Buying a home is most likely the largest purchase that most people make in their lifetime. This is because homes are quite expensive to buy and often many people do not have enough money to make a full payment. Therefore, many turn to mortgage companies to get access to loans that they can use to purchase homes and other properties. Due to the large nature of the loan, it is important to find the best fit from among the many California mortgage companies operating in the state. To be able to do this, one should learn about this industry and how it operates. First-time Borrowers Making a decision to take out a mortgage loan to buy a house is huge. Mortgage companies must screen all applicants to determine their risk factor and credit worthiness. Applicants with excellent credit can access larger loans with better rates. Most mortgage companies in California prefer a high credit score of 660 and above. Lenders also consider the applicants debt-to-income ratio (DTI). Anything below 36 percent is generally accepted. FHA Loan Having a big down payment (around 20 percent of the loan) will work in favor of the applicant. It has the effect of lowering their monthly payments as well as their interest rates. If no deposit is available but one has a good credit score and DTI ratio, then a FHA loan can be made available. Here, a 3.5 percent is accepted as the down payment. However, the applicant will bear the closing costs and any other fees required to complete the loan. Get detailed information on this website. Understanding APR and Interest Rates Applicants are advised to look at the prevailing rates with respect to their price range and area of residence in California. Interest rates are generally the costs of taking a loan. APR rates are any other costs, discount points and fees that are associated with the loan. A good idea is to purchase discount points because this will lower the amount of interest rate paid on the loan. One can pay for a lower interest rate by buying points from their lender. They can also view discount points as prepaid interest. A good lender will offer their clients up to four points. One point is equivalent to 1 percent of the total loan amount. Understanding Mortgage Costs Principal, taxes, insurance and interest are four elements that determine the amount of mortgage costs paid. Principal is the base amount needed to buy a home and is footed by the applicant. Interest rates depend on the risk factor of the applicant while a portion of their monthly income goes to insurance and taxes. Understanding these four elements will allow one know how much a mortgage will cost them. All in all, it is important to do extensive research on all the potential lenders that one is looking into. Consider factors like hidden costs, interest rates charged, APR rates and discount points offered. In addition, one can also find reliable mortgage calculators online. These are useful in estimating the total loan amount that they are eligible for based on credit score, debt-to-income ratio, income earned and other factors. After this point, an applicant can shop around California mortgage companies and chose the most suitable one. Leave a Reply. |