Mortgage Loan ABC - Highway robbery - How to avoid getting taken advantage of in the loan process

Highway robbery - How to avoid getting taken advantage of in the loan process

6 Steps to Pre-Qualification

People wanting to take a home mortgage loan are mortally afraid of being considered bankrupt barely a day or so after their home loan has been approved. If borrowers have a reputation of bankruptcy or foreclosure, it can mean bad credit loans in the mortgage business. Therefore, a borrower with such a history should not expect to get the same kind of home mortgage loan as a borrower with perfect credit.

Self Pre-Qualification

Credit Score: Before trying to get a home mortgage loan, borrowers should first see realistically just where they stand with their credit rating. Do they belong to the A, B, C or D grades where A stands for perfect credit; B for a bit of tarnished reputation; C fairly bad credit; and D for very bad credit? Scoring models also make

a big difference to the borrower: Here, a near perfect score is about 800 with scores getting bad as you reach the 400 mark. Some of these go by names such as FICO, Beacon or Empirica and belong to major credit reporting agencies.

Loan-to-Value Ratio (LTV): Loan eligibility also takes into consideration the ratio between the amount of money borrowed on a home mortgage loan and the real value of the property being placed as collateral. To know the value of new purchases, as a borrower, you would have to consider the lower purchase price of the appraised value. If a home owner has lived on the property for about six months or a year, coupled with refinance, the appraised value can be used in the loan to value calculation. But this distinction can also present problems as when a home is bought a home worth $100,000 at an auction for a mere $60,000.00. Credit needed over the mortgage amount is usually made from a cash down payment. When the loan available due to limited LTV does not meet the requirements of the sale price of the house in question, family support usually helps.

Debt-to-Income Ratio: You can calculate the debt-to-income ratio by adding all the borrower's debt payments, including the home mortgage loan applied for and any other such as car loans, consumer debt, credit cards etc. Now, divide this number by the net cash available each month for the borrower's living expenses and his debt. Lenders would not prefer this figure to exceed 40%.

Affordability: Having all these calculations at your fingertips, you should be able to judge your borrower's affordability and exactly where he falls in the credit rating system for a home mortgage loan.

Pointers for home mortgage loan borrowers:

Points for good credit borrowers: If a borrower has a history of bad credit, lenders will charge him more points and higher rates of interest since it is a risk for a lender to deal with such a person. But borrowers on home mortgage loans with a good credit history should not enter into a loan agreement where they are forced to pay points based on a bad credit loan. After all, if a borrower has worked hard to earn good credit, he deserves the benefits.

Pricing for bad credit borrowers:

To have bad credit often means coughing up a higher rate of interest and origination fees on a home mortgage loan. Usually, points can come to the borrower in several avatars-origination fees, discount fees, broker fees or yield spread premium. Points on a loan refer to a fee that is about one percent of the loan amount. So, borrowers with good credit may often pay nothing while those with bad credit will have to pay four or five points. Sometimes, unwary customers have been asked to pay up to 10 points-something highly unwarranted. In fact, should this happen to you or anyone you know, he should consider it a red flag that someone is trying to cheat him. Of course, the mortgage broker will explain this by saying he can provide a loan where no one else will take the risk.

In such cases, finding a lender willing to help out with credit may take a little longer for the borrower but if he is diligent enough about his search, the home mortgage loan will finally materialize the way he wants it.

