Category: Mortgage

Here’s What To Do If Your Mortgage Won’t Let You Make Extra Payments

Freedom from debt is a common and powerful financial goal. Owning your home free and clear with no other debts gives you a strong financial base for whatever plans you may have in life. In most situations, you will save money if you make extra payments on an existing mortgage. Doing so will directly reduce […]

The post Here’s What To Do If Your Mortgage Won’t Let You Make Extra Payments appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

Source: thesimpledollar.com

20-Year vs. 30-Year Mortgages: Get a Lower Rate?

It’s time for a new mortgage match-up. Since paying down the mortgage early seems to be so en vogue these days, it makes sense to compare “20-year mortgages vs. 30-year mortgages.” The most common type of mortgage is the 30-year fixed. It amortizes over 30-years and the mortgage rate never changes during that time. Each [&hellip

The post 20-Year vs. 30-Year Mortgages: Get a Lower Rate? first appeared on The Truth About Mortgage.

Source: thetruthaboutmortgage.com

21 Mortgage Questions You Should Know the Answer To

I thought it would be helpful to create a post that answers a lot of top “mortgage questions” that consumers tend to ask in one convenient place. You should know the answers to all of these questions if you’re serious about getting a mortgage and ready to buy a home. Additionally, you might be better [&hellip

The post 21 Mortgage Questions You Should Know the Answer To first appeared on The Truth About Mortgage.

Source: thetruthaboutmortgage.com

12 Home Selling Tips for 2021

While the recent stock market boom, coupled with near-record low mortgage rates will undoubtedly make prospective home buyers feel richer, lofty asking prices may have the complete opposite effect. Regardless of what happens to the economy this year, chances are that those who are planning to buy a home will, assuming they can find one [&hellip

The post 12 Home Selling Tips for 2021 first appeared on The Truth About Mortgage.

Source: thetruthaboutmortgage.com

How Long Does It Take To Buy A House?

How long does it take to buy a house? The answer is: it depends. You can buy a house in a matter of weeks or it can take you anywhere from 4 to 6 months. The question is how ready are you? It can take a long time, and that’s just learning about various mortgage options or improving your credit score.

So understanding the various factors involved in buying a house can give you an estimate of how long it will take you to buy the house

Check out now: 5 Signs You Are Not Ready To Buy A House

How long does it take to buy a house? A step-by-step guide.

It can take a homebuyer a few weeks to several months to complete the home buying process. But when determining how long it will take you to buy a house, you first have to find out if you will be pre-approved for a mortgage. There is no sense of shopping for a house to then realize you can’t afford it.

If you are interested in comparing the best mortgage rates through LendingTree click here. It’s completely free.

I. How long does it take to get a pre-approved mortgage letter in order to buy a house?

If you’re serious about buying a house, it’s important to get pre-approved for a mortgage. So when it’s time to make an offer, the seller will know you’re serious. If you don’t have one handy, the seller will likely move to the next buyer.

Getting pre-approved for a mortgage in order to buy a house can take longer. That is because you have to make sure your financial situation is in shape. For example, your income-to-debt ratio, your down payment, and your credit score must be good. That’s exactly what a mortgage lender will look at.

Even when these things are in order, shopping and comparing mortgage rates and fees can take several weeks.

Let’s take a look on how long it will take you to get these things in shape before buying a house.

Click here to compare mortgage rates through LendingTree. It’s completely FREE.

A. How good is your credit score?

A low credit score can make buying a house take longer, because it can take months to a year to improve a bad credit score.

A conventional loan will usually require a 640+ credit score.

In fact, your credit score is the number 1 item mortgage lenders look at to decide whether to offer you a mortgage. And if it is not where it’s supposed to be, you might get rejected.

Luckily for you there are other ways to get a loan with much lower credit score: FHA loans.

FHA loans only require a credit score of 580 with 3.5% down payment. You may get qualified with a 500 credit score, but you’ll have to come with a 10% down payment.

So before you get into the fun part of shopping for a mortgage or visiting homes, it’s best to know what your credit score is and take steps to improve it.

You can get a free credit score at Credit Sesame.

B. Fix errors on your credit report.

Fixing errors on your credit report in order to get pre-approved for a loan in order to buy a house can take 30 days.

According to Transunion, “most investigations are completed within 2 weeks, but some may take up 30 days.”

Again, we recommend you get a free credit report at Credit Sesame. A credit report will give you a detail analysis of your credit history, how much debt you owe, and how creditworthy you are, etc. If there are any errors or inaccuracies, fix them immediately so there’s no surprise when you’re actually applying for a mortgage.

The best way to do that is by filing a Transunion dispute or Equifax dispute.

C. Do you have a down payment for the house?

How long it will take you to buy a house will also depend on whether or not you already have money saved up for a down payment.

Unless you’re going to buy the house with outright cash, you’ll need a down payment. And saving for a down payment can take a long time. Depending on your income and expenses, saving for a down payment on a house can take years.

Assuming, for example, you want to buy a house that will cost you $450,000, and you’re using a conventional loan to finance the house. With a 20% down payment, you will need to come up with $90,000.

Let’s say again, because of other monthly expenses, you can only save $1500 a month for the down payment.

