savings account. If there are dividends or interest in this account, it is tax-deferred. Don’t mistake Whole Life Insurance for Term Life insurance. Whole Life Insurance protects you for your entire life, and allows you to borrow against the cash-value of your policy. A pro tip to borrowing against your Whole Life Insurance is that it increases your borrowing potential however, should you not pay back the loan the face value of your policy reduces. If this is the strategy you choose to implement to buy your dream home, be sure to thoroughly research this option. Ask yourself and your insurance company the following:

1. What would the Pros and Cons be to borrowing against Whole Life Insurance?
2. How long will it take to repay the loan and what would be the interest rate?
3. What would happen if you pass away before the loan is payed off?
4. What are the consequences to dependents who are beneficiaries?
5. How does it affect the annual dividends?
6. Are withdrawals of the Whole Life Insurance taxable or deferred?
7. In what scenarios would the Whole Life Insurance policy lapse if you barrow from it?

There are many things to consider when borrowing against your Whole Life Insurance policy, so be sure that your decision to buy your home outweighs some of the drawbacks of borrowing against your life insurance.

See if you can get Seller Financing. Seller Financing is a great way to skip the whole mortgage approval process. However, it is quite difficult to get for the following reasons:
(1) The seller does not own the house outright, and for the seller to give you a financing option, the seller must have paid off his/her mortgage in full.
(2) Most sellers do not want the hassle and additional risks of being a lender even though they could profit more by being the financier. With that being said, sellers don’t necessarily have to be a lender. The seller can arrange to resell the promissory note to an investor.

Buy a rent-to-own home. Rent-to-own, lease-to-own, or lease-to-buy are all the same. Often times, homeowners who want to sell off their homes but can not, those home owners may list their homes as a rent-to-own. If you and the seller sign a lease contract and you pay the Option Consideration section of the lease contract, the seller is agreeing to rent his/her home to you for a specific amount of time. Once that time ends and you have been paying the rent on the lease agreement in a timely manner and building equity towards the purchase of the home; you will have the option of going through with the purchase or not. For more details about renting-to-own a home, read Pros and Cons of Renting to Own a Home.

Source:  Dream Casa

 

 

 

credit scorefinancingfirst time buyersmortgagereal estateUncategorized May 7, 2017

Pop Quiz: How Well Versed Are You in Home Mortgage Loans?

If you are in the market for a new home, then you’d better read up!  No matter how much you know regarding mortgages, its never too late to learn.

A lot of Americans are caught up in a mortgage nightmare simply because they didn’t dive into the process with some preparation. With a little studying and education, getting a home mortgage can become a far less stressful endeavor.

Here are a few questions that can help you go into the home mortgage process with more knowledge and confidence. Although this quiz doesn’t cover everything you should know,  it’s certainly a good start:

Question 1: What is the difference between pre-qualification and pre-approval?

Answer: Pre-qualification is the first step in the mortgage process that involves supplying a bank or lender your financial information in order to find out how much you can borrow on a loan. Pre-approval is when you and your mortgage banker review your credit report to determine if you’re worthy of qualifying for a particular loan amount.

Question 2: What are the two big cash expenditures that require having money on hand to buy a home?

Down payment and closing costs.

Question 3: Generally, a monthly mortgage payment is made up of four different components commonly referred to as “PITI.” What are they?

Answer: Principal, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance.

Question 4: Why is it recommended to make one extra payment a year for people on 30-year fixed mortgages?

Answer: Since extra payments cut down the principle of your loan (and not interest), giving one additional payment a year can shorten your loan term by a decade.

Question 5: What is the downside to a subprime mortgage?

Answer: Although subprime mortgages come with lower introductory interest rates, they increase significantly after a number of years.

Question 6: What does LTV stand for and how do you determine it?

LTV stands for loan to value ratio. To find out an LTV, divide the loan amount by the appraised value of the house. So if your home is worth $200,000 and the loan amount is $100,000, then the LTV is 50%.

Question 7: There are three term lengths you can get for a fixed-rate mortgage. What are they?

Answer: 15 year, 20 year, and 30-year terms are your options for a fixed-rate mortgage.

Question 8: Of the mortgage rates mentioned in the last question, which one do most people find the easiest to qualify for?

30-year mortgages since a longer term means lower, more affordable payments. The fact that longer terms also mean bigger tax deductions also plays a role.

Question 9: Is it a good idea to get an ARM (adjustable-rate mortgage) if you plan on owning a home for a long time?

Answer: No. Since the interest rate on ARMs change along with market rates, they are unpredictable. An ARM is only recommended if you’re staying in a home for a short period of time.

Question 10: Lenders will look at your job history when considering offering you a loan. A red flag for them is if you haven’t been at your current job for at least how many years?

Lenders like to see that you’ve kept the same employment for at least two years. This also applies to people who are self-employed and part-time employees.

Question 11: What is it called when you owe more than your house is worth?

Answer: Owing more than your house is worth is called being “upside-down” on your mortgage.

Question 12: Is it OK to open a new credit account during the mortgage process in order to help pay for moving expenses, new furniture, etc?

Answer: No. Since everything must be documented with payment amounts and account statements, doing so can affect your debt-to-income ratio.

Source: DreamCasa.org