Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Home Finance Loan: How Much Can You Afford?

Potential home buyers are faced with a critical decision; how much can they afford to borrow from a home mortgage loan? The decision on how much of a home mortgage loan you can take on will depend entirely on your monthly expenses and how much household income is earned. You don’t want to have to scrimp and save each month in order to make your home mortgage loan payment; so what do you do?

Get your finances in order

When you are ready to buy a home, to figure out how much money you can afford to spend on a home mortgage loan, you will have to do some math. You first need to decide how much of a down payment you can make and deduct this from the price of the home. What is left will be what needs to financed by a home mortgage loan. To find out how much you can afford each month, you need to calculate the rest of your bills first.

The cost of housing

Each month, the taxes, interest and principal on a home mortgage loan shouldn’t be more than 25%-28% of your pre-tax, gross income. This figure will also depend upon how much debt you have to start. You will also need to add in utility costs for your new home as well.

Your outstanding debt

To get this figure, you will need to include not only the home mortgage loan payment, but any credit card bills, child support or alimony payments you make, student loans and any other outstanding monies you owe. This figure should not be more than 35% of your pre-tax, gross income.

The rate you will be offered will be decided by the amount of debt you have outstanding, not just your income. This is called your debt to income ratio. If you have a lot of outstanding debt, your rate will not be as attractive as those offered to people who are carrying less of a debt burden. It is for you to understand how much money you can afford to pay a home mortgage loan each month and not the lender.

What to beware of when shopping for a home mortgage loan

The lending market is saturated with unscrupulous lenders who are only looking to make a sale. That is why it is so important you have a handle on your financial picture. Many times home mortgage loan officers try to convince you to take out a higher loan for a home you cannot afford.

Loan officers realize that the first bill most of us pay is the mortgage. They also know that your home mortgage loan will soon be sold to another company and that should any problems arise with paying back the loan, it won’t be their problem. They will already have made their commission and moved on to the next customer while you are saddled with payments you can’t afford.

Do your homework before deciding how much to spend on a new home. Take into account all your monthly expenses, not just debt and housing costs. You will need food, electricity, phone, and insurance, along with the myriad expenses that crop up each month. Be a smart home mortgage borrower and know all the facts before you sign on the dotted line.

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For complete and holistic information on this topic, consult the experts at Home Mortgage Loan Rate. There’s no better place to find out what you need to do. A simple click will get you ready answers! Do it now. Don’t wait for tomorrow. Talk to those who know best!

Sunday, October 28, 2007

Organizations Involved in the Home Loan Process

Going about the process of buying a new home involves several organizations. The home loan may be one of the ultimate goals but there are many people and groups involved in the process of obtaining it.

In order to get a home loan, people and organizations such as inspectors, real estate agents, credit agencies, title search people and others need to sign off on the project. Who they are is usually dictated by the home loan people but having them all lined up and ready to sign off is up to you.

Who is involved?

The people and groups involved in getting the home loan issued include: you, the lender, the real estate agents (for you as well as the seller), the inspector, the title company, your creditors, your employer and your spouses’ employer and credit history if the purchase is to be a joint purchase.

The home loan lender

This group can be a bank or other financial organization. Generally, they are the ones that require all the paperwork to let the home loan proceed. Unfortunately, they are the ones that require the information and are not necessarily the ones who pull it together. The documentation for the home loan is largely your responsibility although the home loan lender will likely verify the financial details before the loan proceeds. Generally, having as much documentation pull together before hand is a wise idea.

The real estate agents
The real estate agent can be a good guide for getting you through the maze of home loan paper work. They have been through the process before and have a fairly good idea what to expect. They are not responsible for pulling information together but can be a good resource for finding and using reputable people during the process. Title search and inspection companies might be a good example of resources they can help locate.

Inspectors

The inspection process is a requirement for most home loans. Generally, this process is a good idea in any event. It is always good to know beforehand if repairs or upgrades are going to be likely in the future. However, if the inspector finds that the home has significant issues the home loan may not be able to proceed. Unfortunately, in this instance, the search for a new home will need to go on. Fortunately, most of the home loan paperwork has been completed so this event is more of a disappointment than a home loan disqualifier.

Title Search Company

This company’s work can be the scariest work in the entire process. One might think that the process has been done before so there should be little issue. Unfortunately, this can sometimes not be the case. The home loan company wants to know that the property is free and clear of encumbrances. If it is not free and clear there cannot be a sale. Generally, the scary part is that when something is found it comes out of nowhere. Where title searches are concerned Murphy’s Law applies; if something bad can happen, it will happen.

When dealing with finances ensure that you consult with the right resource. Make the right decision. To find out how you can get a win-win situation log in to Home Owner Loan today. It’s your best resource on this topic. Hear it from the experts!