First Stop 4 Home Loans

Do you know the answer to this?  Have you thought about the responsibility that comes with homeownership?  It is nothing like renting.  You can’t just call the supe to come over and fix the clogged sink or make a call when your neighbors are too loud.  It’s a really big deal this thing called homeownership. 

In a recent survey, the main reason first time buyers bought was an affordable market.  The two reasons that followed were the tax credit and the low interest rates.  Now, today is the last day you can take advantage of the tax credit.   As you have heard over and over, you need a signed and accepted purchase agreement  by today AND must close on your new home by June 30th. 

Honestly, how did you answer the question above “Why are You Buying a Home”?  Was it because you could get an $8000 tax credit?  As much as I hate to say this, if your answer to this was yes, you’re not alone.  I have talked to so many people in the last 12 months that decided to buy because of the money the government was giving away.  My advice to them — great incentive to get out and start looking, but only purchase if you’re ready AND completely understand what you’re getting into.  I just tweeted that it’s better to have “lost” $8000 vs. $80,000 or more due to a bad judgment on buying a home just to get the credit. 

Here’s the thing.  Yes, the money will be gone and that’s a bummer.  I can’t help you there.  BUT, what I can do is offer up the other two reasons people bought this year — affordability and low rates.  Seriously, this couldn’t be a better time to buy.  As we discuss weekly on our radio show, MN Real Estate Show on KTLK 100.3, this market is going to be here a little while — at least another 2-3 years.  Home prices are not going to rebound fast because we have more foreclosures to get through.  With that said, homes under $250,000 are still being gobbled up fast if they’re decent homes.  Regardless of that, you have the lowest prices to purchase at in record years.

And what about low rates?  I don’t have a crystal ball — wait, I DO have a bouncy crystal ball, but it doesn’t help me predict the future.  I wish it did and I wish I had that ability.  What I do know is that there are PLENTY of first time buyer programs out there with down payment assistance and lower-than-market interest rates.  I have access to them all, PLUS, we do a few other things that most lenders don’t.  For instance, in one of my blogs I talk about the 203K loan with FHA.  I noted in the paragraph above that homes are gobbled up if they’re decent.  What about the less-than-perfect homes?  As a first time buyer, it’s tough to afford a home and then on top of it have money to do work.  This is your BEST opportunity to make the house “yours”.

These are all great reasons to buy a home.  And there are more, such as no longer paying another person’s mortgage by renting.  May as well put your money into something that will appreciate — though that will take a little time, it’s still a better investment.  There is something to be said about having your own place.  Downside is you will have more expenses, maintenance, including furnishing and decorating.  These are all things to consider.  But, it’s yours.  Not someone elses.  You can do whatever you want to the house.  You don’t have to answer to anyone.  It’s the pride of ownership and that alone is one of the best reasons to buy in my opinion!

Then there’s the “tax credit” you get.  No, not speaking of the one that expires today.  That would be silly.  I am talking about the tax benefit of owning a home.  Most of you probably don’t get to write off any expenses, like the donations you give of stuff or money.  Wouldn’t it be nice to get a benefit from that?  As a homeowner, each year you can itemize all of the interest you pay on the loan and all the property taxes you paid that year.  Did you know, you can also itemize the state income tax that you pay?  Nice benefit there.  I don’t want to mislead you.  Not everyone will get this tax benefit, or I should say, be able to utilize it.  If the loan size is smaller, along with lower rates, you may not have enough itemized deductions to EXCEED the standard tax deduction listed on page 2 of the 1040′s.  And that’s okay.  Sometimes not paying a lot for a home loan is a really good thing!  There’s more to this and I am happy to explain further your benefits based on your situation.

So, the question still stands — “Why are You Buying a Home?”  I’ve given you plenty of reasons that still make sense even though the tax credit is expiring.  My hope is you have other reasons for owning.  But as I said earlier, it’s NOT something to enter into lightly.  As a matter of fact, the best advice I can give you, short of coming to one of my seminars , is to go to a Homestretch Course.  This will not only teach you most of what you need to know when buying, but also what it takes to maintain your home after it’s yours.  Also, this will meet the pre-requisite to be eligible for most of the first time buyer programs.  Look at that — kill 2 birds with one stone — learn about homeownership AND qualify for down payment assistance.  And who doesn’t want interest-free money and lower rates?  Sign me up

Are you buying your first home?  How has your experience been so far — with the realtor, loan officer, even the listing side?  What have you heard about the home buying process?  Is there just one house out there for you or could there be more?  Good questions to ask yourself as you go through this unknown and possibly long process.

I can tell you that everyone’s experience is different.  That’s just the nature of the beast.  But, because this is such a personal decision, you really want to  make sure you’re working with people you can trust and actually like.  I know this may sound silly.  I have known people to buy big ticket items, including houses and not like who they worked with.  Gosh, I hate to say it, but I fell into this category once. 

About 9 years ago, I went to buy/lease a car at Lexus.  Now, I drive a mini-van — nature of the “mom” beast!!  Anyway, we only have 2 options in the MN area for Lexus — I chose the closest one to test-drive on December 31st for their “December to Remember” event– so I was under the gun to BUY before January 2nd.  I test drove a car with a salesperson who I am happy to say is no longer there.  I found the car I really wanted, but needed to negotiate the buyout of my other car — I got an estimate from them, lower than what I KNEW I could get.  I was determined I was going to buy a car THAT DAY, so I brought my husband for his seal of approval.  I had the price of the new vehicle just where I wanted it — now for my trade.  A heated discussion ensued between my husband and the used car sales manager about HOW they determined the price — Kelly or NADA.  Oh, what a night of poor behavior on both parties, even me for not standing up to the rude behavior.  To end it all, the salesperson yelled us out the door saying he never wanted to see him in the dealership again — real professional!

