Showing posts with label Mortgage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mortgage. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Getting a Mortgage with Bad Credit
Having bad credit is not the end of the world and it's not impossible to get a loan. Generally, credit scores below 600 are considered sub-prime and the lower your credit score, the harder it will be for you to secure a mortgage.
A mortgage is a secured loan, meaning you put up your house as collateral. Therefore, if you fail to pay off your loan, the lender has the right to foreclose on your property. So as we said before, it may be more difficult but not impossible to get a mortgage if you have bad credit.
Statistically speaking, those with a lower credit score are more likely to default on their loans. To offset the risk, lenders will charge you a higher interest rate and limit the amount of credit you can borrow (because the higher your interest rate, the higher your payments, which means you have less ability to pay back a higher loan amount). Lenders may also charge higher late payment fees.
What Are Your Options?
If you have bad credit and want to get a mortgage, here's what you can do:
Get a Co-Signer: You can sometimes get a cheaper rate if you can get someone who has better credit to co-sign your loan. The drawback to this is that the co-signer is also responsible for repayment of the loan and may also limit their ability to take out loans in the future since the loan they co-sign is factored into their debt ratio.
Improve Your Credit Before You Get a Loan: If you have the time and can wait on getting a mortgage, then you should think about trying to improve your credit score-the higher your score, the cheaper the interest rate; thus the lower your monthly payments. Click here to get tips on how you can improve your credit. It may also be prudent to seek the advice of a good credit counselor.
Someone Else Gets the Mortgage for You: If your credit is so low that no one will agree to financing you, see if you can convince someone with better credit-perhaps a family member or spouse-to take out a mortgage for you. Obviously, this can have serious consequences on any relationship, so be sure that the person you ask is someone very close to you-someone whom you can trust to handle it.
You could also pay cash by selling your home and using the profits from the home sale to pay for the new, less expensive home, for instance. But you shouldn't forego the chance to re-establish your credit by proving yourself a worthy borrower.
Getting a mortgage may not be as impossible as you think with a low credit score. You'll likely pay more with higher interest rates and you may not be able to get as large a loan amount as someone with good credit, but you still have options, as long as you're not afraid to ask for some help.
Source
A mortgage is a secured loan, meaning you put up your house as collateral. Therefore, if you fail to pay off your loan, the lender has the right to foreclose on your property. So as we said before, it may be more difficult but not impossible to get a mortgage if you have bad credit.
Statistically speaking, those with a lower credit score are more likely to default on their loans. To offset the risk, lenders will charge you a higher interest rate and limit the amount of credit you can borrow (because the higher your interest rate, the higher your payments, which means you have less ability to pay back a higher loan amount). Lenders may also charge higher late payment fees.
What Are Your Options?
If you have bad credit and want to get a mortgage, here's what you can do:
Get a Co-Signer: You can sometimes get a cheaper rate if you can get someone who has better credit to co-sign your loan. The drawback to this is that the co-signer is also responsible for repayment of the loan and may also limit their ability to take out loans in the future since the loan they co-sign is factored into their debt ratio.
Improve Your Credit Before You Get a Loan: If you have the time and can wait on getting a mortgage, then you should think about trying to improve your credit score-the higher your score, the cheaper the interest rate; thus the lower your monthly payments. Click here to get tips on how you can improve your credit. It may also be prudent to seek the advice of a good credit counselor.
Someone Else Gets the Mortgage for You: If your credit is so low that no one will agree to financing you, see if you can convince someone with better credit-perhaps a family member or spouse-to take out a mortgage for you. Obviously, this can have serious consequences on any relationship, so be sure that the person you ask is someone very close to you-someone whom you can trust to handle it.
You could also pay cash by selling your home and using the profits from the home sale to pay for the new, less expensive home, for instance. But you shouldn't forego the chance to re-establish your credit by proving yourself a worthy borrower.
Getting a mortgage may not be as impossible as you think with a low credit score. You'll likely pay more with higher interest rates and you may not be able to get as large a loan amount as someone with good credit, but you still have options, as long as you're not afraid to ask for some help.
Source
Friday, October 12, 2007
The 7 biggest mistakes when getting a mortgage…
A home loan is the biggest debt, and most costly monthly bill, most of us ever have.
That’s why the seven biggest mistakes borrowers make when shopping for a mortgage can cost so much money and aggravation. Avoid them and you’re a much happier and smarter home buyer.
Mistake Number One is not aggressively looking for the best deal. Check the interest rates and fees dozens of lenders are offering on our mortgage rate charts. Obtain bids from local banks or mortgage brokers. Getting the right loan, at the right interest rate with reasonable fees, can save hundreds of dollars a month and tens of thousands of dollars over the life of the mortgage. Click here for step-by-step advice on how to find the best interest rate and home loan.
Mistake Number Two is applying for a loan without checking your credit history for mistakes that make it more difficult to qualify for a loan, or require a higher mortgage interest rate. To get a free credit report from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus go to www.annualcreditreport.com. Each credit report shows how to correct mistakes or submit an explanation for legitimate black marks that appear on the report.
