Anna Maria Richards
Mortgage rates keep rising as interest rates get higher and higher. Nobody can predict exactly what will happen in the future, especially after the coronavirus pandemic. This is why it is more important than ever to be extremely careful when you want to take out a mortgage. It is not easy to buy a house in the current economic setting and it becomes even more difficult when you take out an inappropriate mortgage. That is why you should always do the following before you take one out.
Know Exactly What You Need
Most lenders require standard materials from potential mortgage clients. This usually includes at least one month of the recent pay stubs and 2 years of tax filings. Besides these documents, you might also have to hand over a minimum of 3 months of statements for bank accounts. Documentation is mandatory to explain unusual withdrawals and large deposits that are listed in the documents. Get ready to provide all such information.
Calculate How Much Can Be Spent
Lenders usually follow a specific 28/36 rule. It means that the monthly mortgage payment needs to be under 28% of the gross income. Then, the total revolving debt payments have to account for under 36% of the gross income. This includes mortgages, car loans and all other installment payments you make on a monthly basis. Obviously, different mortgage lenders have different requirements but this is a rule that can help you to make a good choice.
Understand The Real Estate Market
The loan types you can obtain sometimes depend on purchasing marketing and type of desired home. For instance, in the state of Florida, there were many condominiums that ended up bankrupt. Due to this, lenders have very strict standards. They examine both building and personal finances. Sometimes they decide to request a down payment of 25%.
Huge variances can appear from one state to the next. This is why you need to know market rates and use services like Crediful to compare mortgage rates. The more you compare, the higher the possibility you will make a good choice.
Raise Credit Score As Much As Possible
A very important factor to determine someone’s loan eligibility and the pay rate is the credit score. You should always know the credit scores that you have with all the 3 major credit bureaus. This is information that can be obtained straight for them or through services that gather such information for you.
After you know the credit score, take steps to raise it. For starters, double-check the reports to be sure that there are no incorrect records present. Then, when there is a balance that can be paid off, do it so that you can raise credit score.
Pay Off Your Debt
This is one of the most important things to do before you look for a mortgage. The lower your current debt, the higher the possibility you will be approved for a future loan. Start by paying off your car loans, credit card debts and all the other loans that you have. While at first glance you do not save money, in the long run, it makes you look more stable from a financial point of view. As a result, there is a much higher possibility that you will be approved for a good mortgage rate.
If you are age 62 or older paying down your debt early will allow for enough equity required to take a federally insured reverse mortgage. These are special loans for seniors who wish to borrow from their equity without having to make a monthly mortgage payment. You can an idea of your eligibility by using reversemortgagereviews.org free calculator.
Get Your Taxes In Order
Almost all mortgage lenders need to see federal tax records, usually covering the past 2 years. Due to this, you have to be sure that your taxes were filed for the current year. All documents you submit need to match what the IRS sends the lender.
