by: Chris Edison
Why do some people get their home loan mortgages approved in a breeze while others struggle through with hiccups? What are the differentiating factors between one application and another? What do lenders look at when they evaluate you?
In reality, getting your home mortgage approved depends on how your background matches the list of criteria set forth by the lender. Although these rules that they have are not always entirely hard and fast, the loan application officer does not stray too far away the guidelines he or she has been entrusted with. Needless to say, applicants should at best present themselves as creditworthy creditors and have the adequate documented records as proof of this.
Believe or not, lenders have a scoring system for aspects of your background that they are evaluating. The following are areas in which you will be scrutinized on:
1. Employment History
You must have been in employment for not less than 2 consecutive years within the same industry. This shows that you have the capability to be sustained in a permanent position, and do not hop from one job to another. Lenders look for stability and consistency as best they can, and your employment history is a good basis for them to evaluate your capability to generate income to finance your mortgage.
2. Credit History
The next indicator of your credit-worthiness is your short-term debt, a.k.a. your credit card bills. It's ok to have some debt on your credit card, but you must show a history of on-time payments. Apart from that, too much debt on credit cards with credit lines fully utilized shows the possible inability to pay for debt. Therefore, at least six months before applying for a loan, it would be best to clean up your short term debt as much as possible.
3. Outstanding Liabilities
The size of your income dictates the amount of liability you can support. As a rule of thumb, lenders stipulate that a person's total monthly payments for liabilities should not exceed 42% of his or her monthly earnings. With this, total liabilities include credit card debt, car loans, student loans, existing mortgages or child support collectively. This means that in order to qualify for your home loan mortgage, you need to reduce your monthly repayments on liabilities to the point which is acceptable by the lender.
4. Cash and Asset Reserves
Another aspect to show that you can afford your home loan mortgage is to provide proof to the lender on the amount of cash and liquid assets that you possess. The minimum reserves that you have must be sufficient to pay at least 2 months of monthly repayments for mortgage payments. Some lenders even go to the extent of requiring 6 months worth of reserves in order to qualify.
5. Existing Housing Repayments
Finally, if you already have existing housing rental payments, there should not be any late repayments for these within the past 12 months. This again shows your priorities as a responsible tenant and is adequate proof to the lender that you potentially will be a responsible borrower as well.
Some applicants who may lack supporting documents for their home loan mortgage applications should compensate by providing documents that will help to prove themselves to be responsible pay masters. These could be payments receipts of utility bills, phone bills or even car insurance, which are useful documents to be used to prove that you are indeed creditworthy.
About The Author
Chris Edison is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.mortgage-traps.com a home mortgage loan information site, that reveals mortgage traps for home buyers.
Option One Mortgage Loans – Getting an Option ARM or Option One Mortgage Loan
by: Carrie Reeder
Have you heard about or been interested in finding out more about option one mortgage loans? They are becoming very popular, but its important to understand how they work before you apply for one. I will describe, in this article, an overview of the most common type of option ARM mortgage loan or option one mortgage loan.
How do they work? Option one mortgage loans are basically interest only mortgage loans, except that the first year, you pay only 1.25% of the interest on the loan. The remainder of the interest that is accruing is being added to the loan amount. The second year of the loan you pay more interest until gradually you are paying either full interest only payments or fully amortized payments (interest & principle). The reason the loans are called option loans is because every time you have a payment due, you have the option of paying the less than interest only portion, interest only or a fully amortized payment. This option would be good in a situation where your income is sporadic.
This mortgage loan type typically gives you 4 payment options in every bill.
Here are your typical monthly payment options:
Option #1 – Pay a 15-Year fully amortized payment amount (p&i)
Option #2 – Pay a 30-Year fully amortized payment amount (p&i)
Option #3 – Pay the interest-only portion of the loan (Interest Only)
Option #4 – Make a partial interest payment (1.25% - 1.95% depending on your loan type) and defer paying the additional interest to the total loan amount. (Deferred interest can be counteracted by making bi-monthly payments and by property appreciation)
This type of loan is good if you want to:
Wait a while to refinance again – If interest rates drop again, so does your payment. If you want to accelerate your payments and increase equity quick, pay more on your loan and it will be applied to future payments & will be directly applied to the principle balance. Will you want a 30-year loan? Keep the option to pay your loan as a 30-year, 15-year, or interest only payments.
Have an adjustable rate mortgage but want stability – This loan has a payment cap. The interest rate on this loan is based on the 12 month-MTA index, the most stable index of the 4 main indexes (COFI, LIBOR, MTA & CMT). This index is always below prime. The interest rate is based on the world economic markets which have been steadily coming down over the last 3 years. This loan has a 5-year fixed payment option as well.
Invest your payment savings in something else – This could open up opportunities for you if you could invest in real estate, the stock market or another investment when you use the extra $500-1000+ a month you free up from your property payment. Pay off debt with your payment savings – You can use the payment savings to pay off other debt.
Have security and options in your mortgage loan – The main benefit to this type of loan is the security of a mortgage payment that you control. You decide at any time what kind of a mortgage you want. If all goes well in your future, you have the freedom to pay your 30 year loan into a 15 year loan without even consulting another mortgage broker. Get more home for your money – You can qualify for more home with these low payment options.
Who Can Qualify? Qualifying for this loan is basically the same as any other loan, it is based on credit, equity & assets, if you are strong in 1 of these or 2 of these, you could probably qualify and with lowest rate possible.
