Buying a new property is a big step for any private citizen, but when purchasing a home, an estate, a vacation house, or other large real estate, it is rare for any buyer to purchase the entire property’s cost at once. Instead, installment payments, a mortgage loan, is the standard route, and the good news is, many different companies out there offer competitive mortgage rates and services for new homeowner and other property owners. Loan programs, if handled well by a savvy buyer, can make a purchase very manageable for years to come. Any mortgage company wants to sell its services to customers, and many should be ready and willing to work with someone for the best deal. Personal loans don’t have to break the bank.
Getting Your Mortgage Set Up
Nearly everyone gets a mortgage, and often to cover a lot of expenses; it is believed that in 2016, 14% of buyers were able to finance a whole purchase, 100%, with a mortgage. Many homes vary in prices, and that means different loan payments and rates. In March 2016, in particular, average sale prices for American homes was right around $186,000, and a price tag like that will often call for installment payments and loan programs from trustworthy mortgage companies. Homeowner loans are a topic best understood ahead of time so a buyer can make the best deal right away. In fact, according to data gathered in September 2016, about 59% of homeowners wished that they had understood terms and details of their mortgages better, and this ignorance, while benign, can cost someone a lot of money because it means they probably did not get the best loan programs available. But new homeowners and other real estate buyers can arm themselves with the know-how needed to find the best personal and mortgage rates they can get their hands on.
According to Forbes, loan programs and good mortgage deals can be had if several general guidelines are followed. To start with, a buyer is advised to have a good credit score, since mortgage companies care very much about that; someone with a bad credit score may be deemed untrustworthy or unreliable with a large loan, and could end up with very high interest rates or get rejected from loan programs altogether. The best mortgage rates can usually be had if a customer’s credit score is 760 or higher, interest rates are lower, and continue to go down the higher the score is. Speaking generally, 620 is the lowest score that mortgage companies will accept, although this could mean interest rates closer to 5% than 3%.
In a similar note of financial responsibility, mortgage loan companies will prefer customers who have reliable, steady jobs and income over the last two years, while someone unemployed or who changes jobs often may be met with skepticism or be rejected. For self employers, furnishing the proper paperwork, such as documenting business income and tax returns for the past two years, helps out a lot. The company may also double check the customers’ financial records with the IRS.
Making a bigger down payment than not will also work well for a customer dealing with loan programs for a home. Often, a 20% down payment is the smallest recommended amount, although a 5% down payment is possible if the buyer has few other options. Higher down payments make a customer look lower-risk, and thus, interest rates are also lower. The opposite is true of those who make smaller down payments.
Aside from these strategies, a mortgage customer can consider whether to use a 30 or 15 year plan, based on their financial needs and capability. A 15 year plan has lower interest rates and a shorter time frame, meaning that the principal payments are higher. This is better for buyers who can and want to pay off the loan sooner. A 30 year plan has higher interest rates and therefore a larger repayment total, but the monthly payment is smaller than that of a 15 year plan, since the time frame is twice as long. This is better for those with limited spending power per month.