My husband was walking … but I wanted the car.  Being a person of great determination and getting my way, I actually went back to the dealership on January 2 and bought the car.  Yes, I bought the car.  I was blinded by my desire to have THAT car, that it didn’t matter how they treated my husband or us.  Looking back, I am ashamed I let something cloud my judgment and my ethical standards.  To this day, that whole deal frustrates me.  I know how people in sales and the service industry should behave.  Though the customer isn’t always right, they deserve to be treated with decency, care and the utmost respect.  We were NOT respected and I still went through with the deal.

Okay, so where am I going with this?  A car purchase is NOTHING in relation to purchasing a home — a VERY big financial decision.  It makes ALL the difference in the world to not only like who you work with, but who you trust.  As first time home buyers, many Realtors and loan officers don’t “have the time of day” to help you.  Maybe your price point is too low or your knowledge is less than a previous home-owner that they don’t want to INVEST in something that may not reap financial rewards.  I know loan officers AND Realtors that have this mindset.  I do NOT do business with those Realtors.  I want someone who shares my similar values and philosophy — doesn’t matter what price, loan amount or what type of knowledge you have.  It is my responsibility to serve you, to educate you and make sure you are comfortable with the process — a process that can be scary and can be blinding by the new “shiny” house.

So what does love have to do with it?  EVERYTHING!  You don’t have to “love” the people you work with, but you definitely have to enjoy and trust them.  Another point of all this — I bought a car from someone who didn’t care about me, who treated me and my husband with disrespect.  A car … how many of those cars are out there?  I had options.  I did NOT have to buy from them.  With houses, this is the same.  You may fall in love with a home that is perfect for you and your family.  It just may be, but what you need to understand is there are other homes out there.  This isn’t the ONLY home that meets your needs.  The Realtor your working with isn’t the only Realtor out there that can help you.  I am aligned with so many AWESOME agents that really do their job for you.  That’s why we’re here.  Sure, we make money and sometimes not enough to cover the time invested.  BUT, it’s not always about the money — it’s about providing a service with our expertise and show you that we care, that we love what we do and we would like you to love the experience.

There you have it.  So, if you’re in a ”bad relationship” with your Realtor or loan officer, don’t give in.  Don’t think that you can’t do any better, that you have to settle.  I’ve done that and it feels horrible.  Nine years later I remember that experience like it was yesterday.  Just think if I was LIVING in that house that someone sold me that wasn’t my best fit or the payment was really out of my range?  Now how do you think I’d feel?  LOVE the characteristics, knowledge, personality and personality of the people you invest your time with to spend the most money you have ever spent before!

As much as I’d like to say pre-approvals are all the same — they’re not.  Though you can buy the same pair of jeans at numerous stores, you cannot get the same pre-approval from numerous companies.  So why not?  If an FHA loan is an FHA loan, then I should get the same product anywhere I go, right?  Not so much.  The thing is, it’s more that all lenders aren’t created equally, meaning you won’t get the same answer or loan suggestions from everyone.  Also, many lenders don’t have access to the first time home buyer programs.  Due to this, you may very well be steered into a program that may not be right for you OR you may be steered away from those first time programs because they’re “too much work”.  Cry me a river.

The question remains, why aren’t pre-approvals the same?  A pre-approval means different things to everyone.  For instance, one lender may see the pre-approval as just running your numbers over the phone, pulling credit and then issuing you a pre-approval letter.  What’s wrong with this picture?  Isn’t this what pre-approval means?  Nope.  The reputable lenders, me included , realize there is a lot that goes into saying “you can buy a house”.  Yes, we need to run numbers and yes we need to get credit; there is still much more to do.  Your loan must be run through an automated underwriting system (AUS).  This is a program with a million different checks and balances to identify risk or maybe conclude it isn’t a risk at all.  We can run FHA, VA and Conventional loans through this system.  And, it’s HIGHLY advised.  Sometimes the program alerts us to something we missed, such as an issue in credit that’s pages down in the credit report and we missed it.  Other times, it helps us pre-approve a buyer that may not have qualified otherwise.  For instance, let’s say the normal guideline is to take 41% of your gross monthly income toward your debts and proposed house payment.  Maybe this is a bit limiting for what you’re looking for.  Looking at your credit and assets, I can determine that you are well qualified to extend yourself a bit.  (NOTE:  I am not here to increase your payment just so I can do a bigger loan.  You need to spend what you feel is comfortable.)  After I run it through AUS, I may get an approval up to 45% of your income.  This just made it so you can afford a larger loan amount and possibly the house you want.  If the payment is something you can live with, then off to the races we go.  If not, then let’s chat about where you want to be.  Ultimately, this decision should be driven by a budget — something that lays out what you owe and what expenses you have monthly in relation to your NET income (after taxes).  You know, things like clothes, dinner out with friends, a $4 cup of coffee every Monday and Friday, or whatever.  It’s crucial to budget.

