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qualify

What does it take to qualify for a home loan?

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The days of the easy money, and just about everyone getting a home loan are long gone. Today, mortgage lenders are required to prove and document your ability to safely afford the house payment, and show that you are responsible with OK or better credit.

So you’ll usually need these things in order to get a home mortgage loan:

  • Enough money for the Down Payment (3% is realistically your minimum)
  • Two years of good steady employment
  • OK or better credit score (640 or higher is your target)
  • Monthly income that’s about 3 times higher than your expected monthly mortgage payment
  • Keep your debt low (especially credit card balances)
  • Any major negative item be OLD (bankruptcies, foreclosure)
Apply Online
No Obligation to apply, and see what YOU qualify for.

Don’t meet that basic criteria today? Consider these additional options.

  • Down payment assistance is potentially available (You still need a few thousand dollars MINIMUM).
  • No Down payment is possible if you are US Military (VA Loan) or want to buy a home in a rural area (You still need a few thousand dollars MINIMUM)
  • Apply anyway. Don’t assume you can’t get a mortgage. There may be a loans option. Even if it is a not today, they can let you know where your deficiencies are so you can work towards qualifying in the future.
  • Use a Mortgage Broker. A mortgage broker represents lots of different lenders, not just the offerings of one bank. They simply have more options than banks and credit unions.
  • Get a co-signor. See if a family member or very close friend with a higher income and better credit than yours will cosign a loan for you.
  • Lack of Down Payment.  Many program allow you to get a gift for down payment from your family. You can also borrow money for down payment from your 401k
  • No proof of income?  True no proof of income loans don’t exist anymore, but you can possibly get a non-conforming loan by using your bank statement deposits as qualifying income. These loans come with higher interest rates, so you should always try for a traditional loan first.

Plan for the future. 

Even if you can’t buy a home right now, one fact I know, is if you do nothing, nothing will change. If you understand the guidelines and work at it, there is no reason why anyone can not be a home owner in the not too distant future.

Consumers disqualify themselves for home loans

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Consumers Misjudge Max Debt-to-Income ratios… and Disqualify Themselves from home loans

According to a survey by Fannie Mae’s Economic and Strategic Research Group, many consumers think it’s difficult to get a mortgage in today’s market.images98735

And forty five percent of those respondents cite too much existing debt as a top reason. Yet, in that same group, more than half don’t actually know the maximum debt-to-income ratio (DTI) required by lenders.

The result — potential buyers may be wrongly disqualifying themselves before they even apply for a mortgage.

That’s why it’s key to provide information, resources, and tools to educate consumers on the mortgage process, and any perceived barriers, including Debt-to-Income guidelines.

This is also why it is key for the consumer to work with a fully licensed and experienced Loan Officer, versus the more common unlicensed mortgage loan application clerk, who can help you determine the best home loan program, and explain the various program rules and guidelines. On a regular basis, I come across clients who think they can’t be approved for a home loan, yet they can. On the other hand, I also run across plenty of people who have no chance of getting a home loan today, yet they apply.

The bottom line is that it never hurts to apply. You may be given a pre-approval for your dream home, and if not, you’ll be given details on how to improve your situation to be able to qualify later.

Learn more about how to choose a mortgage loan officer here.

Download more insight on DTI and learn about the overall study here.

Do You Qualify for a Mortgage?

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Do You Qualify for a Mortgage?

Minneapolis, MN: Every year, millions of potential new home owners ask the question, “can I qualify for a mortgage?” It’s a scary question for many people, but getting the answer isn’t anywhere as hard or difficult as people think.First, ask yourself some of these basic questions, then contact a local licensed non-bank lender and fill out an application. There are no obligations to let a lender review your situation.

Can I afford the payment?

This is obviously a major questions. I always tell people if they have been comfortably making a rent payment similar to what the anticipated mortgage payment will be, you’ve passed this test!Many people on the other hand have “payment shock”, which simply means the new home payment will be significantly more than what the pay now, if anything.

Lender use a term called “debt ratio”, which is simply a measure of a percentage of your income that would go towards the house, and all other debt. There are two different ratios they measure. The first number is your “housing debt”, which they don’t like to see over 28%. This is a measure of just the cost of the house {principal, interest, taxes, insurance) versus your income.  The next number, which most people are more familiar with is your “total debt ratio”, takes in all debt. The house payment, car payments, credit cards, student loans, etc. This number they generally do not like to see over 41% of your income.

There are slight variations to these ratios depending on loan program, so be sure to consult your Licensed Mortgage Loan Officer for details. Here is a link to some popular mortgage calculators to help you determine debt ratios.

Down Payment

Mortgage lenders love it when you put at least 20% down. That down payment size or more will get you a loan without mortgage insurance, a nice money saver. Realistically many people simply can’t afford that much. Conventional loans may be available with as little as 5% down, and the very popular FHA Loan is available with as little as 3.5% down payment.  The minimum down payment can also be effected by credit score.  Someone with a 660 credit score for example, will need at least 10% down on a conventional loan, while someone with a 720 score will only need 5% down.

