California has one of the most lucrative real estate markets in the entire country. The great climate, exceptional beaches and large concentration of high net worth individuals are some of the reasons that contribute to the success of the California real estate market. Property prices are also some of the highest, which means that the mortgage market is also one of the largest in the country. As a result, the state has hundreds of major lenders, who as you might have guessed, are not the same. When you want to buy property in the state, therefore, you need to take your time to identify the best service provider. The following are the most important factors to consider when looking for California mortgage companies: i) State Licensing When it comes to lending, you should not work with an out-of-state lender. This is because the law requires lenders to register with the state and get authorization to offer mortgages to local residents. Before choosing a mortgage company, therefore, be sure to check whether or not they are licensed. ii) Experience Working with experienced lenders is always a great idea because they understand the needs of local borrowers. As a result, they are in a great position to adjust their terms and conditions and deliver quality products and services. Firms that have been in the industry for long also know how to price their products properly, so you can get the best offers on both fixed and adjustable rate mortgages. iii) Reputation Since you would want to negotiate the interest rate quoted by the lender, it is important you choose a lender that is known to have room for negotiation. If you have a high credit score and have saved up for a 20% downpayment, be sure to choose a lender that is willing to negotiate the mortgage rate. This will ensure you get the most affordable loan possible.
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If you are trying to decide on what mortgage company to choose, then maybe you could use a little extra help. You don't want to make a mistake, and there is no reason to feel overwhelmed. Keep reading to find out some very valuable information that can serve to help you locate the best mortgage. If you are planning on purchasing a house, make sure your credit is in good standing. Most lenders want to make sure your credit history has been spotless for at least a year. To obtain the best rate, your credit score should be at least 720. Remember that the lower your score is, the harder the chances of getting approved. Get a pre-approval letter for your mortgage loan. A pre-approved mortgage loan normally makes the entire process move along more smoothly. It also helps because you know how much you can afford to spend. Your pre-approval letter will also include the interest rate you will be paying so you will have a good idea what your monthly payment will be before you make an offer. Regardless of how much of a loan you're pre-approved for, know how much you can afford to spend on a home. Write out your budget. Include all your known expenses and leave a little extra for unforeseeable expenses that may pop up. Do not buy a more expensive home than you can afford. Know how much you can afford to put towards your home mortgage. Do not rely on the lender to tell you the amount you qualify for, causing you to borrow the maximum amount. Try planning your budget and leaving some room for unexpected expenses. This is usually the case when you buy a home. You can use banking calculators to determine how much you can afford on a home and provide an estimate of the monthly mortgage payments. Know the amount you are paying for closing costs, and remember to itemize. Whether you pay closing costs up front or the costs are added to your loan, you need to know how much you are paying. Sometimes you can negotiate with the seller to split some of the closing costs. Draw up a budget before applying for a home loan. It is important that you know how much you can realistically spend on a mortgage payment. If you aren't paying attention to your finances, it is easy to over-estimate how much you can afford to spend. Write down your income and expenses before applying for the mortgage. Approach adjustable rate mortgages with caution. You may get a low rate for the first six months or so, but the rate can quickly increase to the current market rate. If the market rate goes up, your rate can go up as well. Just keep that in mind when you are considering that option. Lenders look at your debt-to-income ratio in order to determine if you qualify for a loan. If your total debt is over a certain percentage of your income, you may have trouble qualifying for a loan. Therefore, reduce your debt by paying off your credit cards as much as you can. If your appraisal isn't enough, try again. If the one your lender receives is not enough to back your mortgage loan, and you think they're mistaken, you can try another lender. You cannot order another appraisal or pick the appraiser the lender uses, however, you may dispute the first one or go to a different lender. While the appraisal value of the home shouldn't vary drastically too much between different appraisers, it can. If you think the first appraiser is incorrect, try another lender with, hopefully, a better appraiser. Don't apply for new credit and don't cancel existing credit cards in the six months before applying for a mortgage loan. Mortgage brokers are looking for consistency. Any time you apply for credit, it goes on your credit report. Avoid charging a large amount during that time and make every payment on time. Pay your credit cards on time if you are considering a home mortgage in the next few years. Your credit score and debt to income ratios will come into play when you go for a home mortgage. If you have multiple late payments or are carrying a lot of debt, you may find the mortgage offers you receive to be poor. If you are looking to buy any big ticket items, make sure that you wait until your loan has been closed. Buying large items may give the lender the idea that you are irresponsible and/or overextending yourself and they may worry about your ability to pay them back the money you are trying to borrow. One type of loan that is not normally talked about is an interest only loan. This type of loan allows you to make low monthly payments for a certain period, then the payment amount increases. These loans are generally used to help you get into a home at a low monthly payment. Know your mortgage interest rate type. When you are obtaining home financing you should understand how the interest is calculated. Your rate could be fixed or it could be