What if I want to take out a stated income loan? “Stated Income” or “No income/assets” loans are possible with this Option One Loan.
These are just general guidelines and information about this type of loan. You will want to discuss all of these details with your broker or lender before you actually complete the loan. These factors may vary with each individual lender. Many lenders do not offer their customers this type of loan. If you are seeking an option one or option ARM loan, you will need to talk to your broker about it or find a broker that can do this type of loan. To see our recommended lenders for this type of loan. Visit here: www.abcloanguide.com/optiononeloans.shtml
About The Author
Written by Carrie Reeder, Owner of http://www.abcloanguide.com. Carrie's website is an informational mortgage loan website. Her website has articles and a list of recommended mortgage lenders for many different types of mortgage loans.
carrie@abcloanguide.com
Have you heard about or been interested in finding out more about option one mortgage loans? They are becoming very popular, but its important to understand how they work before you apply for one. I will describe, in this article, an overview of the most common type of option ARM mortgage loan or option one mortgage loan.
How do they work? Option one mortgage loans are basically interest only mortgage loans, except that the first year, you pay only 1.25% of the interest on the loan. The remainder of the interest that is accruing is being added to the loan amount. The second year of the loan you pay more interest until gradually you are paying either full interest only payments or fully amortized payments (interest & principle). The reason the loans are called option loans is because every time you have a payment due, you have the option of paying the less than interest only portion, interest only or a fully amortized payment. This option would be good in a situation where your income is sporadic.
This mortgage loan type typically gives you 4 payment options in every bill.
Here are your typical monthly payment options:
Option #1 – Pay a 15-Year fully amortized payment amount (p&i)
Option #2 – Pay a 30-Year fully amortized payment amount (p&i)
Option #3 – Pay the interest-only portion of the loan (Interest Only)
Option #4 – Make a partial interest payment (1.25% - 1.95% depending on your loan type) and defer paying the additional interest to the total loan amount. (Deferred interest can be counteracted by making bi-monthly payments and by property appreciation)
This type of loan is good if you want to:
Wait a while to refinance again – If interest rates drop again, so does your payment. If you want to accelerate your payments and increase equity quick, pay more on your loan and it will be applied to future payments & will be directly applied to the principle balance. Will you want a 30-year loan? Keep the option to pay your loan as a 30-year, 15-year, or interest only payments.
Have an adjustable rate mortgage but want stability – This loan has a payment cap. The interest rate on this loan is based on the 12 month-MTA index, the most stable index of the 4 main indexes (COFI, LIBOR, MTA & CMT). This index is always below prime. The interest rate is based on the world economic markets which have been steadily coming down over the last 3 years. This loan has a 5-year fixed payment option as well.
Invest your payment savings in something else – This could open up opportunities for you if you could invest in real estate, the stock market or another investment when you use the extra $500-1000+ a month you free up from your property payment. Pay off debt with your payment savings – You can use the payment savings to pay off other debt.
Have security and options in your mortgage loan – The main benefit to this type of loan is the security of a mortgage payment that you control. You decide at any time what kind of a mortgage you want. If all goes well in your future, you have the freedom to pay your 30 year loan into a 15 year loan without even consulting another mortgage broker. Get more home for your money – You can qualify for more home with these low payment options.
Who Can Qualify? Qualifying for this loan is basically the same as any other loan, it is based on credit, equity & assets, if you are strong in 1 of these or 2 of these, you could probably qualify and with lowest rate possible.
What if I want to take out a stated income loan? “Stated Income” or “No income/assets” loans are possible with this Option One Loan.
These are just general guidelines and information about this type of loan. You will want to discuss all of these details with your broker or lender before you actually complete the loan. These factors may vary with each individual lender. Many lenders do not offer their customers this type of loan. If you are seeking an option one or option ARM loan, you will need to talk to your broker about it or find a broker that can do this type of loan. To see our recommended lenders for this type of loan. Visit here: www.abcloanguide.com/optiononeloans.shtml
About The Author
Written by Carrie Reeder, Owner of http://www.abcloanguide.com. Carrie's website is an informational mortgage loan website. Her website has articles and a list of recommended mortgage lenders for many different types of mortgage loans.
carrie@abcloanguide.com
Poor Credit Home Loan – Get The Mortgage Loan You Want
by: Carrie Reeder
Having poor credit alone cannot hold you back from getting the home loan you want. Buying a home that is everything you want in a home, is a very exciting experience. The blemishes on your credit history will not alone keep you from getting the home you want and the home you deserve.
Here are some things to keep in mind when moving forward in the application process to get your home loan:
Contact or apply to many different lenders or brokers – Online you can fill out many mortgage applications where the lender or mortgage service company does not pull your credit history. If they don't ask for your social security number, they usually cannot pull your credit. Brokers usually use the initial application or inquiry form and what you tell them about your credit to make a decision about whether they should pursue the application and pull your credit or not. Many lenders will tell you that you are not going to get approved anywhere and that if they can’t help you, no one can. That is not true. All mortgage brokers have access to very different mortgage programs and some brokers are more creative in their financing techniques than others.
Fill out your application or inquiry as accurately as possible – Inflating your income on your application or inquiry form, to be higher than you know you can verify your income to be, will only delay the process of getting pre-approved. The broker will work the fastest for you if he/she is working with the exact information he/she needs to be able to verify. That’s the best way to get approved and through the pre-approval process smoothly.