Okay, so now you know we need to have the loan run through the automated system.  Now what?  We’re all human.  There is that element of imperfection — typing something wrong, from income to assets — the information is only as good as the accuracy of the data entered.  The next part of the pre-approval is gathering documentation for your loan, paperwork that supports what you supplied on the loan application.  I have had this happen before — a client told me he worked an extra 4 hours a week in overtime.  I confirmed verbally that this has been going on for the last 2 years (need a history of this type of income).  He stated that 4 hours was on the low end and sometimes it’s more.  To be safe, I used the lesser number to avoid a possible inaccurate pre-approval.  It was crazy when I finally got the paystub and low and behold, overtime didn’t really exist at all!    Either he’s not telling the truth (and I always give the benefit of the doubt) or the company isn’t paying him as they should be.  Turns out it was the latter.  Bummer, huh?  Needless to say, my income was off, so it was putting a damper on their qualifying power.  We had to adjust their searches down.  As simple as this may seem, it’s not.  I liken it to buying a TV.  Let’s say your research shows that based on your savings, you can afford a 27″ TV (do they make those anymore??).  You head over to the “big box” store and right there, first thing you see, is a beautiful, crystal clear 32″ LCD TV.  Now, I don’t know about you, but that TV is going home with me TODAY!  I’ve seen what I could have (if I could afford it) and know that’s what I want.  Looking at the piddly 27″ TVs just doesn’t cut it.  This is the same experience with buying a home.  If you’re looking at homes in a higher price range and then come to find out you don’t qualify that high because your paystubs don’t support the higher income, you’ll be disappointed.  Nothing compares to the home that was $20000 more than your new approval amount.  And the truth is, nothing will compare.  It’s tough to wean yourself off something so much nicer, bigger or what-have-you than what really works in your budget.  It’s critical that your lender gets this documentation ahead of time before you start looking.  No sense getting your hopes up for something that isn’t obtainable.

Okay, so now we know the AUS system has pre-approved your home loan and your documentation supports that — now what?  How can the pre-approval differ if the lenders are playing by the same rules?  Another great question.  First, not all lenders know what to look at with the documentation or how to even calculate your income.  Sad to say, but true.  And, not all lenders are supported in the back end to fulfill their commitments to your pre-approval.  Anyone can say you’re pre-approved; but can they actually process your loan in a timely manner, underwrite the file in-house AND fund the loan on time locally?  Not many lenders can say this.  The “big box” lenders are having a very hard time getting deals done in a 60-90 day window.  Don’t get me wrong; they can be great lenders.  It’s tough to give great customer service and attention when there are so many pieces of business coming in — too much they just can’t handle it.  Truth be told, some lenders, more specifically loan officers, just flat out lie.  Many years ago, the lending industry got an “escape” clause if you will.  Essentially, per MN Statute, the pre-approval and the full approval are NOT guaranteed since things may change.  Remember the stuff you shouldn’t do while in the home-buying process?  People do those things, such as quitting a job a few days prior to closing.  I mean really, you couldn’t wait 2 days?  It was just that bad?  He didn’t think it was an issue — we had him approved and ready to go.  Bummer is that investors are requiring a verbal verification of employment within 5 or even 3 days of closing.  We MUST call your company to make sure you still work there.  You can imagine our surprise when the answer was no.  He was stuck — closing supposed to happen in 2 days, no job, no loan.  We did the only thing we could — wait until he got the job.  Since this wasn’t my deal, I have no idea how the listing agent/seller reacted to this big delay.  My guess is they weren’t too happy.  Can you blame them?

And last, the company, and/or the loan officer, can make or break whether that pre-approval is just a piece of paper with no value.  There are a few good loan officers out there that do the right things to insure you are actually pre-approved for a home loan.  Then there are those who somehow survived all the changes and still don’t have a clue how to read a paystub, let alone ask for one.  It’s common sense.  If someone mentions that they get paid tips a huge flashing light goes off saying “Verify Income” sooner than later.  Why?  Well, tips vary and we need a 2-year history of earning them to use that type of income to qualify.  Oh and those tips that don’t make it to the W2 or tax return … can’t use them.  You will find that Realtors who have been around a long time, know and recognize those lenders and loan officers who perform with their pre-approvals.  Admittedly, I made a mistake last summer using alimony income.  I took the word of the borrower that it was consistent, month after month she was receiving it.  When I received the bank statements to confirm the stability of this income, I failed to look closely for the consistency.  When the underwriter can’t see a pattern, it’s really tough to use the income.  Holy cow did I learn my lesson by doing a loan that was completely free – no income for my company and no income for me.  But that’s what you do … stand behind your letters and do what you say you’ll do.  I put it out there and I will make it happen.  You need to find a lender that will do that — of course, I would love to be that person for you!

In a nutshell (of say 1600 words or so ), you can see that more things go into a pre-approval than just “running your numbers” on a calculator and calling it a day.  Knowing the lender you work with is so important.  The Realtors I work with are number one in the Minnesota area and realize the importance of working with someone who can perform, even if the audience did pay for the show!  Be cautious and be certain that you work with the best lenders who come through, day in and day out.  It’s not just a piece of paper that is the same no matter who you work with; it’s truly the “ticket” to whether you get on the home-buying train or have to get off right before your destination.  No fun being dropped off in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do but start the journey over — assuming you can find a ride that can get you there.  Hope to help you get there soon!