Friends Dont Let Friends Loan Money

Go for Broker A Mortgage Broker Can Pay Off for You

Study your Options on Student Loans

House Rich and Cash Poor Buying a home that you can afford

FYI on PMI General Information on Private mortgage insurance

Mortgage Loan
◦ 5 Scams - Countdown of the most extreme
◦ A Lending Hand - Only Good Credit Need Apply
◦ A Risky Proposition - How You Score Matters
◦ APR, FICO, HELOC - The FAQ's on these Little Initials and More
◦ Asking the Right Questions before Signing a Loan
◦ Balloon Payments Full of Hot Air?
◦ Case in Point - Negotiating Mortgage Points before Signing Anything
◦ Closing the Deal: Plowing through the Mortgage Paperwork
◦ Crossing that Bridge Loan when you come to it
◦ Don't Come in Second when Shopping for Reasonable Second Mortgage Terms
◦ Don't Lose Your Shirt or Your Home - Keep an eye out for crooked mortgage companies
◦ Don't take it personally-What to do when you are turned down for a loan
◦ FICO: Your Personal Financial Score Card
◦ Friends Don't Let Friends Loan Money:
◦ FYI on PMI - General Information on Private mortgage insurance
◦ Give yourself a little Credit:
◦ Glutton for Punishment? Co-sign a Loan
◦ Go for Broker: A Mortgage Broker Can Pay Off for You
◦ Government Grown Loans - The Lowdown on FHA and VA Loans
◦ Highway robbery - How to avoid getting taken advantage of in the loan process
◦ House Rich and Cash Poor - Buying a home that you can afford
◦ How do you Rate? Credit Reports Tattletale on your Finances
◦ In a Fix: Unsurprising Mortgage Payments you can Count on
◦ Kids in College Can Be a PLUS - Parents, Know your Education Funding Options
◦ Lending a Hand: How to Help Family financially but not get taken advantage of
◦ Lying about loans - Legality of using loan money for something other than its purpose
◦ More house than you need? Shop around before signing
◦ Mortgages Can Be Taxing - What You Should Know about Closing Costs and Fees
◦ On the Road Again: Advice about loans for RVs and other recreational vehicles
◦ One size does not fit all - choosing the right loan for you
◦ Owning vs. Renting - The Big Debate
◦ Pay them off - The advantages of paying
◦ Payday Loans REALLY Make You Pay in the End!
◦ Pre-approved for a loan? Don't get your hopes up
◦ Ramifications of Refinancing
◦ Scam is a Four-Letter Word in the Mortgage Category
◦ Score High and Keep Interest Low - The Ins and Outs of Credit Scoring
◦ Shop 'til the Rates Drop - Looking for a Great Mortgage Interest Rate
◦ Speak the same language - Learn the lingo of loans
◦ Study your Options on Student Loans
◦ Take Note of the fine print on your mortgage papers
◦ The ABC's of Amortization
◦ The Lowdown on Loan Options
◦ The Mystery of Mortgages
◦ The Payoff of Student Loan Consolidation
◦ The Pros and Cons of Consolidation
◦ This Option may not cost you an ARM - Consider your Options with Adjustable Rate Mortgages
◦ Upside Down - Avoid Owing More on your Loan than the Value of your Car
◦ When disaster strikes - Find out your options BEFORE something happens
◦ Buying or Selling, is the Mortgage Your Only Option?
◦ Equity and Your Home, A Hidden Asset?
◦ Fannie Mae and the Home of Your Dreams
◦ Financial Planning and Interest Only Mortgages
◦ Government Approved Mortgage Loans
◦ Home Equity Lines of Credit
◦ How Does Fannie Mae Work?
◦ How Real Estate Drives the Interest Only Mortgage Market
◦ How to Shop for Low, Interest Only Mortgages
◦ Interest Only and Credit Card Debt
◦ Interest Only In Your Best Interest?
◦ Interest Only Mortgage versus Balloon Notes
◦ Interest Only Mortgages: A Risky Real Estate Move?
◦ Interest Only Mortgages and the LIBOR, What is it?
◦ Interest Only Mortgages and the Young Professional
◦ Interest Only Mortgages for the Wealthy Investor
◦ Is the 20% Down Requirement Still Alive?
◦ Is Your Credit Working Against Your Mortgage Options?
◦ Middle America Goes Upscale on Interest Only Options
◦ Mortgage Companies: Specialty Guys
◦ Mortgage Interest and Your Tax Liability
◦ Mortgage Products: The 15 FRM
◦ Mortgage Products: The 15 Year ARM
◦ Mortgage Products: The 20 FRM
◦ Mortgage Products: The 20 Year ARM
◦ Mortgage Products: The 30 FRM
◦ Mortgage Products: The 30 Year ARM
◦ Mortgage Products: The Adjustable Rate Mortgage

A Home Mortgage Loan Calculator Helps you Determine Affordability of a Home