A mortgage is a way to use one’s real property as a guarantee for a loan to get money. Real property can be land, a house, or a building. Many people do this to buy the home they use for mortgage: the loan provides them the money to buy the house and the loan is guaranteed by the house. And in order to make sure that you can easily and hassle-free apply for a mortgage, especially in the post COVID condition, here’s a list of things to consider.
Things To Consider Before Applying For A Mortgage
1. Budget Considerations
If you want to qualify for a mortgage and avoid unnecessary hassle and scrutiny (and not to forget unnecessary stress and embarrassment) then it is a good idea to make sure that you get it on your first application itself. And that can be achieved by knowing your budget limits or constraints before even thinking of applying for the mortgage.
You can check out the latest Money Rates at Wall Street Journal website. You can also check out the Mortgage Affordability Calculator at Mortgage Calculators.
2. Debt-To-Income Ratio
There’s nothing more unappealing than a bad debit-to-income ratio especially when you are planning to apply for a mortgage. So try your best to get it under an acceptable limit and then apply for the mortgage. This makes sure that you won’t be rejected.
3. Downpayment
Mortgage lenders love a big downpayment, so the easiest way to lure them in (and also to think about your future, it would be better if you do this) – pay a high downpayment. It not only provides your profile a credibility but also helps you in the paybacks in the futures.
4. Credit Score
Boost your credit score by paying of your previous EMIs on time and by not defaulting under any circumstance. If you credit score is below a certain range then it shows up on your profile and chances are you won’t be entertained by the respectable money-lenders at all. SO make sure that before you go about trying to find the perfect money lender for your mortgage, first clean up your credit score. It will greatly improve your chances.
5. Documentation
Be ready with all the documentation. You need to make sure you have the following things in place before you even consider taking a mortgage:
- Your ID
- Social Security Number & proof
- Pay slips of last 30-60 days
- I-9 from the last 2 years
- Proof of any other source(s) of income
- Federal tax returns
- Recent bank statements
- Details of long-term debits
- All property-related documentation
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