Minnesota Home Loans Rates Purchases

Prequalify

Pre-qualification occurs before the loan process actually begins, and is usually the first step after initial contact is made. The lender gathers information about the income and debts of the borrower and makes a financial determination about how much house the borrower may be able to afford. Different loan programs may lead to different values, depending on whether you are qualified for them, so be sure to get a pre-qualification for each type of program you are suited for.

Popular Mortgages

Fixed Rates

A conventional fixed-rate mortgage offers you a set rate and payments that do not change throughout the life or "term", of the loan. A conventional loan is fully paid off over a given number of years, usually 15, 20 or 30.

A portion of each monthly payment goes towards paying back the money you borrowed, the "principal", and the rest is "interest". Any money paid into the value of the house, including your down payment, is known as "equity" in the home. For instance, if your house is worth $100,000 and you owe $65,000 on your mortgage, then you are said to have 35% equity in your house.

Temporary Buy-Downs

"Buydowns" usually refer to a borrower "buying down" the interest rate on a loan. This is the same concept as paying "points" on a loan, except that points buydown (or up) the rate of a loan over the entire term while a buydown is usually only a temporary reduction.

Credit Repair

Dealing with Credit Bureaus

It is essential to understand that Credit Bureaus are nothing more than record keepers.

Simply put, they keep a record of who has given you credit, when they gave you credit, how much credit you are given and whether or not you paid it back on time. When you want to obtain credit cards, loans, financing for a car or home, leases, apartments and sometimes even employment, the lender or bank will check your credit to see your financial history.

Credit Bureaus are paid by the people who request your credit file. Credit Bureaus have no legal power over you. Banks, police or the government does not run them; so don't be intimidated by them. They are the Credit Bureaus because they own large computer systems capable of storing credit information on everyone in the United States. However, because of the tremendous amounts of information on their computers, their method of storing information is very basic and ridden with many errors. Since the bureaus have made so many errors in the past, all Federal Laws regarding credit information are very much in your favor.

The Mortgage Process

Pre-Qualification

The application is actually the beginning of the loan process and usually occurs between days one and five of the loan. The buyer, now referred to as a "borrower", completes a mortgage application with the loan officer and supplies all of the required documentation for processing. Various fees and down payments are discussed at this time and the borrower will receive a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) and a Truth-In-Lending statement (TIL) within three days that itemizes the rates and associated costs for obtaining the loan.

Processing

Processing occurs between days 5 and 20 of the loan. The "processor" reviews the credit reports and verifies the borrower's debts and payment histories as the VODs and VOEs are returned. If there are unacceptable late payments, collections for judgment, etc., a written explanation is required from the borrower. The processor also reviews the appraisal and survey and checks for property issues that may require further discernment. The processor's job is to put together an entire package that may be underwritten by the lender.

Underwriting

Lender underwriting occurs between days 21 and 30 or sooner. The underwriter is responsible for determining whether the combined package passed over by the processor is deemed as an acceptable loan. If more information is needed, the loan is put into "suspense" and the borrower is contacted to supply more documentation.

Mortgage Insurance

Mortgage insurance underwriting occurs when the borrower has less than 20% of the loan amount to put towards a down payment. At this time, the loan is submitted to a private mortgage guaranty insurer, who provides extra insurance to the lender in case of default. As above, if more information is needed the loan goes into suspense. Otherwise it is usually returned back to the mortgage company within 48 hours.

Pre-Closing

Pre-Closing occurs between days 25 and 30. During this time the title insurance is ordered, all approval contingencies, if any, are met, and a closing time is scheduled for the loan.

Closing

Closing usually occurs between days 25 and 45 of the loan (depending upon the designated length of your escrow). At the closing, the lender "funds" the loan with a cashier's check, draft or wire to the selling party in exchange for the title to the property. This is the point at which the borrower finishes the loan process and actually buys the house.



		Should I Refinance? If you are a homeowner who was lucky enough to buy when mortgage rates were low, you may have no interest in refinancing your present loan. But perhaps you bought your home when rates were higher. Or perhaps you have an adjustable rate loan and would like to obtain different terms. Should you refinance? This refinancing tip will answer some questions that may help you decide. If you do refinance, the process will remind you of what you went through in obtaining the original mortgage. That's because, in reality, refinancing a mortgage is simply taking out a new mortgage. You will encounter many of the same procedures-and the same types of costs-the second time around. Would Refinancing Be Worth It? Refinancing can be worthwhile, but it does not make good financial sense for everyone. A general rule is that refinancing becomes worth your while if the current interest rate on your mortgage is at least two percentage points higher than the prevailing market rate. This figure is generally accepted as the safe margin when balancing the costs of refinancing a mortgage against the savings.



		Rent vs. Own If you're thinking about buying a home, you probably have a mental list of the benefits owning a home would bring to your life. You imagine waking up and falling asleep in your own home, decorating as you please, or maybe even getting away from the loud neighbor you hear every evening through the paper thin walls of your apartment complex. You are ready to invest your monthly housing expense, instead of giving it all to your landlord every month. The desire to own a home has been felt by nearly all Americans. Owning a home is the American dream. So what's stopping you? That's a good question, one that should be carefully answered. It's important that before you buy a home, you understand the potential impact it will have on your finances and lifestyle. Listed below are some of the new responsibilities and added benefits of owning your own home.



		Avoid Foreclosure How to Avoid Foreclosure When you miss your mortgage payments, foreclosure may occur. This is the legal means that your mortgage company can use to repossess (take over) your home. When this happens, you must move out of your house. If your property is worth less than the total amount you owe on your mortgage loan, your mortgage company or HUD could seek a deficiency judgment. If that happens, you not only lose your home, you also would owe your Mortgage Company or HUD an additional debt. Foreclosure or a deficiency judgment could seriously affect your ability to qualify for credit in the future. So you should avoid it if all possible! Don't ignore letters from your mortgage company! If you are having problems making your payments, contact your mortgage company immediately. Explain your situation. Be prepared to provide them with financial information, such as your monthly income and expenses. Without this information, they may not be able to help. Stay in your home for now. You may not qualify for assistance if you abandon your property.

Mortgage Originating Solutions, Inc. � 2003 � �