Are you pre-qualified or pre-approved for a loan?
Before you begin to shop for a new home, you should set up a time to meet with me so we can figure out how much you can afford. This will put you in a better position as a buyer. That’s when it is important to understand the distinction between being pre-qualified for a loan and pre-approved for a loan. The difference between the two terms will be crucial when you decide to make an offer on a house.

To get pre-qualified for a loan, I will collect information about your debt, income, and assets. We’ll look at your credit profile and assess goals for a down payment and get an idea of different loan programs that would work for you. I will issue you a pre-qualification letter indicating the amount you are pre-qualified to borrow.

It is important to understand that a pre-qualification letter is just an estimate of what you are eligible to borrow, not a commitment to lend. Getting pre-approved for a loan gives you competitive advantage when the time comes to bid on a home because you have been approved for a loan for a specified amount.

To get pre-approved, you will complete a mortgage application and provide me with various information verifying your employment, assets and financial status such as W-2 forms, bank records and credit card statements. We’ll review your mortgage options and submit your application to the lender that best meets your needs. Once the application process is complete you will receive a pre-approval letter indicating the amount your lender is willing to lend you for your home.

A pre-approval letter is not binding on the lender; it is subject to an appraisal of the home you wish to purchase and certain other conditions. If your financial situation changes (e.g. you lose your job), interest rates rise or a specified expiration date passes, your lender must review your situation and recalculate your mortgage amount accordingly.

How much can you afford?

Deciding how much house you can afford is a personal decision. Many factors come into play. How much can I borrow?  How much can I put toward my down payment?  What size monthly payment can I afford?  

There are no black and white answers to these questions.  Its a matter of give and take.  If you plan on a 30 year mortgage, you can probably make a lower down payment (or perhaps no down payment at all) and still manage the monthly payments.  If, on the other hand, you plan on a 15 year mortgage, you’ll probably want to make a larger down payment to keep your monthly payments in line with what you can afford.  

How large a down payment can I make?

Many buyers look at their cash on hand as their only source for their down payment.  This simply is not the case.  One way to fund or partially fund a down payment is by using a gift.   Parents, grandparents and other family members are often eager to help by making a cash gift toward the purchase of your home.  

There are also down payment assistance charities that can help you.  And, of course, if you are selling a home, the equity you’ve built up can be applied to your down payment.

But these are not your only options.  We can help you explore all your down payment options, including low down payment and 100% mortgage financing options that might be right for you.  

What size monthly payment can I afford?

When determining what size monthly payment you can afford, you’ll want to consider what other monthly expenses you have.   Tangible expenses such as car payments, day care and utility bills, all play a role in how large a monthly payment you can afford.  

There are also the intangible expenses or lifestyle expenses that you’ll want to consider.  Things such as dining out, travel and when you buy your next car can effect how much you can afford.  Are you willing to curtail or delay some of these expenses in order to afford a larger monthly payment?  

How much can I borrow?

This is a question you’ll want to get answered before you begin your home search.   This is something that we’re here to help you with.  Our mortgage calculators will help you see how your down payment, monthly payment and the amount you borrow are all interrelated.  

We can answer any questions you may have about the mortgage process.  But the best way we can help is by getting you pre-qualified for a mortgage loan.  To get started, simply complete the form below to let us know a good time to contact you.  We look forward to helping you buy your dream home.

What is the difference between the interest rate and the A.P.R.?

You'll see an interest rate and an Annual Percentage Rate (A.P.R.) for each mortgage loan you see advertised. The easy answer to "why" is that federal law requires the lender to tell you both.

The A.P.R. is a tool for comparing different loans, which will include different interest rates but also different points and other terms. The A.P.R. is designed to represent the "true cost of a loan" to the borrower, expressed in the form of a yearly rate. This way, lenders can't "hide" fees and upfront costs behind low advertised rates.

While it's designed to make it easier to compare loans, it's sometimes confusing because the A.P.R. includes some, but not all, of the various fees and insurance premiums that accompany a mortgage. And since the federal law that requires lenders to disclose the A.P.R. does not clearly define what goes into the calculation, A.P.R.’s can vary from lender to lender and loan to loan.

The A.P.R. on a loan tied to a market index, like a 5/1 ARM, assumes the market index will never change. But ARM’s were invented because the market index changes and makes fixed rate loans cheaper or more expensive to make -- that's why they're variable rate in the first placed!

So, A.P.R.’s are at best inexact. The lesson is, that A.P.R. can be a guide, but you need a mortgage professional to help you find the truly best loan for you.

Note when you're browsing for loan terms that the A.P.R. will not tell you about balloon payments or prepayment penalties, or how long your rate is locked. Also, you'll see that A.P.R.s on 15-year loans will carry a higher relative rate due to the fact that points are amortized over a shorter period of time.

