Home Mortgages 101: What You Need To Know

Article written by-Bering Kanstrup

To a person untrained in the art of real estate, the mortgage financing process can seem incredibly complicated. Although mortgages are difficult to fully understand, by educating yourself on the best mortgage practices you can learn everything you need to know to get a good deal on your mortgage. This article is filled with great mortgage information, so read on to learn more.



When you get a quote for a home mortgage, make sure that the paperwork does not mention anything about PMI insurance. Sometimes a mortgage requires that you get PMI insurance in order to get a lower rate. However, the cost of the insurance can offset the break you get in the rate. So look over this carefully.

Get pre-approved for a home mortgage before shopping for a new house. Nothing is worse than finding the perfect house, only to find out that you can't get approved for a mortgage. By getting pre-approved, you know exactly how much you can afford. Additionally, try this will be more attractive to a seller.

You should know that some mortgage providers sometimes approve clients for loans they cannot really afford. It is up to you to make sure you will be able to make the payments on time over the next years. It is sometimes best to choose a smaller mortgage even though your mortgage provider is being generous.

Hire an attorney to help you understand your mortgage terms. Even those with degrees in accounting can find it difficult to fully understand the terms of a mortgage loan, and just trusting someone's word on what everything means can cause you problems down the line. Get an attorney to look it over and make everything clear.

Before you apply for mortgages, be sure you have the proper documents together. Most lenders will require basic financial documents. They want to see W2s, bank statements, pay stubs as well as income tax returns. A fast, smooth process is in your future when you do this.

Although using money given to you as a gift from relatives for your downpayment is legal, make sue to document that the money is a gift. The lending institution may require a written statement from the donor and documentation about when the deposit to your bank account was made. Have this documentation ready for your lender.

Avoid interest only type loans. With an interest only loan, the borrower only pays for the interest on the loan and the principal never decreases. This type of loan may seem like a wise choice; however, at the end of the loan a balloon payment is needed. This payment is the entire principal of the loan.

Do not change financial institutions or move any money while you are in the process of getting a loan approved. If there are large deposits and/or money is being moved around a lot, the lender will have a lot of questions about that. If you don't have a solid reason for it, you may end up getting your loan denied.

Stay persistent with your home mortgage hunt. Even if you have one lender rejects you, it doesn't mean they all will. Many tend to follow Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae's guidelines. They may also have underwriting guidelines. Depending on the lender, these may stricter than others. You can always ask the lender why you were denied. Depending on the reason they give, you can try improving your credit quickly, or you can just go with a different lender.

If you don't mind paying more on your mortgage payment, consider taking out a 15 or 20 year loan instead. You'll end up paying a lot less interest over the life of your loan. You will save thousands of dollars by doing this.

Look closely at lenders. There are many companies willing to lend you money to finance your home. They are not all equal. Look into the reputation of the lender and try to talk to people who have their loans through them. Reputations are hard to hide, and you will want to know how your potential lender handles business.

After applying for a home loan, ask your lender for a copy of the good faith estimate. This contains vital information about the costs associated with your home loan. Information includes the approximate cost of appraisals, commissions and surveys along with any points that are included in the loan agreement.

Mortgage lenders want you to have lower balances across the board, not big ones on a couple of accounts. Avoid maxing out your credit cards. Below 30 percent is even better.

Give yourself time to get ready for a mortgage. Even in an age of supposed instant Internet approvals, you need to take time preparing for a mortgage. This is time to clear your credit report, save money and maximize your score as much as possible. Give yourself at least six months in advance, although a year is better.

Never sign home mortgage paperwork that has blank spaces. Also, make sure you initial each page after you read it. This ensures that terms cannot be added after you sign. Unscrupulous lenders may be inclined to add pages to your contract which you did not read, and this protects you from this practice.

Try not to take a mortgage for the entire amount you can afford. If you take the absolute maximum, you won't have much money left as a cushion when your payments come due. If anything unexpected comes up, you may end up in a real pickle if you are spending the most every month.

If the lender rejects you, you can always ask for an exception. What this does is forces the lender to send your application to someone else in the company. It may work out that the other person reviewing the application feels that you're responsible and capable of repayment. So never take no for an answer; seek an exception if denied.

Now how do you feel about mortgages? If you are ready to start looking for that mortgage you desire for a home, then this article has motivated you. Remember that you need to be very considerate of all of your options so that you don't make any mistakes. This is a major decision, and the tips that have been given to you should help.