7 Things To Avoid After Applying for a Mortgage!

Congratulations! You’ve found a home to buy and have applied for a mortgage! You are undoubtedly excited about the opportunity to decorate your new home! But before you make any big purchases, move any money around, or make any big-time life changes, consult your loan officer. They will be able to tell you how your decision will impact your home loan.
Below is a list of 7 Things You Shouldn’t Do After Applying for a Mortgage! Some may seem obvious, but some may not!

1. Don’t change jobs or the way you are paid at your job! Your loan officer must be able to track the source and amount of your annual income. If possible, you’ll want to avoid changing from salary to commission or becoming self-employed during this time as well.

2. Don’t deposit cash into your bank accounts. Lenders need to source your money and cash is not really traceable. Before you deposit any amount of cash into your accounts, discuss the proper way to document your transactions with your loan officer.

3. Don’t make any large purchases like a new car or new furniture for your new home. New debt comes with it, including new monthly obligations. New obligations create new qualifications. People with new debt have higher debt to income ratios… higher ratios make for riskier loans… and sometimes qualified borrowers no longer qualify.

4. Don’t co-sign other loans for anyone. When you co-sign, you are obligated. As we mentioned, with that obligation comes higher ratios as well. Even if you swear you will not be the one making the payments, your lender will have to count the payment against you.

5. Don’t change bank accounts. Remember, lenders need to source and track assets. That task is significantly easier when there is consistency among your accounts. Before you even transfer money between accounts, talk to your loan officer.

6. Don’t apply for new credit. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a new credit card or a new car. When you have your credit report run by organizations in multiple financial channels (mortgage, credit card, auto, etc.), your FICO score will be affected. Lower credit scores can determine your interest rate and maybe even your eligibility for approval.

7. Don’t close any credit accounts. Many clients have erroneously believed that having less available credit makes them less risky and more likely to be approved. Wrong. A major component of your score is your length and depth of credit history (as opposed to just your payment history) and your total usage of credit as a percentage of available credit. Closing accounts has a negative impact on both those determinants of your score.

Bottom Line
Any blip in income, assets, or credit should be reviewed and executed in a way that ensures your home loan can still be approved. The best advice is to fully disclose and discuss your plans with your loan officer before you do anything financial in nature. They are there to guide you through the process.

Let The McLeod Group Network assist you in finding your new home! 971.208.5093 or admin@mgnrealtors.com 

By: KCM Crew

14 Factors That Can Stall the Mortgage Closing Process

Once you find your dream house and your purchase offer is accepted, you need to get through one more step before you move in: mortgage closing. The time it takes to close on a home will vary from one person to the next. When everything goes right, loan closings can be completed in as little as 21 to 28 days, says Atlanta-based real estate agent Bruce Ailion. Currently, Ellie Mae reports that the average closing time for home loans is 44 days.

“Factors like the type of home loan or last-minute changes and requests will affect the amount of time it takes before a house becomes yours. But typically, a lender can close on a mortgage in about a month,” states Andrina Valdes, the division president at Cornerstone Home Lending, Inc. in San Antonio, TX.

However, not everything always goes according to plan. Issues can arise that can keep you from settling into your new place for weeks and sometimes months longer than you expected. Here are some of the most common snafus that can delay the mortgage closing process.

1. Expensive purchases for your new home

A word of advice: Don't make any pricey purchases with your credit card before closing on your house. "This could actually put buyers out of qualifying for their new home,” says Texas real estate agent Jeff Peterson.

After an offer on a house is accepted, some people may be tempted to buy a new sofa, dining set, or another expensive piece of furniture. But real estate experts warn that this could be disastrous. Right before closing, the mortgage lender will pull the buyer’s credit to make sure nothing has changed. A big purchase will show up, which could become an issue, because it means that the buyer is taking on more debt.

2. Death of the original homeowner

If there has been a death associated with the desired property, the home may need to go through probate court first to authenticate the former owner's last will and testament. “If that's the case, your closing will be delayed, and there's not much you can do about it,” says Jim Lorio, a Florida real estate investor. In some states, probate can take anywhere from a few months to a few years.