Be persistent – This is the key when seeking a mortgage loan pre-approval with poor credit, be optimistic. Look for creative ways to get financing and contact as many brokers as possible. There is one or more out there that can help you. The key is to find them.
Start house hunting - Sometimes the key to getting into a house is finding the right one and a seller that is flexible enough to help you do some creative financing work. For example: the seller carrying back a small percentage of the loan, the seller paying your closing costs or you being able to purchase the house for significantly lower than market value.
To view a list of our recommended poor credit mortgage lenders, visit this page: www.abcloanguide.com/lessthanperfectcredit.shtml.
About The Author
Written by Carrie Reeder, Owner of www.abcloanguide.com. Carrie's website is an informational mortgage loan website. Her website has articles and a list of recommended mortgage lenders for many different types of mortgage loans.
carrie@abcloanguide.com
Having poor credit alone cannot hold you back from getting the home loan you want. Buying a home that is everything you want in a home, is a very exciting experience. The blemishes on your credit history will not alone keep you from getting the home you want and the home you deserve.
Here are some things to keep in mind when moving forward in the application process to get your home loan:
Contact or apply to many different lenders or brokers – Online you can fill out many mortgage applications where the lender or mortgage service company does not pull your credit history. If they don't ask for your social security number, they usually cannot pull your credit. Brokers usually use the initial application or inquiry form and what you tell them about your credit to make a decision about whether they should pursue the application and pull your credit or not. Many lenders will tell you that you are not going to get approved anywhere and that if they can’t help you, no one can. That is not true. All mortgage brokers have access to very different mortgage programs and some brokers are more creative in their financing techniques than others.
Fill out your application or inquiry as accurately as possible – Inflating your income on your application or inquiry form, to be higher than you know you can verify your income to be, will only delay the process of getting pre-approved. The broker will work the fastest for you if he/she is working with the exact information he/she needs to be able to verify. That’s the best way to get approved and through the pre-approval process smoothly.
Be persistent – This is the key when seeking a mortgage loan pre-approval with poor credit, be optimistic. Look for creative ways to get financing and contact as many brokers as possible. There is one or more out there that can help you. The key is to find them.
Start house hunting - Sometimes the key to getting into a house is finding the right one and a seller that is flexible enough to help you do some creative financing work. For example: the seller carrying back a small percentage of the loan, the seller paying your closing costs or you being able to purchase the house for significantly lower than market value.
To view a list of our recommended poor credit mortgage lenders, visit this page: www.abcloanguide.com/lessthanperfectcredit.shtml.
About The Author
Written by Carrie Reeder, Owner of www.abcloanguide.com. Carrie's website is an informational mortgage loan website. Her website has articles and a list of recommended mortgage lenders for many different types of mortgage loans.
carrie@abcloanguide.com
Buying A Home After Bankruptcy - Get A Mortgage Loan After Bankruptcy
by: Carrie Reeder
If you have a recent bankruptcy on your credit and are looking to get financing for a home, there is hope. Buying a home with bad credit will just put more emphasis on the other two factors needed to get a mortgage loan, which are; income verification and a down payment.
After bankruptcy most lenders want you to wait at least 2 years from the time of the bankruptcy discharge before they will consider you for a mortgage loan. After the two year waiting period is over, you should be able to get financing easily. You should also be able to get 100% financing as well. You can usually achieve this as long as at least most of your payments have been reported to the credit bureau as having been paid on time since the discharge of your bankruptcy.
If you are looking to get a mortgage loan after bankruptcy sooner than the 2 years from the time of discharge, you will need to have almost flawless payment history since your bankruptcy discharge. Also, you may need to have a down payment. If you have even 3-5% to use as a down payment, that may be enough to help you get approved.
There are ways to get a down payment for your mortgage besides having the money saved in the bank. Here are some ideas of ways to do that:
Borrow or ask for a gift from relatives. After you have financed the house, you can usually go and take out a 2nd or 3rd mortgage up to the full value of your house, and then you could repay the relatives. Keep in mind that if you intend the money to be as a loan only from the relatives, you would need to disclose that to the lender before you close. Lenders usually have regulations about where the down payment is coming from and if you are not honest, it could be considered defrauding a lender.
There are down payment assistance programs like Neighborhood Gold or the Nehemiah program. These programs basically aid the seller in helping you with a down payment. Receiving a down payment from the seller of the property is illegal, but through these programs, it is legal. There are also other down payment assistance programs which are grants and do not need to be repaid or paid for by anyone. To find out about these, do a search on “down payment assistance” with your favorite search engine.
You could cash out a 401K or another investment and like in the first example, repay yourself with a 2nd or 3rd mortgage after the loan has closed.
Mortgage loans after bankruptcy are getting to be much easier to obtain these days. If you would like to see a list of our preferred bad credit mortgage lenders, visit this page: www.abcloanguide.com/lessthanperfectcredit.shtml.
About The Author
Carrie Reeder is the owner of www.abcloanguide.com. ABC Loan Guide is an informational site with articles and lists of recommended lenders for bad credit mortgage loans.
carrie@abcloanguide.com
If you have a recent bankruptcy on your credit and are looking to get financing for a home, there is hope. Buying a home with bad credit will just put more emphasis on the other two factors needed to get a mortgage loan, which are; income verification and a down payment.