Mistake Number Three is spending too much and saddling yourself with payments you can’t afford. Avoid that by looking at all of your bills and deciding how much you can comfortably spend. Include a realistic estimate for taxes, insurance and condo or association fees. From that, calculate the amount that could be borrowed at prevailing mortgage interest rates. Add the size of the down payment and that should be the limit. Don’t let real estate agents repeatedly show you homes outside this price range. Don’t work with mortgage brokers who push you to borrow more than you can afford. Click here for more help deciding how much to spend on a home..
Mistake Number Four is not getting pre-approved for a loan. This is an important reality check and it’s free. A lender will look at your credit history, income, savings and debts, and decide on a loan cap. The entire amount doesn’t have to be borrowed. But if you can’t get pre-approved, or can’t get pre-approved for as much as you want to borrow, that’s a big red flag. Click here to learn all about getting pre-approved.
Mistake Number Five is using a dangerous loan to buy a more expensive home than you can afford. Hundreds of thousands of buyers took out interest-only loans or option ARMs because they promised lower monthly payments than other types of mortgages. They were shocked when those payments began going up — sometimes only a month or two after they’d moved in. Now many of those buyers are facing foreclosure. If you can’t afford the payments on a 30-year fixed-rate loan, that’s a good sign you’re borrowing too much.
Mistake Number Six is agreeing to a pre-payment penalty. More than seven out of every 10 subprime mortgages — those given to borrowers with poor credit — charge thousands of dollars if the loan is paid off in the first several years. That’s preventing many borrowers from refinancing or selling their homes when they canâ??t keep up with the ever-rising payments on their adjustable-rate loans. Congress and the Federal Reserve are considering whether pre-payment penalties should be banned or restricted in some way. Until then, just tell lenders you don’t want a pre-payment penalty in your mortgage.
Mistake Number Seven is taking out “piggyback” loans instead of paying for private mortgage insurance. If you put less than 20% down you’ll have to buy PMI, which protects your lender against default. To get around that realtors and mortgage brokers often recommend two loans — a primary mortgage for 80% of the debt and a home equity loan for the remaining 20%. The home equity loan acts as the down payment and negates the need for PMI. That made sense when home equity loans cost less than 5%. But with interest rates now averaging more than 8%, most buyers will save by getting a single loan and buying PMI. Expect the premiums to be about 0.5% of the outstanding principal, but those payments are tax deductible if the policy is taken out in 2007.
Source
That’s why the seven biggest mistakes borrowers make when shopping for a mortgage can cost so much money and aggravation. Avoid them and you’re a much happier and smarter home buyer.
Mistake Number One is not aggressively looking for the best deal. Check the interest rates and fees dozens of lenders are offering on our mortgage rate charts. Obtain bids from local banks or mortgage brokers. Getting the right loan, at the right interest rate with reasonable fees, can save hundreds of dollars a month and tens of thousands of dollars over the life of the mortgage. Click here for step-by-step advice on how to find the best interest rate and home loan.
Mistake Number Two is applying for a loan without checking your credit history for mistakes that make it more difficult to qualify for a loan, or require a higher mortgage interest rate. To get a free credit report from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus go to www.annualcreditreport.com. Each credit report shows how to correct mistakes or submit an explanation for legitimate black marks that appear on the report.
Mistake Number Three is spending too much and saddling yourself with payments you can’t afford. Avoid that by looking at all of your bills and deciding how much you can comfortably spend. Include a realistic estimate for taxes, insurance and condo or association fees. From that, calculate the amount that could be borrowed at prevailing mortgage interest rates. Add the size of the down payment and that should be the limit. Don’t let real estate agents repeatedly show you homes outside this price range. Don’t work with mortgage brokers who push you to borrow more than you can afford. Click here for more help deciding how much to spend on a home..
Mistake Number Four is not getting pre-approved for a loan. This is an important reality check and it’s free. A lender will look at your credit history, income, savings and debts, and decide on a loan cap. The entire amount doesn’t have to be borrowed. But if you can’t get pre-approved, or can’t get pre-approved for as much as you want to borrow, that’s a big red flag. Click here to learn all about getting pre-approved.
Mistake Number Five is using a dangerous loan to buy a more expensive home than you can afford. Hundreds of thousands of buyers took out interest-only loans or option ARMs because they promised lower monthly payments than other types of mortgages. They were shocked when those payments began going up — sometimes only a month or two after they’d moved in. Now many of those buyers are facing foreclosure. If you can’t afford the payments on a 30-year fixed-rate loan, that’s a good sign you’re borrowing too much.
Mistake Number Six is agreeing to a pre-payment penalty. More than seven out of every 10 subprime mortgages — those given to borrowers with poor credit — charge thousands of dollars if the loan is paid off in the first several years. That’s preventing many borrowers from refinancing or selling their homes when they canâ??t keep up with the ever-rising payments on their adjustable-rate loans. Congress and the Federal Reserve are considering whether pre-payment penalties should be banned or restricted in some way. Until then, just tell lenders you don’t want a pre-payment penalty in your mortgage.
