Years ago, credit scoring had little to do with mortgage lending. When reviewing the credit worthiness of a borrower, an underwriter would make a subjective decision based on past payment history. Then things changed. Lenders studied the relationship between credit scores and mortgage delinquencies. There was a definite relationship. Almost half of those borrowers with…
Read More
Day: January 28, 2014
FICO® Score – a Brief Explanation
When you apply for a mortgage loan, you expect your lender to pull a credit report and look at whether you’ve made your payments on time. What you may not expect is that they seem to be more interested in your FICO® score. “What’s a FICO® score?” is a common reaction. Each time your credit…
Read More
Documenting Your Assets – Verifying Your Down Payment
When buying a home, it is not enough to just come up with the money. With the exception of no asset verification loans, lenders want to verify where the money for your new home will be coming from. If you can document that the funds are coming from your personal savings, the lender is more…
Read More
Closing Costs When Buying or Refinancing a Home
Closing Costs When Buying or Refinancing a Home This is a detailed summary of costs you may have to pay when you buy or refinance your home. They are listed in the order that they should appear on a Good Faith Estimate you obtain from a mortgage lender. There are two broad categories of closing…
Read More
Adjustable Rate Mortgages – The Basics
An adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) has an interest rate that fluctuates periodically. This is in contrast to a fixed rate mortgage, which always has the same interest rate. Every ARM has basic components: An index A margin Adjustment Period An interest rate cap An initial interest rate The Index An ARM’s interest rate is tied…
Read More
Adjustable Rate Mortgages
Adjustable Rate Mortgages – Pros and Cons Now that you know what an ARM is and how it works, you may be wondering what the advantages and disadvantages are. So let’s explore that issue. Offering adjustable rates allows lenders to transfer part of the interest rate risk from themselves to the borrower. If you get…
Read More
Real Estate Glossary
Real Estate Related Terms Defined The Real Estate Market can be confusing. There are so many elements that go into buying or selling a home, and so many terms that are used to describe the process. Here we break down Real Estate related terms so that you have a clearer understanding of what your agent…
Read More
Why Do You Need Title Insurance?
Title Insurance. It’s a term we hear and see frequently – we see reference to it in the Sunday real estate section, in advertisements and in conversations with real estate brokers. If you’ve purchased a home before, you’re probably familiar with the benefits and procedures of title insurance. But if this is your first home,…
Read More
Understanding Title Insurance
What is title insurance? Newspapers refer to it in the weekly real estate sections and you hear about it in conversations with real estate brokers. If you’ve purchased a home you may be familiar with the benefits of title insurance. However, if this is your first home, you may wonder, “Why do I need yet…
Read More
Understanding Preliminary Reports
After months of searching, you’ve finally found it — your perfect dream home. But is it perfect? Will you be purchasing more than just a beautiful home? Will you also be acquiring liens placed on the property by prior owners? Have documents been recorded that will restrict your use of the property? The preliminary report…
Read More