After bankruptcy most lenders want you to wait at least 2 years from the time of the bankruptcy discharge before they will consider you for a mortgage loan. After the two year waiting period is over, you should be able to get financing easily. You should also be able to get 100% financing as well. You can usually achieve this as long as at least most of your payments have been reported to the credit bureau as having been paid on time since the discharge of your bankruptcy.
If you are looking to get a mortgage loan after bankruptcy sooner than the 2 years from the time of discharge, you will need to have almost flawless payment history since your bankruptcy discharge. Also, you may need to have a down payment. If you have even 3-5% to use as a down payment, that may be enough to help you get approved.
There are ways to get a down payment for your mortgage besides having the money saved in the bank. Here are some ideas of ways to do that:
Borrow or ask for a gift from relatives. After you have financed the house, you can usually go and take out a 2nd or 3rd mortgage up to the full value of your house, and then you could repay the relatives. Keep in mind that if you intend the money to be as a loan only from the relatives, you would need to disclose that to the lender before you close. Lenders usually have regulations about where the down payment is coming from and if you are not honest, it could be considered defrauding a lender.
There are down payment assistance programs like Neighborhood Gold or the Nehemiah program. These programs basically aid the seller in helping you with a down payment. Receiving a down payment from the seller of the property is illegal, but through these programs, it is legal. There are also other down payment assistance programs which are grants and do not need to be repaid or paid for by anyone. To find out about these, do a search on “down payment assistance” with your favorite search engine.
You could cash out a 401K or another investment and like in the first example, repay yourself with a 2nd or 3rd mortgage after the loan has closed.
Mortgage loans after bankruptcy are getting to be much easier to obtain these days. If you would like to see a list of our preferred bad credit mortgage lenders, visit this page: www.abcloanguide.com/lessthanperfectcredit.shtml.
About The Author
Carrie Reeder is the owner of www.abcloanguide.com. ABC Loan Guide is an informational site with articles and lists of recommended lenders for bad credit mortgage loans.
carrie@abcloanguide.com
Self Employed Mortgage Loan – Getting a Mortgage When You’re Self Employed
by: Carrie Reeder
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: http://www.abcloanguide.com/mortgageloans.shtml or if you have credit problems, here: http://www.abcloanguide.com/lessthanperfectcredit.shtml
About The Author
Written by Carrie Reeder, Owner of http://www.abcloanguide.com. Carrie's website is an informational mortgage loan website. Her website has articles and a list of recommended mortgage lenders for many different types of mortgage loans.
carrie@abcloanguide.com
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: http://www.abcloanguide.com/mortgageloans.shtml or if you have credit problems, here: http://www.abcloanguide.com/lessthanperfectcredit.shtml
About The Author
Written by Carrie Reeder, Owner of http://www.abcloanguide.com. Carrie's website is an informational mortgage loan website. Her website has articles and a list of recommended mortgage lenders for many different types of mortgage loans.
carrie@abcloanguide.com
Bad Credit Mortgage Loan - Get Approved
by: Carrie Reeder
A few years ago, if you had a bankruptcy or a foreclosure on your credit report, you could forget about trying to get a mortgage loan. If you were lucky enough to find someone who would finance you, your interest rate would be through the roof and plan on putting 10-20% down.
But today, this is not the case. There are many programs available today to help people who have recently suffered a bankruptcy or foreclosure to get a mortgage loan or mortgage refinance loan.
There are two things to do if you are in this situation:
Get yourself a free copy of your credit report from all 3 major credit bureaus, look over everything, do you see any mistakes? Make sure everything included in your bankruptcy or foreclosure reports accurately on your credit report. Make sure those accounts involved in a bankruptcy or foreclosure are not showing something else like collection or charge-off.. That could make your score much lower than it needs to be. If you have a bankruptcy or foreclosure, you want everything involved to say so, so it is all under 1 circumstance, instead of many. You can dispute all errors on your credit report online nowadays. It takes about 15 minutes. You can do it right on the website of Equifax, TransUnion or Experian.
Once you have checked your credit reports, apply only to places that submit your application to many lenders. Every time your credit report is pulled, it will knock your credit score down a little. If you apply to a mortgage service that will submit your application to many lenders, then you only have one credit inquiry and can receive offers from up to 4 lenders per application.
Frequently asked questions are:
Will I have to make a large down payment? Not necessarily. If you can get your credit score above a 600, you should easily be able to get 100% financing, even if it has been less than two years since your bankruptcy or foreclosure. If your score is above a 580, you might still be able to qualify for 100% financing.
What kind of interest rate can I expect? Depending on your credit score and whether you have any down payment or not, I have heard of situations with a credit score as low as 585 with no down payment and an interest rate as low as 7.25%. That was quoted in March of 2005.
Can I get cash out? On a purchase, not likely. On a refinance, depending on your amount of equity, that is very possible.
There are many lenders now, who specialize in bad credit mortgage loans. These are the best lenders to start with. To see a list of lenders who specialize in bad credit mortgage loans, visit: www.abcloanguide.com/lessthanperfectcredit.shtml
About The Author
Carrie Reeder is the owner of www.abcloanguide.com. Her website offers free information about mortgage loans and provides lists of recommended bad credit mortgage lenders.
carrie@abcloanguide.com
A few years ago, if you had a bankruptcy or a foreclosure on your credit report, you could forget about trying to get a mortgage loan. If you were lucky enough to find someone who would finance you, your interest rate would be through the roof and plan on putting 10-20% down.