You see how long it will take you to save for a down payment to buy the house? 5 years. And that doesn’t even take into account other upfront costs of buying a house, such as closing cost.

While it’s possible to get a mortgage with a down payment as low as 3.5% of the home purchase price, it’s advisable to put at least 20% down. The reason is because you will avoid paying private mortgage insurance (PMI), which protects the lenders in case you default on your mortgage.

Home buyers with a down payment below 20% are usually charged with PMI.

Another reason for a larger down payment is that it reduces the cost of the mortgage, grows equity much faster, and saves you on interest over the life of the loan.

As you can see, it can take you as much as 5 years from the time you’re thinking about buying the house to the time you’re actually ready to start the process.

But once you have taken care the things above, buying a house can go a lot faster.

II. How long does it take to find a real estate agent?

Average time: 1 day to a month

Once you have been pre-approved for a mortgage, the next step is to find an experienced real estate agent. Finding a good real estate agent can take a day to a month. Websites such as Zillow and Redfin list real estate agents you can use.

III. Shopping for a home.

Average time: a few weeks to a few months

With the help of a real estate agent and your own due diligence, finding a home can can go faster or take longer depending on available homes, the season and your desired location.

But experts say on average it can take a minimum of three weeks to a few months.

IV. Making an offer, negotiation, and inspection.

Average time: 1 to 10 days

Once you have found the home of your dream, the next step is to make an offer. You and the seller can go back and forth negotiating the price.

Once your offer has been accepted, you and the seller sign something called a purchase agreement. Then, the next step is to hire a professional to inspect the home for defects. Depending on your state, a home inspection must be completed within 10 days. And if the inspection finds some defects in the house, that could delay the process.

V. How long does it take to close on a house?

Average time: 30 to 45 days.

Once the inspection is done, your lender will need to officially approve you for the loan. And depending on the lender, it can also affect how long it takes to buy a house. You may need to provide additional documents. But the lender will need to assess the home for its value. And depending on the program (whether it’s conventional loan or FHA loan) it can take anywhere from 30 to 45 days to close on a home.

Bottom line

When asking yourself this question: “how long does it take to buy a house?” The answer is : it depends. If you have your credit score, your down payment, your other finances under control, you can buy your house in two months or less. But if you have to save for a down payment, fix errors on your credit report, raise your credit score, the whole home buying process can take years.

Click here to compare mortgage rates through LendingTree. It’s completely FREE

Still wondering how long it takes to buy a house? Read the following articles:

  • 5 Signs You’re Not Ready To Buy A House
  • 10 First Time Home Buyer Mistakes To Avoid
  • 3 Signs You’re Not Ready to Refinance Your Mortgage
  • The Biggest Mistakes Millennials Make When Buying a House
  • 7 Signs You’re Ready To Buy A House

Work with the Right Financial Advisor

You can talk to a financial advisor who can review your finances and help you reach your goals (whether it is making more money, paying off debt, investing, buying a house, planning for retirement, saving, etc). So, find one who meets your needs with SmartAsset’s free financial advisor matching service. You answer a few questions and they match you with up to three financial advisors in your area. So, if you want help developing a plan to reach your financial goals, get started now.

The post How Long Does It Take To Buy A House? appeared first on GrowthRapidly.

Source: growthrapidly.com

New York City renters hold more than $1 billion in back rent

NY Gov. Cuomo expands stimulus eligibility requirements to get remaining funds out the door

Source: mpamag.com

Tips for Financing Investment Properties

Purchasing an investment property can be an exciting milestone for a would-be landlord or entrepreneur. The financing for investment properties, on the other hand, isn’t nearly as exciting. It can be a trouble spot, though. Investment property loans aren’t as easy to get as conventional home purchase financing. If you don’t have the cash to […]

The post Tips for Financing Investment Properties appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

Source: thesimpledollar.com

10-Year Mortgages vs. the 30-Year Fixed: Which Is Better?

It’s time for another mortgage match-up folks. Today, we’ll look at 10-year mortgages versus the 30-year fixed mortgage to see how these home loans stack up against one another. Before we get started, it’s important to note that there are two very different types of 10-year mortgages out there. One a fixed-rate mortgage that is [&hellip

The post 10-Year Mortgages vs. the 30-Year Fixed: Which Is Better? first appeared on The Truth About Mortgage.

Source: thetruthaboutmortgage.com

2021 Mortgage Rate Predictions: Mostly Flat But More Record Lows Possible

Yet another year is about to come to an end, and that means it’s time to look ahead to what next year has in store. I think just about everyone wants to see the back of 2020, though it wasn’t all bad news. The housing market actually held up surprisingly well, and mortgage lenders enjoyed [&hellip

The post 2021 Mortgage Rate Predictions: Mostly Flat But More Record Lows Possible first appeared on The Truth About Mortgage.

Source: thetruthaboutmortgage.com

How to Get a Wholesale Mortgage Rate

Mortgage Q&A: “How to get a wholesale mortgage rate?” Wholesale mortgage rates tend to be considerably cheaper than their retail counterparts, though it’s never a guarantee with so many lenders out there these days. To get your hands on one, you need to shop for your home loan with a mortgage broker, who has access [&hellip

The post How to Get a Wholesale Mortgage Rate first appeared on The Truth About Mortgage.

Source: thetruthaboutmortgage.com