How can you improve your credit score?

It's virtually impossible to change your score in the time between when most people decide to buy a home or refinance their mortgage and when they apply. So the short answer is, you really can't "on the spot." But there are strategies you can live with to make sure when you apply for a loan your score is as high as possible.

Make sure that the information each of the three credit reporting bureaus has on you is consistent and up to date. Order a copy of your credit report about once a year, and dispute any inaccuracies.

Note: Theoretically, if a series of credit reports is requested on your behalf during a limited amount of time, your score goes down until time passes without any inquiries. Changes in the law though have made "consumer-originating" credit report requests not count so much. Also, a series of requests in relation to getting a mortgage or car loan is not treated the same as a number of credit card requests in a limited time. This is because the credit bureaus, and lenders, realize that people request their own credit reports to keep up with what's on them, and smart consumers shop around for the best mortgage and car loans.

Unsolicited credit card solicitations in the mail don't count against your credit report, so don't worry.

The two main components of your credit score are your payment history and the amounts you owe. Bankruptcy filings and foreclosures, which can stay on your credit report for as many as 10 years, can significantly lower your score. It's never a good idea to take on more credit than you can handle.

Late payments work against you. It's extremely important to pay bills on time, even if it's only the monthly payment.

Don’t "max out" your credit lines. Since the size of the balance on your open accounts is a factor, lower balances are better.

It's said that by carefully managing your credit, it's possible to add as much as 50 points per year to your score.

Would a bridge loan be good for me?
In a seller’s market, the competition for houses can be fierce. Many sellers will turn down any offer they receive that has a contingency clause (for example, a clause that states the offer is contingent on the buyer selling their own house).  This can be problematic for the buyer who does indeed have a house to sell.

To stay competitive in a tight market, some buyers make the choice of securing a bridge loan (also known as a swing loan or bridge financing).  A bridge loan covers the gap between the time a buyer closes on their new home and the time in which their old house sells.

Typically a bridge loan is structured as a one year loan.  The bridge loan pays off the buyer’s first house with the remaining funds, minus closing costs and six month’s of interest, going toward the down payment for the new house.   

If after six months the first house has not sold, the buyer will begin making interest-only payments on the bridge loan.  When the first house sells, the bridge loan is paid-off.  If the old house sells within the first six months, any unearned interest payments will be credited to the buyer.

This is the typical bridge loan scenario for most buyers.  In some cases a buyer may qualify for a bridge loan that simply adds the cost of their new house to their current debt. 

A bridge loan can help you make a competitive offer on a property even though your first house has yet to sell.  If you’d like this extra bit of negotiating leverage, lets get together to talk about your options.  Let me know a good time to contact you.  I look forward to helping you!

Tell me about second mortgages?

Taking out a second mortgage on your home used to carry some stigma with it – a sign that you were in financial trouble. But today, the ability to borrow money against your property is considered one of the biggest advantages of owning a home. A second mortgage is essentially a loan secured by your home or another piece of property with a first mortgage. The second mortgage allows the homeowner to tap into his or her equity to pay for college tuition, essential home improvements, pay off credit card balances or other pressing financial needs.

Because there is more risk involved with a second mortgage, the lender's conditions are usually more stringent, the term is shorter and the interest rate is higher than for the first mortgage. In the event of default, the holder of the second mortgage is subordinate to the first.

To qualify for a second mortgage, your credit must be in good standing and you must be able to document your income. An appraisal will be required on your home to determine the home's market value.

By definition, a second mortgage is any loan that involves a second lien on the property, but you generally have two options: a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit.

Both options combine your first and second loan, so your loan will be limited to 75 to 80 percent of your home's appraised value. With a home equity loan, you borrow a lump sum of money to be paid back monthly over a set time frame, much like your first mortgage. However, the closing costs (often 2-3 percent of loan amount) are often higher than your first mortgage and the rate - usually fixed – is also higher.

A home equity line of credit (HELOC) is an open line of credit tied to an equity-based maximum loan amount. You may use the account for a set period of time (5, 10 or even 20 years) as long as there are funds. Once your predetermined time period is up, you will be required to pay off the loan, making monthly payments on the principal and interest. The interest rate can fluctuate month to month on a home equity line of credit, which makes this option appealing when interest rates are low, but risky when interest rates increase.

When deciding what type of loan is best for you, it is important to consider how you will use the money and how you intend to pay it off. Do you need money in one lump sum or intermittent over several months or years? Do you want a fixed interest rate so you can repay your loan in precise monthly installments or would you rather have the flexibility to make any size payment above the interest-only minimum? In today’s competitive market, there are many options available. I will help you find the right mortgage product for your lifestyle and financial needs.