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It's generally a good time to refinance when mortgage rates are 2% lower than the current rate on your loan. It may be a viable option even if the interest rate difference is only 1% or less. Any reduction can trim your monthly mortgage payments. Example: Your payment, excluding taxes and insurance, would be about $770 on a $100,000 loan at 8.5%; if the rate were lowered to 7.5%, your payment would then be $700, and now you're saving $70 per month. Your savings depends on your income, budget, loan amount, and interest rate changes. Your trusted lender can help you calculate your options.
A point is a percentage of the loan amount, or 1-point = 1% of the loan, so one point on a $100,000 loan is $1,000. Origination Points are costs that need to be paid to a lender to get mortgage financing under specified terms. Discount points are fees used to lower the interest rate on a mortgage loan by paying some of this interest up-front. Lenders may refer to costs in terms of basic points in hundredths of a percent, 100 basis points = 1 point, or 1% of the loan amount.
Yes, if you plan to stay in the property for at least a few years. Paying discount points to lower the loan's interest rate is an excellent way to lower your required monthly loan payment and possibly increase the loan amount you can afford. However, if you plan to stay in the property for only a year or two, your monthly savings may not be enough to recoup the cost of the discount points that you paid up-front.
The annual percentage rate (APR) is an interest rate reflecting the cost of a mortgage as a yearly rate. This rate is likely to be higher than the stated note rate or advertised rate on the mortgage because it considers points and other credit costs. The APR allows homebuyers to compare different types of mortgages based on the annual cost for each loan. The APR is designed to measure the "true cost of a loan." It creates a level playing field for lenders. It prevents lenders from advertising a low rate and hiding fees.
The APR does not affect your monthly payments. Your monthly payments are strictly a function of the interest rate and the length of the loan.
Because APR calculations are affected by the various different fees charged by lenders, a loan with a lower APR is not necessarily a better rate. The best way to compare loans is to ask lenders to provide you with a loan estimate of their costs on the same type of program (e.g., 30-year fixed) at the same interest rate. You can then delete the fees that are independent of the loan such as homeowners’ insurance, title fees, attorney fees, etc. Now add up all the loan fees. The lender that has lower loan fees has a cheaper loan than the lender with higher loan fees.
The following fees are generally included in the APR:
The following fees are normally not included in the APR:
Mortgage rates can change from the day you apply for a loan to the day you close the transaction. If interest rates rise sharply during the application process, it can increase the borrower's mortgage payment unexpectedly. Therefore, a lender can allow the borrower to "lock in" the loan's interest rate guaranteeing that rate for a specified time period, often 30-60 days, sometimes for a fee.
Below is a list of documents that are required when you apply for a mortgage. However, every situation is unique, and you may be required to provide additional documentation. So, if you are asked for more information, be cooperative and provide the information requested as soon as possible. It will help speed up the application process.
Your property
Your Income
If self-employed or have rental income:
If you will use Alimony or Child Support to qualify:
If you receive Social Security income, Disability, or VA benefits:
Source of Funds and Down Payment
Debt or Obligations
An Appraisal is a professional opinion of a property's fair market value. It's a document generally required (depending on the loan program) by a lender before loan approval to ensure the property's value. An "Appraiser performs the Appraisal," typically a state-licensed professional trained to render expert opinions concerning property values, location, amenities, and physical conditions.
On a conventional mortgage, when your down payment is less than 20% of the home's purchase price, mortgage lenders usually require you get Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) to protect them in case you default on your mortgage. The best way to avoid this extra expense is to make a 20% down payment or ask about other loan program options.
Surprising as it may seem, some folks with hefty incomes find it mighty tough to save enough money to make a 20% cash down payment on their dream homes. Using conventional financing, such buyers must purchase Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI), which increases the cost of home ownership and makes it even more challenging to qualify for the mortgage. However, if you're a dues-paying member of the cash-challenged class, don't despair. Given that your income is sufficiently high, it's eminently possible to avoid getting stuck with PMI. That is why 80-10-10 financing was invented. It is called 80-10-10 because a savings and loan association, bank, or other institutional lender provides a traditional 80% first mortgage; you get a 10% second mortgage and make a cash down payment equal to 10% of the home's purchase price. Using this method, you are no longer obligated to take out PMI on your property.
The same principle applies if you can only afford to make a 5% down, 80-15-5 financing is also available.
Credit scoring is a system creditors use to help determine whether to give you credit. Information about you and your credit experiences, such as your bill-paying history, the number and type of accounts you have, late payments, collection actions, outstanding debt, and the age of your accounts, is collected from your credit application and your credit report.
Using a statistical program, creditors compare this information to the credit performance of consumers with similar profiles. A credit scoring system awards points for each factor that helps predict who is most likely to repay a debt. A total number of points -- a credit score -- helps predict how creditworthy you are, that is, how likely it is that you will repay a loan and make the payments when due.
The most widely used credit scores are FICO scores, which were developed by Fair Isaac Company, Inc. Your score will fall between 350 (high risk) and 850 (low risk).
Because your credit report is an important part of many credit scoring systems, it is very important to make sure it's accurate before you submit a credit application.
You are entitled to receive one free credit report every 12 months from each nationwide consumer credit reporting company – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. This free credit report may not contain your credit score and can be requested through the following website: https://www.annualcreditreport.com
Credit scoring models are complex and often vary among creditors and for different types of credit. If one-factor changes, your score may change -- but improvement generally depends on how that factor relates to other factors considered by the model. Only the creditor can explain what might improve your score under the particular model used to evaluate your credit application.
Nevertheless, scoring models generally evaluate the following types of information in your credit report:
Scoring models may be based on more than just information in your credit report. For example, the model may also consider information from your credit application: your job or occupation, length of employment, or whether you own a home.
To improve your credit score under most models, concentrate on paying your bills on time, paying down outstanding balances, and not taking on new debt. It's likely to take some time to improve your score significantly.