Whether buying or selling a home, the real estate transaction process can be seriously stressful. Hey, no pain, no gain. Getting pre-approved for a mortgage can seriously reduce stress levels.
What does Prequalifying for a Home Loan Exactly Means?
An initial step in your journey of buying your dream home is prequalifying for a home loan. Prequalification for the home loan is a process of estimating how much you can borrow from a specific lender based on your personal information including, your credit rating, debt-to-income ratio, among other things.
Things You Need to Know Before You Prequalify
You will probably go to a loan officer to get prequalification for a home loan. Don’t go into the conversation blank-headed as it can get some people frustrated. Don’t get too focused on the “conversation” with today’s technology, a lot of this can be done online.
But before you try to pre-qualify for a mortgage or home loan, there are some things you should know about the process.
Income Information
Before prequalifying for a loan you should get a good understanding of your monthly and yearly earnings. This information is an important step in the process. While you may know a rough number, having your tax information or paycheck stubs on hand would help.
Information on Your Expenses (Debt)
You need a good estimate of your bills and debts. A quick review of your bills, loans, credit cards or any other expenses is important to make beforehand. You need to have this information because this is how the loan officer decides if you do or do not qualify for the loan.
Debt-To-Income Ratio
With your income and debt information, you now can figure out your debt-to-income ratio.
According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau “Your debt-to-income ratio is all your monthly debt payments divided by your gross monthly income. This number is one way that lenders measure your ability to manage the monthly payments to repay the money you plan to borrow.”
To calculate your debt-to-income ratio, you add up all your monthly debt payments and divide them by your gross monthly income. Your gross monthly income is generally the amount of money you have earned before your taxes and other deductions are taken out. For example, if you pay $1500 a month for your mortgage and another $100 a month for an auto loan and $400 a month for the rest of your debts, your monthly debt payments are $2,000. ($1500 + $100 + $400 = $2,000.) If your gross monthly income is $6,000, then your debt-to-income ratio is 33 percent. ($2,000 is 33% of $6,000.)
Your Down Payment
While you may be able to find a “No Money Down Mortgage”, it is always recommended that, if possible, you save up and use the down payment to assist and not only lower your monthly payment but potentially the interest as well.
Thing You Don’t Need – Documents
A privilege of prequalifying is that you don’t need to submit any documents. It’s just a rough estimate to see how much you can borrow. So you do not “need” them for this process, but if you are going to pre-qualify without them, be sure that you use the time to not only look for your dream home but also, look for the documents you will need.
Many people make the mistake of going house hunting without knowing exactly how much money they can get. When you find your dream home but are denied because it doesn’t meet lending standards for a mortgage loan and then have no idea what to do next-the frustration might drive someone over their limit or into an understandable state where giving up seems like a good option.
But by getting preapproved or prequalifying for a mortgage you eliminate more possibilities for road bumps as you go through this journey to find, buy, and move into your dream home.
Fire Prevention – 10 Tips to Keep Your Home Safe
A fire can start in the blink of an eye, but the damage it leaves behind can last a lifetime. That’s why it’s so important to be proactive about fire prevention. Taking some simple steps to reduce the risk of a fire starting in your home is well worth the effort. Here are 10 tips to help you get started.
Radon In Your Home
Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas that you can’t see, taste, or smell. Indoor radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking and contributes to an estimated 7,000 to 30,000 lung cancer deaths each year.
Smoke Alarms & What You Should Know
As a reputable home inspection service, we always advise installing a functional smoke alarm in your house. Also, regularly inspecting them can ensure that they are functioning correctly
Roof System: 4 Tips to Protect it in Winter
Winter is approaching, and if you want to keep your roof and your house safe from harm and damage during these cold and snowy months,
Bathroom And Kitchen Vents: Why You Should Turn Them On
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Dryer Vents: 10 Cleaning and Safety Tips for You!
Generally, homeowners do not notice the dryers vents when it comes to our laundry appliances. Even though they remove all of our clothing’s unwanted fuzz
Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can cause lung cancer.
You can’t see or smell radon. Testing is the only way to know your level of exposure. Radon can have a big impact on your Indoor Air Quality. Which Radon Zone do you live in? Find Radon Zone and Supplemental Radon Information near you.
Mold is a fungus that grows on damp surfaces, such as the walls and floors of your home. Left unchecked, it can grow in colonies and produce allergens and irritants. It’s important to test for mold before buying or selling a home so you can remediate the issue prior to closing escrow.
There are many different types of mold that can occur in a home and lead not only to structural damage, but some health concerns as well.
Mold is difficult to find in many homes as it grows exclusively in dark and moist areas that are usually hidden somewhere in the structural areas of the home such as attics and basements.
Get more information about mold in your home from this FREE guide on mold in your home.
Find the typical life expectancy for most components that are normally found in homes
Typical life expectancies for most components found in homes are listed in this page. These life expectancies have been determined through research and testing based on regular recommended maintenance and conditions of normal wear and tear, and not extreme weather (or other) conditions, neglect, over-use, or abuse
Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer or a veteran homeowner downsizing or trading up, these valuable tips can help streamline your real estate transaction by making it go quicker and smoother, with the help of your InterNACHI-Certified Professional Inspector®