Ahhh, the  market.  The market that is flooded with foreclosures — some that are in decent shape, some that are stripped of anything of value and homes that fall somewhere in between.  Here’s the dilemma that many buyers are experiencing … how do I buy that house when the lender won’t finance it due the condition it’s in?  There’s a great question.  With so many opportunities to get a great deal on a house right now, use first time buyer money and take advantage of a 40-year low in rates, how can anyone “make it happen”?

It’s called the FHA 203K loan.  A little background first on where the mortgage market is now.   Most buyers are using FHA financing, which stands for the Federal Housing Administration.  The main reason is the minimum down payment requirement of 3.5%.  Another reason for its popularity is being the closest thing to a “sub-prime” loan.  Now, I am not saying it’s like a sub-prime loan in the true meaning of it.  It is, however, the most lenient loan on credit score requirements.  You need a minimum mid-score of 620.  Conventional loans recently came back to the marketplace with a 3% down loan in part due to the PMI (private mortgage insurance) companies are willing to insure them.  To do 3%, you must be a first time buyer and in most instances, need scores over 700.  My experience these days supports that score being tough to come by.

Since most buyers are using FHA financing, many are unable to get offers accepted on foreclosed properties with any work that needs to be done.  Why?  A few reasons.  First, FHA is a little more strict on safety and structural issues with the homes.  When we send an appraiser to the property, they’re supposed to look for those things that could pose a hazard, such as missing cover plates on outlets, or the biggest one, peeling paint ANYWHERE in/on the home if the house was built before 1978.  Those homes have a higher chance of the paint being lead-based.  If you eat the paint chips, you could get sick — too many, like a little kid might, and you could die.  That’s scary and that’s why FHA is very clear on their position.  So, if any issues are found, they must be fixed prior to closing on the home   Second, many banks won’t accept FHA financing.  Due to the amount of work potentially required by an FHA appraiser, they don’t want to have a deal fall through if an FHA appraisal comes in with work orders.  In 99% of the cases, the bank won’t fix the issues.  Banks are known for selling the home “as is” and really, this makes sense.  They never lived there, so they really can’t comment on water damage or storm damage or stolen fixtures.  Yes, some people DO take the toilet and sink.  Seriously, what are they going to do with that stuff?  Nothing, I would assume – it’s just a way to say “I’ll show you bank for taking my house away”. 

So, if the bank won’t accept FHA financing and most people are buying this way, how can these foreclosures be sold?  The financing that can handle this is called the FHA 203K loan.  Under this program, there are two sub-programs, the streamline 203K and the full-blown 203K or “K” as I call it.  This is a rehab loan that would allow you to get into a home BEFORE those repairs are completed.  The repairs would be addressed in a bid which is added to your loan size.  There are only a handful of companies that do these loans, mostly because they are labor-intensive and carry a lot of risk.  Cornerstone Mortgage has been doing this for years and understands the niche that is filled by doing the rehab loans.

As I mentioned, there are two sub-programs.  The streamline “K” is a more condensed rehab loan.  The maximum addition to your loan size is $35000 including the “K” costs.  The main difference with the streamline vs. the full-blown “K” is that you cannot do any structural or foundation work on the streamline.  You can paint, carpet, replace the furnace, add A/C, change lighting, add a bathroom, do the roof and even something that isn’t re-habby at all like buying appliances.  Most importantl, you can fix those items that are required by the appraiser to bring the home to FHA standards.  Another REALLY cool thing about this streamline “K” is that Cornerstone CAN do a smaller version of this in conjunction with the MN Housing Finance Agency loan (max $15000 including “K” costs) and you could still get $5000 in assistance.  We can do the the regular version with both the City Living and Dakota County programs, which are programs that just received a big chunk of money at a low rate.  And speaking of rates, if you don’t use a first time program, then the rate on the 203K loans will be about 1/4 – 1/2% higher than a normal FHA loan.  Trust me when I say, this is a screaming deal even at a little higher rate.

The second sub-program is the full-blown “K”.  The loan amount that can be added to your primary loan is UNLIMITED, assuming two things — 1) you can qualify for the loan and 2) you stay under the FHA loan limits, which in the 11-county metro area are $365,000.  In this rehab program, you can do anything — like items mentioned above, doing an addition to the home and get this, even tearing down a home just as long as you re-build on the existing foundation.  Yes, seriously.  Of course, you’d have to get that home pretty darn cheap to keep a new home build under $365,000.

You may be thinking, ‘this is cool, but how do I qualify for this?’  Are there any special requirements?  Nope, not really.  You need the 620 score or higher, need to be able to qualify for the higher loan amount and need to do a little extra in terms of paperwork and hiring a contractor.  We have a team of awesome contractors that are ready to give a free bid based off what your needs are and what the inspection may bring to your attention.  We don’t require you to use our preferred contractor partners, BUT, we highly recommend it.  I can tell you stories as to why another time!

Okay, what’s the process?  More than likely, you won’t be looking for homes that need the work.  But, the appraiser may just require that work has to be done and now the 203K program becomes a necessity.  Essentially, you locate the home, make an offer using the 203K (since many bank-owned properties won’t accept regular FHA financing), we have an inspection and potentially have the contractor out there with you to assess the scope of work and provide a written bid.  This information goes to processing with your file and an appraisal is ordered using the purchase price PLUS the bid.  The home will be valued “as-is” and also given an after-repairs value.  Here’s an example of built-in equity.  I helped finance a townhome that  just required new flooring throughout and then the client decided to get appliances (were none in the home)  – home price was $115,000, bid items added up to $13000 — it appraised at $150,000.  WOW, that’s awesome.  The work, not that extensive at all nor value-enhancing per se, just brought the home to a level playing field with the other townhomes that are in good shape.

