Home Mortgages 101: What You Need To Know

May 10, 2019Home Buying

TIP! Have all your ducks in a row before walking into a lender’s office. Getting to your bank without your last W-2, check stubs from work, and other documentation can make your first meeting short and unpleasant.

Choosing a mortgage plays a key role in your finances. It’s a very important decision, and you need the right information when making it. Knowing all you should know can help make the best decision.

TIP! Even if you are far underwater on your home, HARP might be an option for you. While you may have been turned down before, now you have a second chance.

In order to be approved for a home loan, you need a good work history. A steady work history is important to mortgage lenders. Switching jobs a lot can result in your loan being denied. Do not quit your job while a loan application is in process.

TIP! When you are waiting to close on your mortgage, don’t decide you want to take a shopping trip. Lenders tend to run another credit check before closing, and they may issue a denial if extra activity is noticed.

If you find that your home’s value has sunk below the amount you still have left on the mortgage, and have unsuccessfully tried to refinance in the past, give it another try. The Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) has been revamped to let homeowners refinance their home regardless of how underwater they are. Speak with your lender about your options through HARP. If your lender won’t help you, move on to one who will.

TIP! Your mortgage payment should not be more than thirty percent of what you make. Paying more than this can cause financial problems for you.

Avoid overspending as you wait for closing day on your mortgage. Your credit score and reports are likely to get checked again in the final few days before finalization, and if there’s a spike in new activity, the lender might change their mind. Try waiting on major purchases until after getting the new mortgage contract.

TIP! Double check to see if your home’s value has declined any before you make any new mortgage applications. Even though you might think everything is great with your home, the lending institution might value it much differently, and that may hurt getting approved for the mortgage.

Line up your budget appropriately, so that 30 percent or less of your income goes to the mortgage. Paying too much of your income on your mortgage can lead to problems should you run into financial difficulties. When your payments are manageable, it’s much easier to keep a balanced budget.

TIP! When you are denied, don’t give up. Just move on and apply for the next mortgage with another lender.

When you go to see the mortgage lender, bring along all your financial records. The lender will need to see proof of income, your bank statements and documentation of your other financial assets. Having these organized and on-hand ahead of time will prepare you in providing these pieces of information and will make the application process go faster.

Extra Payments

TIP! Find out the property taxes before making an offer on a home. Knowing how much your property tax expense will be can help you make an accurate budget.

Make extra payments whenever possible. Anything extra you throw in will shave down your principal. Making extra payments will help reduce the amount of interest you pay over the lifetime of the loan and this can help pay your loan off quicker.

TIP! Find out what type of home mortgage you need. There are many to choose from.

Use everything you have gleaned from this article to be certain that your mortgage is the right one. There are numerous resources available to help ensure you get the best loan available. Instead, use what you learned here to help you make the best decision.