adjustable. With fixed interest rates, your payment will usually not change. Adjustable rates vary depending on the flow of the market and are variable. If you have filed for bankruptcy, you may have to wait two or three years before you qualify for a mortgage loan. However, you may end up paying higher interest rates. The best way to save money when buying a home after a bankruptcy is to have a large down payment. Pay off or lower the amount owed on your credit cards before applying for a home mortgage. Although your credit card balances do not have to be zero, you should have no more than 50 percent of the available credit charged on each credit card. This shows lenders that you are a wise credit user. All in all, you will be satisfied with your mortgage if you use what you have now learned. You never want to feel like you've made a decision that will cost you years of your life's finances. Getting the mortgage you deserve helps keep everything in order and helps provide for your family. done by a mortgage. Getting a loan may seem like an intimidating process, but once you read this article, you may see that it isn't hard at all. Don't be tempted to borrow the maximum amount for which you qualify. The amount the lender is willing to loan you is based on numbers, not your lifestyle. Consider your life, how your money is spent, and what you can afford and stay comfortable. Start saving all of your paperwork that may be required by the lender. These documents include pay stubs, bank statements, W-2 forms and your income tax returns. Keep these documents together and ready to send at all times. If you don't have your paperwork in order, your mortgage may be delayed. While you wait to close on your mortgage, avoid shopping sprees! Credit is often rechecked near the final approval, and if you're spending too much, you may be denied. Wait until after the mortgage is a sure thing to make any major purchases. Define the terms you have before you apply for your mortgage. Don't just do this because you want the lender to see you're keeping your arrangements, but do this so you have a good monthly budget you can stick to. This means that you should set an upper limit for what you're willing to pay every month. Regardless of a home's beauty, feeling house poor is no way to go through life. Prepare your paperwork before applying for a mortgage. There are many items that a lender will require. These items include the last two or three years worth of tax returns, copies of each of your monthly credit card statements and installment loans. Three months bank statements and two months worth of pay stubs are also needed for approval. You should know that some mortgage providers sometimes approve clients for loans they cannot really afford. It is up to you to make sure you will be able to make the payments on time over the next years. It is sometimes best to choose a smaller mortgage even though your mortgage provider is being generous. Make sure you know how much you can afford before applying for a mortgage. Do not rely on what your lender says you can afford. Make a budget, allowing room for any unexpected expenses. Use online calculators which can help you estimate how much mortgage you can afford to pay monthly. Have the necessary documents ready. There are a few documents that you'll be expected to have when you come in for a home mortgage. You'll need to provide bank statements, income tax reports, W-2 statements, and at least two pay stubs. Having these at the ready will help make your meetings go much quicker. Know that Good Faith estimates are not binding. These estimates are designed to give you a good idea of what your mortgage will cost. It should include title insurance, points, and appraisal fees. Although you can use this information to figure out a budget, lenders are not required to give you a mortgage based on that estimate. Save up for the costs of closing. Though you should already be saving for your down payment, you should also save to pay the closing costs. They are the costs associated with the paperwork transactions, and the actual transfer of the home to you. If you do not save, you may find yourself faced with thousands of dollars due. Make sure you pay down any debts and avoid new ones while in the process of getting approved for a mortgage loan. Before a lender approves you for a mortgage, they evaluate your debt to income ratio. If your debt ratio is too high, the lender can offer you a lower mortgage or deny you a loan. Consider using other resources other than the typical bank when it comes to searching for a mortgage. For instance, you may wish to go to family for things like your down payment. You can also check out credit unions as they often have great rates on offer. Think about your options when looking for a good mortgage. Do not embark on the process of buying a home if you have just started a new job within the last year. The best home mortgage rates go to those that have been with a company for a number of years. Having a job for a short time is seen as a risk, and you will be the one to pay for it with a higher interest rate. Consider a shorter term of 20 or 15 years for your mortgage if you are able to handle a higher monthly payment. Loans that are shorter term have lower interest rates. You could save thousands of dollars over a regular 30-year loan in the future. Keep on top of your mortgage application by checking in with your loan manager at least once per week. It only takes one missing piece of paperwork to delay your approval and closing. There may also be last minute requests for more information that need to be provided. Don't assume everything is fine if you don't hear from your lender. Be aware that certain things may need to be done to the property before the loan can be approved. One such thing is extra insulation added to the home. This work can either be done by the home buyer or the homeowner. However, once the work is completed, it must be inspected by a certified inspector. To make the home buying process simpler and less stressful, get pre-approved. The way this is done is to submit all your paperwork to the lender and wait for a decision. The lender will tell you how much they will lend and give you a pre-approval letter. One advantage is you'll know in advance how high you can bid. With the knowledge acquired here, you can feel good that you have quality information about getting the right mortgage. When you finally decide that you will apply for a home mortgage, make sure you apply all of the great advice from this article. Owning your own home is wonderful and the mortgage process can go smoothly. |