Coming up with 20% for a down payment helps you avoid having to buy private mortgage insurance (PMI). For down payments less than 20% of the purchase price, the mortgage lender will require you to buy PMI. Why is the 20% important? It is a measure to indicate that you Read more
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) provides insurances to lenders who offer mortgages to borrowers making low down payments of 3.5% of the sale price. Features of FHA loans: Low down payment with a minimum 3.5% of the sale price Easier to qualify than a conventional loan. Low credit score is Read more
Now that you have selected a home within your purchase price, hopefully you have done some homework on the additional out of pocket expenses that you have to come up with besides securing a mortgage loan. 10% to 20% for down payment. It is generally the preferred range for a Read more
A prequalification loan letter is not as good as a preapproval loan letter because the information provided by you to the lender is not verified. You basically let them know your income and debts allowing the lender to come up with a quick estimate of how much you can borrow. Read more
Everyone could use a little financial help at some point from family and friends. That help could come in the form of a loan towards buying your first home. Often times, buyers are only thinking about coming up with sufficient funds for the down payment to get started on home Read more
Lenders depend on credit scores to determine the overall risk of the person receiving the loan. First, your credit history is reviewed to see if you have been making good on payments owed to perhaps an auto loan or a student loan. The history of repaying your loans without lateness Read more
Generally, mortgage lenders will require 2-years of self employment income records to qualify for a loan. However, a No-Doc or Low-Doc loan is available to borrowers who can provide other supporting documentation when income documentation is not available. A No-Doc loan is designed for self-employed individuals with hard-to-verify incomes, and Read more
Owning a home comes with a big financial responsibility such as mortgage payments. Lenders like to see a debit-to-income ratio under 43%. The best recommended route is to tighten up your debts such as credit card balances. Clear any loans you may have outstanding. You don’t want to have outstanding Read more
Hybrid adjustable rate mortgages (ARM) generally have a fixed term / variable term such as 5/1 ARM. 5 would be 5 years at the fixed teaser rate. 1 would mean it adjusts ever 1 year after the initial 5 years is over. Once the adjustment period starts, the new rate Read more
The debt-to-income ratio helps determine the maximum amount that lenders are willing to lend to you. Debt is everything that you currently owe including credit cards (food, entertainment, transportation, health care), car payments, and student loans. Income is the gross income amount before taxes including salary, investment income, and royalties. Read more