There is more to the process, but I see that this post has become quite long.  You can wake up now!!  To summarize, you DO have a way to do an FHA loan and still purchase a home that needs work or is bank owned.  We have the opportunity waiting to help you and I do profess that this is one of those programs I have done quite a bit and with great success.  I hope I can help you make the house you’re buying a “dream home”.

Another month, another seminar frenzy.  It’s all about you — it’s in my Vision for You and truly is part of who I am.  To me, education is key to owning your first home.  Sure, I want to help you navigate through your first financing experience on a house.  The Realtors I work with want to help you find your very first house.  Business is business, right?  Partly.  As a team, we have an alterior motive — we want you to be as prepared as possible for buying a home.  So, to this end, I dedicate three nights a month to first time buyer seminars with the help of some very awesome Realtors.

So, what’s in it for you?  My hope is that you will walk away with a greater understanding of what the process is, how to get started, what programs can help with down payment assistance and other information to understand what you’re “getting into”.  There are many people out there, maybe you included, that have a desire to own a home, but hang in the shadows due to fear, credit challenges or even stories about your friend’s bad home-buying experience.  With something so big as buying a house, you do not want to go in blindly, not to mention work with people that don’t have the market knowledge and extensive resources for assistance.   This process should be educational, stress-free and believe it or not, fun!  I get reminded quite often while talking to people refinancing that lenders and Realtors are not created equally.  Not everyone gets to experience this knowing the facts, being given options on first time buyer programs or being led through the process.  Many of my clients who weren’t first time buyers with me were slammed into the system of homeownership without a clue about the loan they were doing, consequences of certain programs, and some were even put into loans that they didn’t have to be in. 

How would you like to get a grip on your first home-buying experience?  The awesome team I surround myself with would love to help “get your education on,” with NO obligation.  We’ll discuss the process from the first step of pre-approval to the last step of closing on your home and getting the keys!  Oh, and did I mention it’s FREE*?

I have THREE seminars coming up in March.  These are the same seminars, so feel free to pick the one that fits with your work or home location. 

The South metro seminars are on Monday the 15th and Thursday the 18th from 6:30-8pm at the Cornerstone Mortgage office located at 436 Gateway Blvd. in Burnsville.  I will be presenting these steps with trusted partners, Brandon Hedges — Homes of Minnesota Team, as well as Steve Howe – Minnesota Real Estate Team.  We will help you take that first step to home ownership. 

If the North metro is a better fit, then join us Thursday the 25th from 6:30-8pm at the Shoreview Community Center — 4580 Victoria St N #203.  This time, I have the pleasure of presenting with Steve, as well as Tony D’Agostino, also with the Minnesota Real Estate Team. 

Trust me — you will go away knowing so much more about the process AND will feel more comfortable now that you’re armed with information – info that many lenders just don’t share!!  Both will be a fun and educational evening. 

Please register by calling 952-808-0042 as space is limited.  Hope to see you there!

*ALL of our team’s seminars are FREE of charge. Cornerstone Mortgage is proud to be a drop-off site for the CAP agency, which is a non-profit organization that collects food items and gently used clothing for Scott, Carver and Dakota Counties. If you can, please donate a canned food item, baby food or clean clothing so we can continue to support the families in need in the communites we serve!

How do you get started buying your first home — short of actually looking at houses or driving around on a Sunday and visiting open houses?  There really is a “first” step in the home buying process.  It’s to get pre-approved.  Now, don’t mistake pre-qualify for pre-approval.  These are two totally different thing!  A pre-qualification is nothing more than gathering some info on your income, assets and debts to let you know the amount you can afford for a house payment and a sale price.  This process does not hold any water and certainly doesn’t tell a seller you can get home financing. 

Being pre-approved means a couple of things.  First, you’ve applied for a loan – which can be done via the phone, in person or mycompany  website which is the option many take.  Our online application is a secure site which will only take you about 5-10 minutes, depending on how long it takes you to type!!   A one-on-one meeting is not necessary at this time, BUT, I do suggest we meet PRIOR to you looking at homes.  There is a lot to learn about the process, the money you need to purchase a home and the different loan programs and first time buyer programs you could qualify for.  I would be doing you a huge disservice if we didn’t take the time to meet.  Generally, my meetings take 1-2 hours.  I try so hard to keep them manageable for you, but it’s my goal that you leave the appointment with a full understanding of what happens next.  And, you feel like ALL of your questions have been answered.

The second piece to a pre-approval is pulling your credit report.  The credit report is important for a few reasons.  First, regardless of whether you are buying your first home or fifth, you must have at least a 620 credit score.  Though it is true that loans insured by FHA (Federal Housing Administration) and VA (Veteran’s Administration) do not have minimum score requirements, it just doesn’t matter.  FHA and VA are not buying or servicing the loan — the end investor is.  THEY are the ones requiring the 620 score.  And, there are some investors that require a 640 score.  This part of the pre-approval puzzle has become crucial to qualifying for financing.  It didn’t used to be this cut and dry.

