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How Do I Choose The Best Loan Program For Me?
The video puts this in more visual terms, but your personal situation will determine the best kind of loan for you.
By asking yourself a few questions, you can help narrow your search among the many options available and discover which loan suits you best.
- Do you expect your finances to change over the next few years?
- Are you planning to live in this home for a long period of time?
- Are you comfortable with the idea of a changing mortgage payment amount?
- Do you wish to be free of mortgage debt as your children approach college age or as you prepare for retirement?
Lenders can help you use your answers to decide which loan best fits your needs.
Can I Pay Off My Loan Ahead Of Schedule?
Usually, Yes. Like the guy in the video says, by sending in extra money each month or making an extra payment at the end of the year you can accelerate the process of paying off the loan.
When you send extra money, be sure to indicate that the excess payment is to be applied to the principal and keep records.
Remember that payment applied to loan principal is not tax-deductible. Most lenders allow loan prepayment, but some loans may have prepayment penalties.
Ask your lender for details.
Are There Special Mortgages For First-Time Homebuyers?
Yes. Like the video shows, lenders now offer several affordable mortgage options which can help first-time homebuyers overcome obstacles that made purchasing a home difficult in the past.
Lenders may now be able to help borrowers who don’t have a lot of money saved for the down payment and closing costs, have no or a poor credit history, have quite a bit of long-term debt, or who have experienced income irregularities.
Understanding Your Loan Estimate: Services You CAN Shop For
These costs are paid to outside parties and YOU are free to shop and compare providers for a variety of services. These might include pest inspection, or a survey to verify property lines or a range of Title-related services.
Title services might include:
- a Lender’s title policy, which protects their legal interest in their loan collateral- usually the property itself
- settlement agent fees, paid to the individual or company responsible for facilitating the final transaction
- Title Search, which clarifies and documents legal ownership of the property
- a title insurance binder, which allows potential future use of the current title search results, conditions and exclusions for a short period to lower the cost of future title insurance.
If you select service providers from the list provided by the lender, their fees cannot change by more than 10% between the Loan Estimate and the final Loan Disclosure. If you select other providers the lender is not responsible for changes in those costs.
What Should I Look For When Walking Through A Home?
As we show you in this video, in addition to comparing the home to your minimum requirement and wish lists use the HUD Home Scorecard and consider the following:
- Is there enough room for both the present and the future?
- Are there enough bedrooms and bathrooms?
- Is the house structurally sound?
- Do the mechanical systems and appliances work?
- Is the yard big enough?
- Do you like the floor plan?
- Will your furniture fit in the space?
- Is there enough storage space?
Bring a tape measure to better answer these questions and write down your measurements.
- Does anything need to repaired or replaced?
- Will the seller repair or replace the items?
Imagine the house in good weather and bad and in each season. Will you be happy with it year-round? Take your time and think carefully about each house you see. Keep the scorecard and notes for each one.
What Is Equity?
Equity is the value YOU own in property such as a house. It’s the difference between what’s OWED and what the property is WORTH in the current market.
The example this video shows – you have a house worth $300,000 today and you owe the bank $200,000. Your equity would be $100,000.
If the house is valued at $500,000 in five years, and you still owe $150,000 your equity will be $350,000.
Equity grows if the property value goes up or if the amount owed goes down. The key thing to remember, simple as it sounds, is that you “own” increases in value. The bank’s loan doesn’t go up if the home’s value goes up.
Equity in a home can be used as collateral for loans but a house is not a piggy bank. Home equity can become a key financial asset over time; treat it wisely.