Monday, January 5, 2009

How to Know if You Qualify for Today's Best Mortgage Rates

By Mortgage Wizard

Equity Now more than ever the existing equity in your home pays a key factor in determining whether or not you are qualified. Your home value is determined by the recent activity in the surrounding market. What have similar homes in your area selling for with in the last 3 months? The increasing number of foreclosures in most areas are driving home prices down. Lenders look to see what they could sell homes they are lending money on if the home owner ended up defaulting and they were forced to sell. (Banks do not want your home. But they take measures to value it properly in case they end up with it.)

Existing home equity in a refinance or the amount down payment in a purchase is one of the factors that help determine if you qualify for today's best mortgage rates.

Income "Can they afford the new payment if we give them a loan?" This is the first question the bank is going to ask themselves before they agree to extend you a mortgage. You need to be able to document your current income and your income for the two years prior to show you have a history of sustained or increased income. The banks look at your current debt to judge your ability to handle your loan payment. If your loan is under $417,000 they want to make sure that your income is double your monthly debts. (excluding utilities and other miscellaneous debts that do not get reported to the credit agencies. If your loan amount is over $417,000 the same rules apply but they look to see that your debt is at or below 45% of your income.

Assets When determining if a borrower has the capacity to be able to repay a mortgage loan on time liquid assets are taken into account. Most banks like to see that anyone they lend to has a between 2 and 6 months of mortgage payments saved up somewhere in accounts they have access to. This provides a buffer for stability in case someone is between jobs or an unforeseen bill comes up one month. Lenders like to know that someone has enough money saved to be able to overcome unforeseeable events such as paying for car repairs in the event of an accident. Without any assets saved up a person could be forced to reallocate money that typically is used for their mortgage payment for something else.

Credit Score Good credit score and great rate go hand and hand. The better your score the less risky an investment your loan is to the bank because you have proven across the three major credit reporting agencies (Transunion, Experian, and Equifax) that pay your debts back. If your middle credit score from all three bureaus is 720 or above you qualify for the best rates. You have shown them that not only can you afford your loans but you honor them. This helps you qualify for a lower rate because the bank sees you as a stable investment and can count on making less interest on your loan for a longer period of time rather than charging you more interest so they can capture as much of their money back as possible in the event that you do not pay them back.

These are the main qualifying criteria to for mortgage loans. A great first step when applying for a mortgage is to see how you size up in each of these categories. If you are serious about getting a loan and think one or more of these areas may be in question asking a mortgage professional in the best place to start. Lending experts have the tools and knowledge to help you find a loan that fits your needs. It is our job to analyze your financial situation and work on your behalf to pair you with a bank that will lend to you and give you a loan that benefits your financial future. A home is the largest investment most people make in their entire lives. Make sure you have qualified assistance when making this decision. - 15224

About the Author: