Jessie Anderson asked:




Anyone who is interested in getting a mortgage will need to take certain steps to ensure that they get their loan application approved. Due to the recent housing mess, there are a lot of lenders who have changed some of their criteria for loans. No longer is it possible to get a mortgage home loan approved if you don’t have good credit or a down payment.

There are certain things that lenders look for when they approve mortgage loans. Borrowers need to understand that a mortgage loan is one of the most important decisions that they will ever make in their financial life. It is important that you find the right lender when you are getting a mortgage to ensure that you get a loan application approved.

People who are interested in getting mortgages approved need to ensure that they have a down payment for the loan. If you can save up for a down payment it will ensure that you can get your application approved. Down payments significantly reduce the amount of risk that borrowers face when they approve the loan applications. They will also give you lower monthly payments on your loan.

Once you have saved up money for a down payment it is important that you find the right mortgage broker for your loan. A broker will be able to work with you and find a mortgage loan that works for your financial needs. They will tell you how much money that you can get approval for and what down payment you will need for the loan. A good broker is essential for anyone who is looking to get a mortgage home loan approved.

Darlene

Jackie asked:


Hi. I am in the process of buying a home. The seller is calling me and my mortgage broker 2-3 times a day asking for a closing date. My broker just told me that the only final condition is the payment history on my student loans. I just got out of school and consolidated my loans and put them in deferrment. They are including the payment in my monthly debt even though my 1st payment on the student loans isn’t until Dec. 06. Therefore, there is no payment history. My broker said Underwriting was using that as my payment history as I don’t have any other credit card debt. My car was paid off 1 1/2 yrs ago. Will this make my loan fall apart? Is there anything I can do to speed up the loan so the seller will back off? The house is a REALLY good deal! Help. Experienced answerers only. Thanks!

Rodney

Moises Reyes asked:




Be More Informed By Understanding Your Home Loan Mortgage Lender Options

If you’re looking to purchase a home, then it’s important to understand that the first step in the home buying process is to choose and meet with a lender. Before obtaining a home loan mortgage, it’s in your best interest to understand the different lender options available so that you can make the best decisions possible and ensure that the home buying process is a rewarding experience.

Types of Lenders

There are several different types of financial institutions that offer mortgage loans. These include mortgage banks and credit unions, among others. Federal and state agencies regulate most of these lenders and require them to follow federal and state mortgage law.

• Mortgage Brokers

- A mortgage broker is a middleman, representing a wide variety of lenders ranging from online mortgage companies to traditional national banks. They act as intermediaries who sell home mortgage loans for individuals or businesses. As the mortgage market has become increasingly competitive in our society, the role of mortgage brokers has overtaken traditional banks and lending institutions as the largest sellers of mortgage products. Although brokers will often offer a greater variety of lending options, they may also be less regulated depending on the state.

• Mortgage Banks

- A mortgage bank is a lender that specializes in originating and selling home mortgage loans directly to consumers. The key difference between a mortgage banker and a mortgage broker is that a mortgage banker funds its lending with its own capital, obtaining their funds by selling their loans in the secondary mortgage market. Once they originate a loan, they place it on a warehouse line of credit until they can sell it to an investor such as Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

• Banks and Credit Unions

- National banks and credit unions raise money to fund mortgage loans through their customers’ checking and savings accounts and certificates of deposit. They provide loans to individual consumers or businesses with the money they have on deposit. Larger institutions may also sell mortgage-backed securities in the financial market to obtain funding to sell mortgage loans to customers. When banks and credit unions make a mortgage loan, they will either hold it in portfolio or sell it to large secondary mortgage market investors such as Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

• Savings and Loan Associations

- A savings and loan association (S&L), or “thrift,” specializes in accepting savings deposits and making loans, particularly mortgage loans, and they are owned by and operated for the benefit of its members. In other words, a savings association member is a stockholder in the company, which is typically incorporated and must adhere to federal or state incorporation requirements.