But today, this is not the case. There are many programs available today to help people who have recently suffered a bankruptcy or foreclosure to get a mortgage loan or mortgage refinance loan.
There are two things to do if you are in this situation:
Get yourself a free copy of your credit report from all 3 major credit bureaus, look over everything, do you see any mistakes? Make sure everything included in your bankruptcy or foreclosure reports accurately on your credit report. Make sure those accounts involved in a bankruptcy or foreclosure are not showing something else like collection or charge-off.. That could make your score much lower than it needs to be. If you have a bankruptcy or foreclosure, you want everything involved to say so, so it is all under 1 circumstance, instead of many. You can dispute all errors on your credit report online nowadays. It takes about 15 minutes. You can do it right on the website of Equifax, TransUnion or Experian.
Once you have checked your credit reports, apply only to places that submit your application to many lenders. Every time your credit report is pulled, it will knock your credit score down a little. If you apply to a mortgage service that will submit your application to many lenders, then you only have one credit inquiry and can receive offers from up to 4 lenders per application.
Frequently asked questions are:
Will I have to make a large down payment? Not necessarily. If you can get your credit score above a 600, you should easily be able to get 100% financing, even if it has been less than two years since your bankruptcy or foreclosure. If your score is above a 580, you might still be able to qualify for 100% financing.
What kind of interest rate can I expect? Depending on your credit score and whether you have any down payment or not, I have heard of situations with a credit score as low as 585 with no down payment and an interest rate as low as 7.25%. That was quoted in March of 2005.
Can I get cash out? On a purchase, not likely. On a refinance, depending on your amount of equity, that is very possible.
There are many lenders now, who specialize in bad credit mortgage loans. These are the best lenders to start with. To see a list of lenders who specialize in bad credit mortgage loans, visit: www.abcloanguide.com/lessthanperfectcredit.shtml
About The Author
Carrie Reeder is the owner of www.abcloanguide.com. Her website offers free information about mortgage loans and provides lists of recommended bad credit mortgage lenders.
carrie@abcloanguide.com
Bad Credit? Qualify Yourself For A Zero Down Mortgage Loan
by: Nick Graziano
I decided to write this article today after closing a home purchase loan for a couple that had some major credit issues. They got into the house with ZERO down payment, and only had to bring $600 for the closing costs. Their situation was pretty bad, I’m talking about a bankruptcy 2 years ago, thousands of dollars in outstanding collections, charge-offs and debt to income ratio of 49%. By the way, we left all of their outstanding charge-offs and collections open which means they didn’t have to pay any of them off! So many think they won't be able to qualify for a mortgage loan. Many will keep thinking they can't qualify until they read this article.
My name is Nick Graziano and I have been employed as a Loan Officer for 5 years. I have experience originating conventional mortgage loans as well as sub-prime (non-conventional) residential mortgage loans. Many of the clients that I deal with have great credit (and know it) and have no problem getting a loan but then there are those with credit problems (and they know it too). The ones with great credit are the ones that are easy to close, get the best rates and all with minimal time involved on the part of myself.
But, this article is for those with credit problems, low income and those who cannot afford a down payment. I am going to show you how to qualify for a loan with ZERO down payment, and the only out of pocket expense will be less than $1,000 ( if any at all) to cover some of the closing costs. This is just an example of one particular loan program that I use but there are numerous others out there. I picked this loan program because it allows 100% financing down to a 575 credit score
I see it on a daily basis.
Everyone wants to own a home and those with credit problems are calling every mortgage company in the phone book and applying on every mortgage website out there. (And there are many out there). Only to find out later that every time a mortgage company pulls their credit, their credit score dropped a few points, or that the particular lender doesn’t originate the type of loan that you need. That is frustrating.
Step by Step
Here is where I show you how to qualify yourself for a zero down loan.
1.The first thing you need is your tri-merge credit score. I would be more that happy to suggest a few places on the internet that you could go to get your credit score but I don’t want this article to seem like an advertisement. So, the best thing to do is to do a search on yahoo.com for terms like “free credit reports”, or “tri-merge credit report”. Just make sure that you end up pulling a “tri-merge” credit report on yourself. A tri-merged credit report pulls your credit profiles from the 3 major credit reporting companies and merges it into 1 report. The nice thing about pulling your credit yourself is that it will NOT affect your credit score. Bookmark this page while you go get a copy of your credit report and then come back to see the additional steps.
2.What is your credit score? Most mortgage lenders will use the middle of the three scores. Example: Your credit scores are 576, 525, 599. In this case you would use the 576 credit score since it is not the lowest score and it is not the highest.
3.Is your middle credit score at least 575? If so, congratulations and move on to the next step. If your middle score is less than 575 you have some homework to do. You can either sign up with a credit repair company (“search yahoo.com for credit repair”) to try and remove some derogatory items on your credit which will raise your credit score OR you can try to acquire some credit to help re-establish your credit worthiness. The easiest way to re-establish your credit is by either getting a car loan or credit card designed to help re-establish your credit. Again search yahoo.com for “credit cards to re-establish credit”
4.Do you have a bankruptcy or foreclosure in your past? Has it been 2 years since it was discharged? If yes, move on to the next step! If not, unfortunately in most cases your bankruptcy or foreclosure will need to be discharged at least 2 years or you will need to have at least 5% down payment.