Mistake Number Seven is taking out “piggyback” loans instead of paying for private mortgage insurance. If you put less than 20% down you’ll have to buy PMI, which protects your lender against default. To get around that realtors and mortgage brokers often recommend two loans — a primary mortgage for 80% of the debt and a home equity loan for the remaining 20%. The home equity loan acts as the down payment and negates the need for PMI. That made sense when home equity loans cost less than 5%. But with interest rates now averaging more than 8%, most buyers will save by getting a single loan and buying PMI. Expect the premiums to be about 0.5% of the outstanding principal, but those payments are tax deductible if the policy is taken out in 2007.
Source
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
How to Get a Good Mortgage Interest Rate
The factors driving the ebbs and flows of mortgage rates are largely unknown to the general population. You may be inclined to blame-or commend-your mortgage lender for the low or high rate she offers you; but in actuality, it’s not her decision. Today, the true drivers of mortgage rates are the investors in the secondary market.
To the layman’s eye, mortgage rates seem to move up and down without explanation. But just like the ocean tides that wash up and back by the pull of the moon’s gravity, mortgage rates have their own driving force, even if they have a less cosmic source.
The mortgage rate basics
The mortgage lender that funds your loan is called the originator. A loan originator may be a bank, credit union, or other type of financial institution. On the date of funding, the money flows out of the originator’s hands and into yours. You then turn that money over to the seller of the home.
Once the loan is funded, the originator has the option of keeping that loan in its portfolio or selling it on the secondary market. If the originator keeps the loan, it makes money by way of the interest you pay each month. If the loan is sold, the originator replenishes its funds and can make more loans to other homebuyers. Basically, the secondary market investors keep funds circulating so that loan originators don’t run out of money for new mortgages.
Who are these mortgage interest rate folk?
Today’s secondary market investors include government-chartered companies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, plus insurance companies, pension funds, and securities dealers. Although Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are different organizations, they participate in similar activities. Both can buy mortgages, and both can group mortgages together for resale in what’s called mortgage-backed securities. These are highly liquid investments, meaning that they can be readily bought and sold.
Investor demand
Here’s how the secondary market affects you as a would-be homebuyer. Investors want to earn the best return possible. That level of return is determined by the current and anticipated condition of the economy. When the economy is on an upswing, future yields are expected to be better than current yields. Investors, therefore, will hold off buying until higher yields materialize. This drives mortgage interest rates up, because lenders cannot sell their loans at lower yields.
Conversely, when the economy is in a downturn, investors buy up what’s available to avoid being stuck with lower yields later. This drives mortgage rates down, as investors are clamoring to buy before yields get too low.
What it means to you
By staying on top of financial trends and planning accordingly, you can time your rate lock to compare and get the best mortgage rate possible. In other words, when the tide is low, put a call into your lender and lock in that rate. You’ll enjoy waves of prosperity if you do.
Source
To the layman’s eye, mortgage rates seem to move up and down without explanation. But just like the ocean tides that wash up and back by the pull of the moon’s gravity, mortgage rates have their own driving force, even if they have a less cosmic source.
The mortgage rate basics
The mortgage lender that funds your loan is called the originator. A loan originator may be a bank, credit union, or other type of financial institution. On the date of funding, the money flows out of the originator’s hands and into yours. You then turn that money over to the seller of the home.
Once the loan is funded, the originator has the option of keeping that loan in its portfolio or selling it on the secondary market. If the originator keeps the loan, it makes money by way of the interest you pay each month. If the loan is sold, the originator replenishes its funds and can make more loans to other homebuyers. Basically, the secondary market investors keep funds circulating so that loan originators don’t run out of money for new mortgages.
Who are these mortgage interest rate folk?
Today’s secondary market investors include government-chartered companies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, plus insurance companies, pension funds, and securities dealers. Although Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are different organizations, they participate in similar activities. Both can buy mortgages, and both can group mortgages together for resale in what’s called mortgage-backed securities. These are highly liquid investments, meaning that they can be readily bought and sold.
Investor demand
Here’s how the secondary market affects you as a would-be homebuyer. Investors want to earn the best return possible. That level of return is determined by the current and anticipated condition of the economy. When the economy is on an upswing, future yields are expected to be better than current yields. Investors, therefore, will hold off buying until higher yields materialize. This drives mortgage interest rates up, because lenders cannot sell their loans at lower yields.
Conversely, when the economy is in a downturn, investors buy up what’s available to avoid being stuck with lower yields later. This drives mortgage rates down, as investors are clamoring to buy before yields get too low.
What it means to you
By staying on top of financial trends and planning accordingly, you can time your rate lock to compare and get the best mortgage rate possible. In other words, when the tide is low, put a call into your lender and lock in that rate. You’ll enjoy waves of prosperity if you do.
Source
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