Have you had a past mortgage? If you have, you are likely familiar with the stress and hardships that can come with not having a full understanding of what you’re getting into. Mortgage terms and conditions are ever changing, and you must have a current understanding of the market if you hope to stay ahead of the game. Continue reading to learn more.
Credit Report
Before applying for your mortgage, study your credit report for accuracy. The past year has seen a tightening of restrictions on lending, and you will need to ensure that your credit report is excellent to help you secure favorable mortgage loan terms.
Regardless of where you are in the home buying process, stay in touch with your lender. Don’t give up just because your finances are dire – your lender will want to work with you, if you talk to them about the situation. Contact your lender to discuss options.
If your loan is denied, don’t give up. Instead, talk with another potential lender and apply if it looks decent. Every lender has different criteria that you need to satisfy to qualify. So, when you are denied by one, you may still be approved by many others.
Become educated about the property taxes on the property you are considering buying. Prior to agreeing to a mortgage, you must understand your likely property tax bill. If the tax assessor thinks your property is worth more than you expect, this can lead to sticker shock at tax time.
Look into interest rates and choose the lowest one. Remember that it is in the best interest of banks to charge you a high interest rate. Avoid falling prey to their plan. Apply to a variety of lenders to see what the lowest rate offered to you will be.
When mortgage brokers are looking at your credit report, it is more beneficial to have low balances on several different accounts than it is to have a large balance on one or two credit cards. Try to have balances that are lower than 50 percent of the credit limit you’re working with. It’s a good idea to use less than 30 percent of the available credit on each account.
Balloon mortgages are often easier to obtain. These are short-term loans, and when it expires the owed balance will need to be refinanced. Unfortunately, you may not be able to refinance the loan if you don’t have any equity in the home, if your financial situation changes significantly or if interest rates are higher.
Carefully check out the reputation of a mortgage lender before you sign the final papers. Do not ever take a lender at their word. Ask friends, family, and others that have received loans through the company before. Look around the Internet. Check out lenders at the BBB website. Don’t sign the papers unless you do your research first.
It pays to understand the right way to get a mortgage that works for you. You don’t want to end up spending years only to have lost your home or struggle making ends meet. Rather, you need a loan that suits your budget and a lender who cares.