5.You will need to document 24 months of recent mortgage or rental history. If you rent from a property management company we will need a Verification Of Rent completed. The form will be supplied by your mortgage lender or broker. If you rent from a private landlord, you will need 24 months cancelled checks/ or money order receipts with no payments over 30 days late. Sorry, you cannot prove your rental history if you pay your landlord cash every month, unless they are a property management company. If you are unable to document your rental history there is a way around it. Get your credit report and look for the following: Do you have an active credit line on your credit report that has been open for at least 24 months? Has this credit line had any activity in the last 6 months? If so, move to the next step.
6.Look at your credit report. Do you have a credit line that has a 12 month history reporting? If so and as long as you have no more that 2x30 day late payments then move on to the next step.
7.Look at your credit report again. Do any of your credit lines have a high limit of at least $3,000. If so, move to the next step.
8.Now take one more look at your credit report. You will need 1 more additional open credit line reporting on your credit report. (It does not matter how long it has been open or how much the credit line is for).
Well, congrats! You made it this far which means that your credit might qualify for a Zero Down Payment Loan. The loan program you qualified for is subject to change and is subject to additional conditions. This article should not be construed as an advertisement to lend. These are the steps that I go through when trying to pre-qualify a client that has credit problems. There are many more factors to determine so please discuss this with a qualified mortgage professional.
You are probably asking yourself what you are supposed to do with the information that was given to you in this article. The first thing is to contact a few mortgage companies. Ask them if they have any zero down loan programs that will go down to a 575 credit score, or whatever your credit score is. Remember, you will need at least a 575 credit score to qualify for this particular loan program. Also, in order to minimize your out of pocket expense, ask your mortgage professional if the property seller is allowed to pay 6% of the purchase price towards closing costs. If so, you will need to remember to negotiate that into your purchase contract when you make an offer on a house.
About The Author
Nick Graziano
http://www.aaamortgagerate.com
http://www.mymortgagespecialist.net
info@aaamortgagerate.com
I decided to write this article today after closing a home purchase loan for a couple that had some major credit issues. They got into the house with ZERO down payment, and only had to bring $600 for the closing costs. Their situation was pretty bad, I’m talking about a bankruptcy 2 years ago, thousands of dollars in outstanding collections, charge-offs and debt to income ratio of 49%. By the way, we left all of their outstanding charge-offs and collections open which means they didn’t have to pay any of them off! So many think they won't be able to qualify for a mortgage loan. Many will keep thinking they can't qualify until they read this article.
My name is Nick Graziano and I have been employed as a Loan Officer for 5 years. I have experience originating conventional mortgage loans as well as sub-prime (non-conventional) residential mortgage loans. Many of the clients that I deal with have great credit (and know it) and have no problem getting a loan but then there are those with credit problems (and they know it too). The ones with great credit are the ones that are easy to close, get the best rates and all with minimal time involved on the part of myself.
But, this article is for those with credit problems, low income and those who cannot afford a down payment. I am going to show you how to qualify for a loan with ZERO down payment, and the only out of pocket expense will be less than $1,000 ( if any at all) to cover some of the closing costs. This is just an example of one particular loan program that I use but there are numerous others out there. I picked this loan program because it allows 100% financing down to a 575 credit score
I see it on a daily basis.
Everyone wants to own a home and those with credit problems are calling every mortgage company in the phone book and applying on every mortgage website out there. (And there are many out there). Only to find out later that every time a mortgage company pulls their credit, their credit score dropped a few points, or that the particular lender doesn’t originate the type of loan that you need. That is frustrating.
Step by Step
Here is where I show you how to qualify yourself for a zero down loan.
1.The first thing you need is your tri-merge credit score. I would be more that happy to suggest a few places on the internet that you could go to get your credit score but I don’t want this article to seem like an advertisement. So, the best thing to do is to do a search on yahoo.com for terms like “free credit reports”, or “tri-merge credit report”. Just make sure that you end up pulling a “tri-merge” credit report on yourself. A tri-merged credit report pulls your credit profiles from the 3 major credit reporting companies and merges it into 1 report. The nice thing about pulling your credit yourself is that it will NOT affect your credit score. Bookmark this page while you go get a copy of your credit report and then come back to see the additional steps.
2.What is your credit score? Most mortgage lenders will use the middle of the three scores. Example: Your credit scores are 576, 525, 599. In this case you would use the 576 credit score since it is not the lowest score and it is not the highest.
3.Is your middle credit score at least 575? If so, congratulations and move on to the next step. If your middle score is less than 575 you have some homework to do. You can either sign up with a credit repair company (“search yahoo.com for credit repair”) to try and remove some derogatory items on your credit which will raise your credit score OR you can try to acquire some credit to help re-establish your credit worthiness. The easiest way to re-establish your credit is by either getting a car loan or credit card designed to help re-establish your credit. Again search yahoo.com for “credit cards to re-establish credit”
4.Do you have a bankruptcy or foreclosure in your past? Has it been 2 years since it was discharged? If yes, move on to the next step! If not, unfortunately in most cases your bankruptcy or foreclosure will need to be discharged at least 2 years or you will need to have at least 5% down payment.