Carla

Carrie Reeder asked:




Being self employed has many benefits. When you are self-employed, you can write off all of your deductions on your taxes. You have the potential to make more income than someone who is employed by someone else. You have the freedom to be your own boss. One of the few times when being self employed has some drawbacks is when you go to get financing for a home or a major purchase. But, here are some things to know that can help you make the mortgage loan process run smoothly when you are self employed.

When verifying income – In general, lenders want to see at least 2 years of self employment history, sometimes they want to see 3 years. They will want to see this history verified in tax returns, usually. Sometimes the lenders will figure your income as being the average income you claimed on your income taxes as profit, not your gross business income. Sometimes the lender will figure your income as the lowest of the two years and sometimes as the highest of the two years. Talk to your mortgage broker or lender and find out which way they verify. Sometimes lenders will figure a portion of your write-offs or deductions back into your income. There are ideas of other ways that a lender may be able to verify your income and if you are self employed it will help you to be able to show a more of your income.

A. Use bank statements as proof of income – Find a lender who will accept 1-2 years of bank statements as proof of income. It is becoming more common nowadays for lenders to verify your income this way. This way usually works better in proving income than going off of your tax returns, because you can usually prove a lot more cash flow than tax returns will show. On your tax returns you usually subtract each and every business expense before you claim any profit. When using bank statements, you are still proving income, this does not put as much emphasis on your credit score or down payment as the stated income or no doc loan will.

B. Do a stated income or no doc loan – These types of loans are done all of the time, where you need no proof of income, you only state on a form what your income is, and you do not need to verify it. This can help if you are self employed and want to state your income as it is and not worry about having the lender average out your income from the last two years instead. Make sure you are accurate in stating your income, because the lender may be able to obtain past taxes from the IRS to confirm it. When you do a stated income loan, this will put more emphasis on your down payment or credit score. So, you will usually need one of these factors to be strong if you want to go this route. Most of the time when you do a stated income or no doc loan, you will be charged a slightly higher interest rate because of the extra risk the lenders carries.

C. Put together a profit & loss statement stating accurately stating your profits and expenses from the last two years. This can be a time consuming project, but it can sometimes be used as income verification for a lender. It is more usable if you have had it signed or verified by your accountant.

There are many ways that lenders can work with you if you are self employed. There are many programs available to help you and if you have a down payment or decent credit, you are almost guaranteed to be able to get approved somewhere. To see our list of recommended lenders that would be able to help you, visit here: Recommended
Mortgage Loan Companies Online or here Recommended Bad Credit
Mortgage Loan Companies Online

Katherine

Carrie Reeder asked:




Getting a home loan with bad credit has actually never been easier than it is today. Here are some tips to help improve your chances of success:

Find A Good Real Estate Deal – If you can find a property that has some equity in it when you purchase it, you may have an easier time getting financing on that property. To the lender it may be almost as good as if you had some kind of down payment on the property. Some lenders will consider the properties loan to value ratio when they consider the loan. Talk to your mortgage broker and see if this factor could help you get qualified.

Try Creative Financing – See if the seller would be willing to carry back a second mortgage on the home. This is where you set up a contract or agreement with the seller that you will pay them monthly payments, including interest of, let’s say, $150/mo on $10,000 dollars of the price of the property, as a second mortgage. Then, to make it nice for the seller, perhaps put in the agreement that the entire amount is due in full within 2 years or something. That should give you plenty of time to refinance and then the seller doesn’t feel permanently locked into the contract.

Save For A Down Payment – There are lenders who may be able to qualify you for 100% financing, even with low credit scores, but your interest rate will be much lower if you can put even 3-5% down. If possible, try to save as much as possible for a down payment. Sometimes it may be better to wait about 3-6 months to get into a new home loan if it means the difference of having a down payment. The interest rate could be quite a bit better because of that factor. However, if you don’t want to have a down payment, you can always refinance later for a lower interest rate.