Zero down payment is a potential option for some people. Military veterans can possible obtain a zero down payment VA Loan, and those seeing to live in rural areas of the country may also qualify for a no down payment USDA Rural Development Loan.

Your down payment will also affect your interest rate. All other things being equal, the best interest rates go to borrowers who put down larger down payments; you’ll pay a somewhat higher rate if you put down only 5 percent or 10 percent.

Credit score

Credit scores clearly are a major factor, but it is actually pretty simple. If you have great credit (over 720), you’ll have no problems.  If you have OK or average credit (660 – 720), you’ll likely qualify for most programs, but not necessarily all, or not with the best mortgage interest rates. If you have bad credit (below 620), you will not qualify for anything, and should work on repairing your credit before attempting to get a mortgage loan.

To review your credit go to www.annualcreditreport.com. You can get a copy of your report for free once every year. This service does NOT include scores. Another free option is http://www.creditkarma.com. This DOES include scores, but they offer similar, but not the actual FICO scores lenders use, so your numbers may be different than what a lender gets, but at least it gets you an idea of where you are at.

Your Income

To qualify for a mortgage loan, you will be required to fully document all of your qualifying income. Lenders want to see your past two-years job history. Do not confuse this with needing to be at the SAME job for two-years. It is OK if you’ve changed jobs.

If you’re self-employed, get commission, or tipped income, it’s another story. You’ll need to be at the same position for at least two-years, and provide the past two-years Federal Tax returns. Your income is based on your AFTER deductions. If your income is stable, or increasing, you’re in great shape.  If your income is declining, this may be an issue.

Income from child support, alimony, social security, pensions, etc, are all acceptable.  You’ll need to fully document what is is, and that you are actually receiving it.  You will also need to prove it will continue for at least three years.

Bottom Line

If you feel you meet these basic requirements, contact a local licensed Loan Officer to submit an application. Before you do, understand who you should contact, and some of the myths:

  • 80% of Loan Officers are unlicensed application clerks. Only deal with a licensed Loan Officer. Learn How.
  • Your Bank doesn’t know you or care about you
  • Credit Unions DO make a profit
  • Get off the Internet. There are no deals there you can’t get locally – Sit down with a LOCAL Lender

An original article by Joe Metzler (C) 2012 Metzler Enterprises, LLC for www.MnRealEstateDaily.com

Can you qualify for a mortgage with bad credit?

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Can you qualify for a home mortgage loan with bad credit?

FACT: The mortgage and credit crisis which exploded onto the scene in 2007 has eliminated bad credit and bruised credit mortgage loans. Lenders simply don’t offer bad credit sub-prime home loans anymore.

What’s Your Credit Score?
Every lending facility uses guidelines to determine your credit worthiness. Upon reviewing your application, you’re given a credit grade and a determination regarding your loan’s approval or denial. Lenders DO NOT give loans to those with bruised credit anymore. If you are denied by a one lender, contacting 10 more probably won’t help. Click here for some general criteria used within the lending industry to determine credit.

What credit score do I need for a home loan?
Generally speaking, in today’s mortgage world, if your middle credit score is below 640, it is very unlikely that you will qualify for home loan financing no matter what anyone tells you or you see elsewhere on the internet. With a score below this level, you really should save yourself the hassle. Stop attempting to find mortgage loans, and work on improving your scores instead.

Review your credit score?
If you are not sure what your credit score is, you should officially find out. Apply for the mortgage loan, and let the mortgage lender review your exact situation. DON’T ASSUME YOU CAN’T QUALIFY!

CREDIT PROBLEMS & ANSWERS

Late Payments
If your credit has multiple RECENT 30, 60, or 90 plus day late payments, you probably won’t qualify. Especially if those late payments occurred LESS THAN than two years ago. Lenders want a clean recent payment history. Check HERE for some general criteria used within the lending industry when you have late payments.

Credit score graphCollections, Judgements, Tax Liens
If your credit history indicates unpaid collection accounts, most “A” grade loan lenders will require these amounts to be paid off before the loan is funded. FHA typically will ignore them if they are under $500, and more than 2 years old. Medical collection “usually” are ignored. Judgments’ (you got taken to court & lost), are almost always REQUIRED to be paid off before approval.

Bankruptcy & Foreclosures

  • If your bankruptcy is more than two year old, you can usually be approved for an FHA loan with as little as 3.5% down.
  • If your foreclosure was recorded is OVER least three old, you may qualify for an FHA loan with as little as 3.5% down payment.
  • If your bankruptcy is older that 4 years, and you have good re-established credit, you may now qualify for an standard conforming loan.

    • High Debt Ratios
    If your income-to-debt ratios are too high, you can either reduce your personal debt (i.e., pay down your debt), obtain a debt consolidation loan, pay down your debt with funds from the sale of personal assets (boat, camper, etc.), select a lower interest rate ARM loan, or add a co-mortgagor. 

    Is a debt consolidation loan for you?
    If you have any late payments on your record, part of the reason may be because of high credit card debt. If you qualify, you can pay off all of your high-interest credit cards into a low debt reduction refinance loan which may be tax deductible (unlike credit cards, which are NOT tax deductible).