5.You will need to document 24 months of recent mortgage or rental history. If you rent from a property management company we will need a Verification Of Rent completed. The form will be supplied by your mortgage lender or broker. If you rent from a private landlord, you will need 24 months cancelled checks/ or money order receipts with no payments over 30 days late. Sorry, you cannot prove your rental history if you pay your landlord cash every month, unless they are a property management company. If you are unable to document your rental history there is a way around it. Get your credit report and look for the following: Do you have an active credit line on your credit report that has been open for at least 24 months? Has this credit line had any activity in the last 6 months? If so, move to the next step.
6.Look at your credit report. Do you have a credit line that has a 12 month history reporting? If so and as long as you have no more that 2x30 day late payments then move on to the next step.
7.Look at your credit report again. Do any of your credit lines have a high limit of at least $3,000. If so, move to the next step.
8.Now take one more look at your credit report. You will need 1 more additional open credit line reporting on your credit report. (It does not matter how long it has been open or how much the credit line is for).
Well, congrats! You made it this far which means that your credit might qualify for a Zero Down Payment Loan. The loan program you qualified for is subject to change and is subject to additional conditions. This article should not be construed as an advertisement to lend. These are the steps that I go through when trying to pre-qualify a client that has credit problems. There are many more factors to determine so please discuss this with a qualified mortgage professional.
You are probably asking yourself what you are supposed to do with the information that was given to you in this article. The first thing is to contact a few mortgage companies. Ask them if they have any zero down loan programs that will go down to a 575 credit score, or whatever your credit score is. Remember, you will need at least a 575 credit score to qualify for this particular loan program. Also, in order to minimize your out of pocket expense, ask your mortgage professional if the property seller is allowed to pay 6% of the purchase price towards closing costs. If so, you will need to remember to negotiate that into your purchase contract when you make an offer on a house.
About The Author
Nick Graziano
http://www.aaamortgagerate.com
http://www.mymortgagespecialist.net
info@aaamortgagerate.com
Tips on Getting Your Mortgage Loan Approved
by: Chris Rocks
What is important to lenders?
Not every applicant is approved for a home loan the first time he or she applies. For a variety of reasons, even after a lot of hard work, sometimes a loan just can’t be approved. It may have to do with the applicant’s credit or savings history, employment stability, debt structure, or the value of the home. The good news is that a denial is merely a detour, not a roadblock. Purchasing a home takes planning, discipline and hard work! Follow these tips and with our assistance, homeownership is not out of reach.
Establish a consistent record of paying bills on time.
Before making a loan the size of a home loan, most lenders will want to review how you have handled your credit in the past. This includes all credit accounts, including utilities, revolving debt (credit cards, etc.), and installment debt (car loans, student loans, etc.). It is critical for you to bring all overdue bills up to date immediately and begin paying them on time in a consistent manner.
Establish a consistent record of steady employment.
Lenders are more likely to look favorably on an applicant who has been in the same (or similar) line of work for generally two or more years. If you have been working steadily for less than two or more years, expect the lender to ask why. There are many acceptable reasons, including:
You recently finished school, vocational training, or left the military;
Your work is typically seasonal and gaps in employment are customary to the industry
You may have been laid off from your job; or
Frequent employment changes are normal in your line of work (sales, contract work, etc.), but you have been consistently employed and maintained a consistent level of income over the past 2 years.
You may want to pay off some debt to lower your debt-to-income ratio.
This step will make it easier to qualify for a mortgage loan if your debt ratio is high. Chances are good that if you’re already paying rent, making a mortgage payment will be a smooth transition. Along with the mortgage payment, you’re also responsible for real estate taxes and insurance, and if required, mortgage insurance and homeowners dues. Work with us to determine the monthly payment you can afford based on your income and the standard debt-to-income ratio guidelines.
Establish a consistent savings pattern.
Saving money for a down payment, and still having enough reserves left over to cover two months of expenses in the event of an emergency, is typically the most challenging part of buying a home. While sometimes it is difficult, this is a necessary step to ensure you are financially ready to take the plunge into homeownership.
About The Author
Chris Rocks is a Mortgage Consultant specializing in working with First Time Home Buyers. FirstHomeTips.com, a site designed by Chris, was created to help make the home buying process less complicated and less stressful for the first time buyer.
Website URL: http://www.firsthometips.com
Contact Email Address: chris@firsthometips.com
What is important to lenders?
Not every applicant is approved for a home loan the first time he or she applies. For a variety of reasons, even after a lot of hard work, sometimes a loan just can’t be approved. It may have to do with the applicant’s credit or savings history, employment stability, debt structure, or the value of the home. The good news is that a denial is merely a detour, not a roadblock. Purchasing a home takes planning, discipline and hard work! Follow these tips and with our assistance, homeownership is not out of reach.
Establish a consistent record of paying bills on time.
Before making a loan the size of a home loan, most lenders will want to review how you have handled your credit in the past. This includes all credit accounts, including utilities, revolving debt (credit cards, etc.), and installment debt (car loans, student loans, etc.). It is critical for you to bring all overdue bills up to date immediately and begin paying them on time in a consistent manner.
Establish a consistent record of steady employment.
Lenders are more likely to look favorably on an applicant who has been in the same (or similar) line of work for generally two or more years. If you have been working steadily for less than two or more years, expect the lender to ask why. There are many acceptable reasons, including:
You recently finished school, vocational training, or left the military;
Your work is typically seasonal and gaps in employment are customary to the industry
You may have been laid off from your job; or
Frequent employment changes are normal in your line of work (sales, contract work, etc.), but you have been consistently employed and maintained a consistent level of income over the past 2 years.