Shop Around – There are some mortgage brokers out there that you will talk to who will say, “I can’t help you, and if I can’t help you, no one can help you.” But, if you persist in talking with other brokers, 10 minutes later you could be talking to someone who knows a way to help you, no problem. Most brokers feel that if they can’t help you, no one can. However, the ironic thing is that each broker is varied in the types of loans they can do. Some brokers have relationships with flexible mortgage lenders and others do not. I recommend applying online to mortgage services that will submit your application to multiple lenders. That way, your credit is only pulled once, and you can analyze offers from multiple lenders. To see our list of recommended bad credit mortgage lenders, visit here recommended bad credit
mortgage lenders

Improve Your Credit Score – There are some really simple ways to improve your credit score without spending too much time at it. All 3 major credit bureaus now have areas on their websites where you can dispute incorrect items on your credit. The process is very quick and easy. Make your current payments on time to help your score. Keep your number of credit inquiries down. Too many inquiries can hurt your credit score. If you want to buy a house, don’t apply for any credit cards, auto loans or any other type of loan if you can avoid it. For your reference, here are the links to all 3 major credit bureau’s websites: www.abcloanguide.com/credithelp.shtml

If you really do want to get into a home, don’t let bad credit stop you. There are lenders out there who can help you, it just takes some persistence. Apply with multiple lenders. Like I said, apply with mortgage services that specialize in bad credit mortgage loans and will submit your application to multiple lenders with only having one credit inquiry.

Duane

Myra asked:


would take 7 days. There are no suprises with my credit, it’s very good and the preapproval was done about 2-3 weeks ago. Any ideas? My mortgage broker just keeps saying there is no info from the underwriter and the deal is about to fall through if it does not complete by tomorrow. Any ideas on how to push this through?

Benjamin

Steven Cancel asked:


It has never been a better time to consider getting a home loan with rates at historic lows and home prices softening. Purchasing a home is often the biggest investment one will make within their lifetime. Prior to purchasing a home there are many things to consider. You will want to have goals in place that support your decision and loan type. Different loan types can cater to your current and future financial needs. Always understand that mortgage companies understand that your needs and future expectations change. At any point you’re within your loan you can refinance and adjust your loan type and length but this often includes fees and charges that can be avoided by not changing the terms of your loan.

The first step one should take in consult with a seasoned loan professional. This would include a mortgage broker or loan officer that has been originating mortgages for a long period of time. It is not wise to make such a large investment with someone who is not familiar with each aspect of the industry. Create a list of questions that you have prior to contacting the professional so they will get a good feel of what your goals and expectations are. Be prepared for a credit check and be able to provide up to 2 years of income documentation. Your loan specialist will then provide you with an amount you will be able to get approved for along with what the expected monthly payment will be should you decide to take a loan out for the given amount.

If your goal is to purchase a home to live in it for at least 30 years it is best to get a 30 year fixed mortgage. This will allow your new home to be fully paid off over a 30 year period. After 30 years you will only have the loan paid off but you will also have equity that was obtained. Over the history of the real estate industry, housing pricing has shown incredible returns for their owners. Many other options are also available such as lower fixed periods, ARM, and jumbo loans. Your mortgage professional will best fit you with your loan type.

As a consumer it is also important that you trust your loan professional. Should you decide purchasing a home is the right path for your future you should make sure that the origination process is completed in a reasonable manner? Loan professionals are paid on what is known on the industry as points. Each point is a percentage on the actual amount being provided from the lender. These points can be clearly stated on the loan forms but also can be included in the actual rate you are being provided. Ensure you are aware of all the charges you acquiring to prevent from being over charged by a loan professional.



ALLAN

L D asked:


I applied for a home loan but I did not take it. The mortgage broker charged me $830 for processing the loan and getting it approved. Should I pay this amount or can I get any concession?