3. Homeowners association issues

If the previous homeowner has outstanding homeowner association (HOA) fees or fines, this could cause delays. In some cases, you may be able to negotiate those fees with the seller; otherwise, you will be responsible for paying them.

4. Verification issues

In some instances, the borrower’s landlord, mortgage company, employer, or source of down payment may not be willing to provide verification in a timely manner. Their failure to move quickly can slow you down.

5. Down payment issues

There are times when the lender may require the home buyer to put more money down; this may take time, especially if the buyer lacks the extra funding.

6. Lender may need additional information

In some cases, additional info may be requested late in the process. Other times, the lender may lose a document that will need to be obtained again.

7. Scheduling problems

One party—whether the closing agent, attorney, title company representative, lender, buyer, or seller—may not be available to meet on the closing day, which can push timelines back.

8. Buyer delays

If a buyer is self-employed, sometimes additional documents are required. If the buyer has multiple sources of income, this may need to be documented and verified as well. If the buyer is getting a down payment from an unconventional source or a gift, this could also slow down the process.

9. Flood insurance requirement

If your new home is in a flood zone, you may need to get flood insurance, which may require a benchmark survey. In some markets, this might take three weeks. Then, it must be reviewed by the mortgage underwriter—aka the person who approves your loan. Flood insurance, and even homeowner's insurance, can also sometimes be tough to get, depending on your past history with claims, credit, and location.

10. Appraisal disparities

Before a mortgage is ever approved, the bank must first appraise the home. If the appraisal comes in low, it may take some time to renegotiate the asking price of the home.

11. Title issues

In some cases, there may be a tax lien against the property that needs to be resolved first, in order to move forward with the closing process. Other times, the title may have the incorrect signature or attestation.

12. Property damage

If there is any type of damage to the property, the lender may require repairs prior to closing.

13. Contract disagreements

Sometimes the seller may not agree to the buyer’s contract requests (like agreeing to include the entire contents of the home in the deal). This can kill the transaction or require further negotiation between the agents and other parties involved.

14. Foreclosure

If a homeowner is in foreclosure, it can take up to 10 days to get a payoff from the mortgage company, which often includes legal fees.

Contact your local experts at The McLeod Group Network to start the search for your new home! 971.208.5093 or mcleodgroupoffice@gmail.com.​​

By: Realtor.com, Nikki Gaskins Campbell

Is Qualifying for a Mortgage Getting Easier?

Last week I shared that requirements for obtaining a mortgage were easing as interest rates were beginning to creep.

I wanted to pass along this article as well that offers some additional information related to mortgages & the requirements to obtain a mortgage for first-time & next home buyers.

Is Qualifying for a Mortgage Getting Easier? 

Again, even with the loosening of the reins for qualifying, it is always important to mindful of the trajectory of mortgage interest rates, so that you can take advantage of the market at the best possible time.

Let me know if you have any questions!

~Amy

Source: KCMBlog.com

Handling the Stress of an Unaffordable Mortgage Payment

Whenever I research the latest foreclosure and distressed property statistics, the sheer number of Americans facing the stress of losing their homes amazes me. It is my goal to help as many homeowners I can either stay in their homes or relieve the burden of their mortgages. Knowing that there are so many that need my help is a driving force for me to continue doing what I do.

In fact, I just released another report that I’ve made available on my website today. It explains the CDPE designation and lists 10 options that homeowners can take advantage of to relieve the stress that comes with owing their mortgage lenders more money than they can afford to pay.

The report also draws a contrast between short sales and foreclosures. Unfortunately, there’s a growing trend of “strategic defaulters” who think it’s smart to let their home go into foreclosure. As any one who follows this blog knows, there is nothing strategic about foreclosure; it’s one of the most long-lasting, negative financial challenges you can go through.

I’m excited about acting as a resource for more homeowners who have questions about what they should do. As always, if you know homeowners who may need my help, have them contact me immediately! Together, we can put them back on the path to financial stability. I'm available through my website: www.amyhelps.info or at my office at 503-371-5209.