You may want to pay off some debt to lower your debt-to-income ratio.
This step will make it easier to qualify for a mortgage loan if your debt ratio is high. Chances are good that if you’re already paying rent, making a mortgage payment will be a smooth transition. Along with the mortgage payment, you’re also responsible for real estate taxes and insurance, and if required, mortgage insurance and homeowners dues. Work with us to determine the monthly payment you can afford based on your income and the standard debt-to-income ratio guidelines.
Establish a consistent savings pattern.
Saving money for a down payment, and still having enough reserves left over to cover two months of expenses in the event of an emergency, is typically the most challenging part of buying a home. While sometimes it is difficult, this is a necessary step to ensure you are financially ready to take the plunge into homeownership.
About The Author
Chris Rocks is a Mortgage Consultant specializing in working with First Time Home Buyers. FirstHomeTips.com, a site designed by Chris, was created to help make the home buying process less complicated and less stressful for the first time buyer.
Website URL: http://www.firsthometips.com
Contact Email Address: chris@firsthometips.com
Where Can I Get a Home Loan? Here Are The Top 5 Mortgage Lending Institutions
by: Syd Johnson
There are hundreds of sources for home loans online and right in your neighborhood. Banks, Credit Unions, Mortgage Bankers, Government Agencies and Private Sellers all offer different sources of financing for anyone shopping for a mortgage.
Neighborhood Banks
One of the best resources for getting a home loan is your neighborhood bank. Depending on the length of your relationship with the bank and the amount you have in you checking or savings account, you might be sent out letters and emails inviting you to apply for a loan. If you are generally satisfied with the quality of the service that you receive form your bank and they are offering a great interest rate, don’t walk away.
Even if the offer is not quite what you’re looking for, walk into the nearest branch, and ask to speak to a loan manager. Once you are there, make your case in person for why you would like a certain loan or feel that you deserve a better interest rate. Most banks, especially the ones in larger cities, are part of a larger conglomerate or depend on a large conglomerate to finance items such as a home loan. Go through the process with the loan officer, but don’t be surprised if you don’t get an answer on the spot. It might take a day or two.
Credit Unions
Some of the lowest rates on any type of loan product such as student loans, mortgages and personal loans can be found through a credit union. If you are eligible to join a credit union, sign up and set up a savings account with small monthly deposits. This way, you can use the resources of the credit union when needed.
Mortgage Bankers
These firms deal exclusively with home loans and give you the widest possible selection of home loan products. You can find local and national Mortgage Bankers by doing a quick search on Google or Yahoo. Go to the website of several different firms, fill out an online application and you can be approved in a few hours.
Government Agencies
The agencies that lend mortgage money include the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Veteran’s Administration (VA) and the Farmers Home Administration (FmHA). Contact each agency directly to see if you meet their requirements.
Private Sellers
An often overlooked financing alternative is to see if you can lease a property from a homeowner with an option to buy later on. If the homeowner has the resources, they can also finance your move in with a low interest loan.
Check out these resources individually or discuss your options with a loan officer.
About The Author
Syd Johnson is the Executive Editor of RapidLingo.com, Financial Solutions Website. You can see more articles at http://www.rapidlingo.com.
This article may be freely distributed as long as the author's bio is included with an active link to http://www.rapidlingo.com.
There are hundreds of sources for home loans online and right in your neighborhood. Banks, Credit Unions, Mortgage Bankers, Government Agencies and Private Sellers all offer different sources of financing for anyone shopping for a mortgage.
Neighborhood Banks
One of the best resources for getting a home loan is your neighborhood bank. Depending on the length of your relationship with the bank and the amount you have in you checking or savings account, you might be sent out letters and emails inviting you to apply for a loan. If you are generally satisfied with the quality of the service that you receive form your bank and they are offering a great interest rate, don’t walk away.
Even if the offer is not quite what you’re looking for, walk into the nearest branch, and ask to speak to a loan manager. Once you are there, make your case in person for why you would like a certain loan or feel that you deserve a better interest rate. Most banks, especially the ones in larger cities, are part of a larger conglomerate or depend on a large conglomerate to finance items such as a home loan. Go through the process with the loan officer, but don’t be surprised if you don’t get an answer on the spot. It might take a day or two.
Credit Unions
Some of the lowest rates on any type of loan product such as student loans, mortgages and personal loans can be found through a credit union. If you are eligible to join a credit union, sign up and set up a savings account with small monthly deposits. This way, you can use the resources of the credit union when needed.
Mortgage Bankers
These firms deal exclusively with home loans and give you the widest possible selection of home loan products. You can find local and national Mortgage Bankers by doing a quick search on Google or Yahoo. Go to the website of several different firms, fill out an online application and you can be approved in a few hours.
Government Agencies
The agencies that lend mortgage money include the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), Veteran’s Administration (VA) and the Farmers Home Administration (FmHA). Contact each agency directly to see if you meet their requirements.
Private Sellers
An often overlooked financing alternative is to see if you can lease a property from a homeowner with an option to buy later on. If the homeowner has the resources, they can also finance your move in with a low interest loan.
Check out these resources individually or discuss your options with a loan officer.
About The Author
Syd Johnson is the Executive Editor of RapidLingo.com, Financial Solutions Website. You can see more articles at http://www.rapidlingo.com.
This article may be freely distributed as long as the author's bio is included with an active link to http://www.rapidlingo.com.
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