Getting a Mortgage That Works For You
Posted at by ifydcat on category Personal FinanceWhen you are buying a house, it is important to be realistic about your mortgage. There are many simple things that can be done to ensure that you are getting a mortgage you can afford. Read this article to ensure that buying your house does not leave you in a financial hole that will be hard to climb out of.
If you have poor credit, now is not the time to start applying for a mortgage and trying to buy a house. First, you need to fix your credit score, so that you will not have to pay sky-high interest rates or end up getting denied. Run your credit report from the three major companies (Equifax, TransUinon and Experian,) and make sure to correct or take care of any outstanding debt. You can do this for free one time a year, so take advantage of the offer and be proactive.
If your credit report is good, and you do not have a lot of outstanding debt, it is a great time to shop around for a mortgage. When buying a house, you want to already have a mortgage amount approved, so that you know exactly what you are able to spend. If you don’t do this, you are going to be playing a huge guessing game and might come out feeling disappointed. Every lender you see will probably have a different interest rate to offer you, so spend a couple of weeks meeting with different companies. This is something you are probably going to be paying for awhile, and it is not a decision that you want to rush into.
When you finally find a lender that can get you a good interest rate, do not just use that company right off the bat. Do some research on the company, and make sure that it is a good business. Unfortunately there are a lot of scammers out there that will look good on paper, who are really just interested in running off with your money. If you talk to other people you know about which lenders they are using, you can get some great referrals. Also look up the company reviews on the Internet to see what other customers are saying.
Sometimes a lender will approve you for a mortgage that is above what you can realistically pay. This is the reason so many people have found themselves in foreclosure. Have your budget set up, and know your limits. If you know that you can only afford 1,200 dollars a month, do not take out a mortgage that is going to cost you 1,300 dollars. You might get pressured into doing something like this, and if you cave, you are setting yourself up for financial failure.
Buying a home can be a scary and exciting adventure. If you have a mortgage lender already picked out, and you know exactly what you can spend, it will take a lot of the stress out of the home buying process. Take your time with this decision, and make sure to do a lot of research before committing to anything.