Monday, November 25, 2013

Factors To Consider When Applying For A Home Mortgage

Factors To Consider When Applying For A Home MortgageOwning a home can be a sign of independence and success. It allows you to build up equity and the mortgage interest and property taxes are tax-deductible. What can you do to make a home affordable for you?

Reputable lenders look at a list of criteria to decide how much they'll loan you. 

This List Includes:

  • Credit score
  • Existing assets including cash
  • Car leases or loans
  • Credit card balances
  • Debt consolidation loans
  • Home equity loans
  • Installment loans
  • Student loans
  • Other monthly debts
  • Size/source of your down payment

If you'd like to get an idea of what you can afford before talking to a lender, here are a few tools you can use to decide whether a home is within your budget.

Here Are Some Guidelines:

  • As a rule of thumb, your house hunting budget shouldn't be more than 2.5 times your pre-tax annual income.  If you earn $50,000 a year, your budget for house hunting should be around $125,000.
  • Your Housing Expense Ratio, which is principal, interest, taxes and insurance shouldn't be more than 25% to 28% of your pre-tax monthly income.
  • Your Debt-to-Income Ratio should be no more than 36% of your pre-tax monthly income.  This is the ratio between how much you owe and how much you earn.
  • Use an online calculator to figure how much home you can afford.

"Qualifying for" and "can afford" are two different things.  Shopping for a home within your budget will save you a lot of heartache now and in the future.

If you'd like help determining how much mortgage you can really afford, call your trusted mortgage professional today.

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