ORLANDO

Martin A asked:


One week after our closing date, the Underwriters rejected my loan due to “The value of the home is too much for the area, and there aren’t any comparable homes in the area.”. My Real-estate agent, Mortgage Broker, and the Appraiser all said “that is discrimination based on geographical location” and we have a law suit. This would have been my first home (as of 9/28/07) but they ‘pushed’ the date back to 10/02/07, and at 5:15 PM they told my mortgage broker that the loan was rejected, and they knew since 11:30 am that morning. My apartment lease was over on 9/30/07, so now, my wife and 2 daughters, are homeless; staying at a friends apartment until this gets resolved. The Underwriters pulled our (applicants) credit 3 more times, drastically reducing our credit, which in turn is making us come $5k out of pocket through a different Underwriter. Please, someone tell me i have a case.. We have already invested $2k into inspections, appraisal, etc, and would hate for it to be for nothing.
The house appraised @ $194,600.00 with the purchase price set at $166,600.00. There were 2 appraisals done; One i paid for, which lists 6 comparable homes, and the other that the Underwriters had done, listing 4 comparable homes. All homes in the area are from $130k to $200k. Which is why i am so frustrated as why they would say that. It makes NO sense.
Just in case anyone was thinking that they might have reasonable doubt that i would default on my loan…

I have a 30 yr fixed @ 6%, so the problem with the thousands of people that defaulted on their variable rate loan shouldn’t effect me what so ever. Those thousands of people are all moron’s for letting it happen to them. They should have either;
1- Refinanced into a fixed rate
2- Sold the house BEFORE they defaulted. It is very easy to find out what your payment is going to be 1, 2, 5 years down the road, even with a variable rate loan. Their fault for not planning ahead.

I make enough to pay 2x the mortgage payment, and have been @ the same job for 4 years now (only 21 yrs old). That’s not including my wife’s income, who makes almost twice more than me.

RAY

Best Refinancing asked:


Best home loan mortgage rate refinance



Finding the Best Home Loan Mortgage Rate Refinance :

When shopping for the best home loan mortgage rate refinance program it is a good idea to call your current lender and see if they have any refinance programs available that may benefit you. Many large loan companies do not want to loose good paying customers and may offer to refinance your mortgage at no cost. If your current lender cannot help you get the best home loan mortgage rate refinance then you should talk to a few reputable mortgage brokers. Mortgage broker have access to wholesale rates and a wide variety of loan programs that often times benefits the consumer more then a bank or credit union. It is not uncommon for a good mortgage broker to beat a local banks mortgage mortgage rates by one quarter to one half percent or more.

Closing costs are also an important factor to consider when deciding on what company you will refinance your mortgage with. Getting the best home loan mortgage rate refinance will mean nothing if you are overcharged with excessive closing costs and fee’s. Keep in mind that the average closing costs for a mortgage that has no points or fees should not exceed $2000. Keep in mind that this does not include any prepaid interest or escrow amounts needed to close the loan, those prepaid items are costs are set by the lender and cannot be changed or altered by the mortgage broker. Your mortgage broker should provide you with a good faith estimate within 3 days of application. On this estimate will be a breakdown of fees and costs associated with your best home loan mortgage rate refinance. Look at the total of these fees and See if they are acceptable to you and if they are not call your mortgage broker and let them know. Mortgage brokers work off of commissions and they want to keep their customers happy in order to retain them. A good mortgage broker should adjust the fees to make you happy or offer a very good explanation as to why the fees are higher then average best home loan mortgage rate refinance.

Another way to ensure that you score the best rate is to obtain multiple offers before you settle on the right one. There are a large number of lenders to choose from, so you should obtain multiple offers and quotes for your refinance before you settle on one lender. Compare the fee structure, the loan amount and the rate, and then select the lender that seems to have your best interest in mind.

Go ahead and study how to find the best home loan mortgage refinance.



ARTURO