The third part is submitting your loan to an automated underwriting system or to an underwriter.  In order to confirm your pre-approval, it’s important that I collect documentation to support the information you provided on the loan application.  The following documents will be required from you to complete this process:

-most recent paystub

-last 2 years W2s AND last 2 years federal taxes (it’s the last THREE if you’re applying for a first time buyer program)

-most recent MONTH bank statement, all pages, all accounts

-copy of your driver’s license (this is part of the Patriot Act that came about due to 9/11)

-any court papers, such as bankruptcy, divorce or child support

Because everyone has a different situation, there may be more documents requested.  For instance, let’s say you had a $3000 deposit into your account from the sale of a car.  Your “extra” paperwork would include a copy of the title, cashier’s check you got for the sale and a copy of the blue book value to substantiate the value matches what you sold the car for.  Now you may be asking why this is any of our business, and truthfully, I would do the same thing too.  All lenders want to source the funds you receive.  If you have deposits other then income, then lenders want to know where the money came from — if it’s a loan, then we need verification of that and need to count payments in our debts.  If it’s a gift, then we need to document that according to the specific program you’re doing.  This can be a lot of back tracking which is why during our appointment, I will advise you what NOT to do while in the home-buying process.  It’s better to know what you need to get to verify deposits then having to re-create documentation that may not even exist.

One of the main reasons this is the FIRST STEP in the process is two-fold — first, it insures that you can get financing and two, you will know what price range you can look at, as well as what payment you’re comfortable with.  Sellers will require that you’re pre-approved.  And just so you know, all pre-approval letters are NOT created equal.  Just because a lender says you’re approved doesn’t mean this is true.  Some lenders don’t take the step of verifying the information provided.  Some don’t understand the rules of the first time buyer programs or don’t know the ins and outs of the loan type you’ve applied for.  The paper the letter is written on is sometimes worth more than the actual “pre-approval”.  More times than I can count, I was presented with a pre-approval letter from another company via the Realtors I work with.  Low and behold, they were coming to me to “save” the deal because indeed, the person was NOT pre-approved.  So, how can you tell?  I guess the only suggestion I have is to work with a reputable company, one that’s known for your special needs (i.e. first time buyer programs).  Listen to your agent’s advice.  Even then, they aren’t always connected to the right people.

Woohoo — you’re pre-approved.  Now what?  It’s time to get excited because the fun begins — you get to look at houses and find one that fits your needs, as well as your budget.  Speaking of budget.  This is a VERY important thing to keep in mind.  A lender can tell you your max payment is $1500, but in your heart and on paper, you know going over $1200 would put you in the poor house.  Staying withing your comfort zone is key to having a great home -buying experience.  I don’t plan to make your house payment so you would be wise to have a number in your head for that “max” payment you’re willing to exceed.  When you do put some numbers down as a budget, don’t forget things like insurance, meals out, entertainment, clothing, etc.  Many people forget these things — hey, even a coffee each day adds up!  Another note … being pre-approved with take a lot of disappointment away from the process.  If you start looking at houses you THINK you can afford and then come to find you don’t fall in that price range; you will be frustrated and bummed.  Believe me; I’ve seen it.  It’s better to know what your range is before you start looking — either on your own or with an agent.

So, take the first step to your home buying experience by getting pre-approved.  It’s the one piece of this home buying puzzle that will help all the other pieces fall into place.

If you’re in the loan process right now, your head is probably spinning with all the new information.  Throw in there a lot of references to insurance — insurance for the home (aka hazard insurance), for the mortgage company (aka PMI or MI) and title insurance.  Oh, and to confuse the matter more, you can actually purchase mortgage insurance on your loan (in case something happens to you, the loan will be paid).  What the heck is the deal with all these insurances and what is really protecting you?

I am so glad you asked.  Let’s just start with some explanatory definitions, then I will get to the meat of this.  Homeowner’s Insurance is insurance that covers your home and the contents in case of a catastrophe or burglary.  As lenders, your house is our collateral.  If something should happen to it, we want to make sure you have enough coverage to replace your home.  This is a policy you purchase with your current insurance agent or one I could refer you to. 

If you were to buy a townhome or condo, you may not need this type of insurance.  In most instances the homeowner’s association covers that with the owner’s association dues.  There are some changes that have occurred with investors in regards to requiring a separate policy.  If the association’s insurance policy only covers “studs out”, then you would need to buy a special policy called a HO-6 — basically, this will cover the “studs in”, which means, all your personal belongings along with cupboards, fixtures and appliances.  If the association does have the extra coverage, it is still advisable for you to get the HO-6 policy (just won’t be as expensive) to cover your personal belongings.  In this instance, proof of this would NOT be required at closing.

How about the “dreaded” Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) on conventional loans or Up-Front Mortgage Insurance (UFMIP) with FHA?  First of all, it’s not something to dread; it’s reality.  And in this day and time with all the private mortgage insurance companies that had to pay on claims due to foreclosure, it will never go away.  In a positive light, it allows you to do a minimum down program.  Anyway, the purpose for mortgage insurance is to insure the lender in case of default.  You remember AIG???  Who couldn’t forget the insurance  company that was bailed out … a few times, right?  They insured a lot of the high risk loans that were done in the past years.  No wonder it’s harder to get this type of insurance.  Only in the last few months have the PMI companies “let loose” a little to do 3% loans.  UFMIP is for FHA loans.  FHA is self-insured.  They have an up-front amount that is financed into your loan amount, as well as a monthly amount for insurance — which is lower than conventional insurance. 

