How To Prepare For Property Mortgage Process
Preparation is key to navigating today's housing
market. The home loan application process begins with determining what you can
realistically afford, gathering the necessary documents as outlined by your
lender and familiarizing yourself with the fundamentals of the home loan
process, interest rates, loan terms and additional fees associated with buying
a home.
Getting ready to begin the mortgage process? You’ll
likely want to get started by getting pre-approved. Being pre-approved for a
home loan is beneficial in several ways. It gives you a solid idea of what you
can afford, thereby helping you narrow down your home search, and it shows
sellers that you’ve already taken the necessary steps to secure financing,
which makes you a stronger buyer. But how can you best prepare for mortgage
process? Simply follow the steps below and you’ll be well-prepared.
1.GATHER DOCUMENTS
Your mortgage lender needs certain
paperwork/documents in order to evaluate your creditworthiness and determine
how much money their institution is able to lend to you.
2. PREPARE QUESTIONS
Create a list of questions you want to ask your
mortgage lender and real estate agent when you meet with them for interviews.
If you’re not sure which questions you should ask, take a look at some of the
points on this page. You’ll want to know may include…
- Whether
you’re working with a direct lender or a broker
- If
your lender/broker can accommodate your special financing needs, i.e. low
credit, low down payment, etc.
- What are the total costs of the loans you’re considering, including the interest rate, broker fees (if any), points (if any), prepayment penalties, application fees, credit report fee, appraisal fee, etc.
3. UNDERSTAND YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION
Do the math to determine what you can comfortably
borrow vs. what you are eligible to borrow. Remember, just because you may be
pre-approved for a certain amount doesn’t necessarily mean you should
borrow that much. For example, you may be pre-approved for 20 million when in reality;
you may be better off spending closer to 17 million. The amount of money you are
pre-approved for is an indication of how much money the lending institution is
willing to let you borrow — and while it can certainly help you narrow down
your home search by eliminating any properties that are priced above your
pre-approval amount, it may not be a good reflection of what you should actually
spend on a home. Knowing this ahead of time will help you avoid financial
stress down the road.
4. COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR BROKER OFTEN
Once you have prepared yourself for mortgage process, talk to your loan officer/broker about setting up a time to meet and
discuss getting pre-approved. Be sure to have your documents ready as well as
your list of questions. After your initial meeting, your lender/broker should
follow up with you to take the next steps or address any questions or concerns
you may have. If you have questions or concerns that they have not yet
addressed or that you thought of after your meeting don’t hesitate to be the
one to reach out to them.
Communication is a huge component of a successful mortgage transaction, and since it is likely to be one of the biggest financial transactions you’ll make in your life, communicating clearly and often is key!
Want to be fully prepared to meet with an Mortgage advisor near you, here is a partial list of what you can
gather in advance before meeting with your mortgage advisor:
Here are some of the documents
you may be asked for when you want to get a loan:
- 2
months of most current asset statements for all accounts, including blank
pages
- 2
years W2’s
- 2
years Federal tax returns with all schedules
- Recent
(30 days) paystubs
- Most
recent statements for retirement account
- Copy
of Driver’s License or other proof of identity
- YTD
Profit and Loss statement for self-employed borrowers
- Mortgage
statement for all properties owned
- Homeowner Insurance for all properties owned
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