Last, at least the last I intend to address, is Title Insurance.  This is the CHEAPEST insurance you will ever purchase.  There are two types of title insurance — lender’s and owner’s.  The lender’s policy is required to be purchased to insure the lender that they are in first lien position.  One of the title company’s jobs is to search public records at the county to check for any liens.  The title company can only find what is correctly recorded.  You have the  option to purchase a  policy for yourself, called an owner’s policy.  This protects YOU in the event any liens were to appear against the property that you didn’t incur.  For instance, let’s say that a few owners ago, a new roof was put on the home and the owners didn’t pay the contractor.  In order for the contractor to make sure he gets paid, he placed a lien against the home YOU’RE purchasing.  If recorded correctly, the title company will find this and require the seller to pay it off to give you free and clear title.  If, however, someone made a mistake at the county, then it may not show up.  Bummer deal is liens follow the address, NOT the person who incurred them.  Five years later you decide to sell and wah-la, a $5000 lien appears.  Hmmm — what to do?  You have a few options — pay it (cheerfully I’m sure :-D ), go to court to fight it or … drum roll please … at closing when you purchased your home, you purchased owner’s title insurance.  With this insurance, you pay ONCE, at closing, and it covers you for the ENTIRE time you own your home.  This insurance depends on the loan amount and sale price, but for first time buyers, it won’t be much more than $200 or so.  Paying just $200 to save $4000.  No brainer.  The two real estate attorneys I trust would NEVER let their clients close without it.  They spend way too much time fighting in court for other clients that don’t have the insurance.  Unpaid work is just an example of a type of lien, but there are more “opportunities” to have to use it — heirs to a property, divorce situation, many things that may put a  person in title to the home YOU own. 

The long and short — there are many types of insurance during this process.  The only one you have the CHOICE to purchase is the owner’s title insurance.  It’s a necessary, but cheap, evil and well worth the investment.  Just do it!

When I titled this, I could hear Tina Turner singing in my head.  Maybe I could add her soundtrack playing in the background of her big hit … or not!  Let’s get to the topic at hand here — credit.

“Check your credit once a year” is what you’re told all the time.  Open credit cards so you can develop a score.  Close those unwanted accounts.  Certainly, some of this is good advice, but not all of it will help.  More and more in this current market, credit scores have become crucial in determining whether you can get credit or not.  In the last year, scores have become the FIRST thing companies look at when choosing to extend credit.  It didn’t used to be this way! 

But what makes up a credit score?  How do you “get one” if you don’t have it?  What types of things DON’T affect your credit score?  These are all questions and topics that will be discussed at the next Credit Seminar, Thursday, February 18th from 5:30-6:15 pm.  It’s located at the Cornerstone office — 436 Gateway Boulevard, Burnsville, MN.  To RSVP for this event, please contact Cheryl at 952-808-0042.  Bring your questions!

If you want more information about buying your first home, feel free to stay for our First Time Home Buyer Seminar from 6:30-8pm.  Long night, but may be worth your while to learn about the important things surrounding the home-buying process.

Let’s get on our horse and ride out of here before all you-know-what breaks loose with the coming FHA changes.  Okay, that’s a little dramatic … more like a lot dramatic.  Let’s get a grip on reality.  First of all, if you don’t know it, FHA is known for minimum down payment loans.  Right now, and with no change in sight, their down payment requirement is 3.5%.  Being that FHA is federally backed, they have lots of rules and stipulations to follow.

How about we get the “bad” news out of the way first. Please note the quotes. Any FHA loan requires something called Up Front Mortgage Insurance Premiums (UFMIP). FHA is self-insured which means they don’t use private mortgage insurance companies (PMI) to cover a portion of their risk if the loan defaults. This UFMIP is financed into the loan size which is currently equal to 1.75% of the loan amount. The change?? Starting April 5th, they will be increasing that to 2.25%. Why the increase? FHA has had to take a lot of losses due to the high foreclosure rates. They are supposed to keep 2% in their funds for this insurance — they are down to 1/2% — ouch. Hence the increase. So what does this mean to you? Not a lot. It’s about a $5/mo difference in your payment, depending on your loan amount. Calculate that out. $5/mo over year is $60/year and let’s say you live there 5 years — so $300. Doesn’t that seem so piddly? Imagine though that most loans that have been originated in the past 2 years have been FHA. That adds up fast!

This next change is so lame because it will neither help or hurt anyone. Why they have it is beyond me. Currently, FHA doesn’t have a minimum required credit score. The new rule requires buyers with a 580 score or less to put 10% down. OMG, 10% down. Bet you’re questioning what I said regarding a 3.5% down payment from my earlier comment. Reality — it’s a mute point. No investor buying an FHA loan will take a buyer with a score under 620 and some investors are moving toward 640. So, can you say lame with me???

Here’s the doozie that WILL affect you — we just don’t know when. They are predicting Spring/Summer. As of right now, FHA allows the seller to pay up to 6% of the sale price toward your closing costs and pre-paid expenses. Hitting us like a brick in the head, they will be reducing this to 3%! This is huge. Typically, asking the seller to pay 4-4.5% of the sale price gets you what you need. Though the lower the sale price, the higher the seller paids percentage needs to be due to the fixed closing costs that aren’t tied to the loan size. In real terms, instead of just needing 3.5% down payment, you will need to up your investment to about 4.5-5%. Yup, this is really going to hurt in the pocketbooks and savings of the buyers. It’s putting FHA on par with conventional financing which has always limited seller paid costs to 3% (with less than 10% down). FHA does allow gifts for down payment and closing costs.

And, not all changes are bad! Here is the good news — phew!  Of course only 25% of the changes are positive.  Well, that is a bummer.  We just have to deal.  For instance, this change has been effective since Feb. 1.  FHA has temporarily suspended the anti-flipping rule. The term “flipping” has quite a bad rap.  It’s really due to people buying a house at less than market value and turning it to sell for more when the buyer did NOTHING to it to warrant the additional increase in price.  This term gets tossed around like a salad — “I want to buy foreclosed homes and ‘flip’ them” — Whether it’s from friends, the media or even those programs on TLC, almost everyone gets the concept.   The rule, which is suspended for ONE year, said that a purchase agreement on a home HAD to be 90 days away from the date the title transferred to the seller. Whoopie, right? Why is this even important to you?   It’s opened the door to many more homes that you, as an FHA buyer, can actually put in the running. 

That’s about it in a lengthy nutshell! To recap, the two major changes you need to be excited/concerned about is the removal of the anti-flipping rule which is in effect now and the change in seller paid costs with an effective date in Spring.  Just stay tuned for more updates as they come.  And let’s get off our horses and actually enjoy what has changed for the better and sweat about the projected changes when they come.

Nothing like starting a post with a negative — things NOT to do.  It would be better to say what you should do, but as a loan officer that sees so many things that need fixing, I would rather warn vs. fix.  If you’re a first time home buyer, please take the time to look this list over.  Admittedly,  because of it, I sometimes get questions that aren’t really an issue for the pre-approval process.  I totally appreciate that my clients are reading the “instructions” and are checking with me ahead of time.  I would rather be safe than sorry.

Let’s start with the biggest offender — deposits into your bank accounts.  While in the process, please don’t make any deposits other than your regular payroll deposits.  And, please resist the urge to transfer money back and forth between accounts.  So go ahead, ask the question … why is it any of our business what you do in your accounts, right?  I respect that question, but of course, have a valid response.  The thing is, FHA, VA and Conventional guidelines all require that we “source” the funds for down payment.  If there are deposits, we need to verify you didn’t take a loan out (and if so, we need to know the terms of the loan to consider the payment as a debt) or make sure it wasn’t a gift.  The loan type you’re doing needs to allow for gifts and we would need to document the gift and donor.

What else are we going to restrict you from?  Another biggie — please don’t mess with your credit.  For example, don’t start closing unused accounts.  History makes up about 15% of your credit score and if they go away, you will reduce your history.  This is super important for first time buyers since they might not have a long history to begin with.  A few other things — obviously, don’t open any new accounts, pay off any collections (unless your lender told you to do this) or pay off debts.  New accounts mean you’ve had inquiries into your credit.  These can negatively affect your score.  I advise clients NOT to pay collections.  Main reason is tracking, and for the most part, only VA guidelines require collections to be paid.  I would rather you pay it off at closing.  This way we have a paper trail of payment vs. assuming you’ll get a receipt from the collection agency.  Good luck with that!  Oh, and the reason I keep mentioning scores is that they are crucial to whether you can get financing or not.  These days, you must have a 620 score or higher to get a loan.  I have a perfect example of a current client who had a score of 622.  We were golden; but her price range limited what was available to look at.  Finally, five months later, she’s ready to go and I had to pull new credit (reports are good for 120 days).  Due to her increasing her debt-load with balances over 50% of the available credit limit, her score dropped to 618.  UGH!  There is seriously nothing we can do but wait.  On her end, she can use some of the down payment money she was saving to pay down these cards to less than that 50% mark.  Since she had no lates or other derogatory things, this is the only reason her scores decreased.  The moral of the story … don’t mess with credit, which can even mean, don’t increase your balances on revolving lines such as credit cards.

As much as a new job is really cool, make sure you’ve consulted with your lender prior to this change.  We just ask that you don’t change your pay structure or how you’re compensated.  Let’s say you’re currently salaried and you have a great opportunity to earn more by changing how you’re paid (which is usually more a benefit to the employer in the beginning).  So now, you make a base salary, lower than what you were previously making,  but have a whole lot more potential top make more by receiving commissions.  This may be true, but you may have just unknowingly sabotaged your ability to get a loan.  Why?  Well, all loan types require you have a 2-year history of commissions; otherwise, we can’t use the income for qualifying.   This is true with bonus, self-employment, tips and overtime — all need a 2-year history.  So don’t go from being employed to starting your own business either.  This will hinder your financing plans big time.

The next one seems super obvious … well, I think so.  Don’t make any large purchases such as a new car, furniture or appliances.  This covers a few of the areas above.  For instance, if you’re offered a no-payment option for 2 years on appliances, you may say “sweet” and go for it.  Couple things happen here — your credit is checked, so an inquiry is made which may bring your score down.  Also, even though you don’t have payments, we still have to count a payment on this new debt.  This could make it so you can’t buy the home you have a purchase agreement on.   That would not be good, for all parties involved, you especially!

Last is my rule … don’t ever feel like you can’t ask a question.  There is never a right or perfect question, as well as a dumb question.  I have an “open question” policy.  My hope is I can assist you with your loan, and during the loan process, make sure I’m answering your questions before you even have them.

There you have it; a few things that you shouldn’t do while in the loan process.  Believe me, following these “rules” will make the process so much smoother.  It’s easier to paper trail prior to an event happening vs. having to chase papers since it’s already done.  Just say “no” to the above so we can say yes to your loan approval.