Month: October 2008

Private mortgage insurance (PMI) is a reality that is hard to escape, especially for first-time home buyers.  PMI does not give the borrower additional homeowners’ insurance coverage but rather protects a lender against loss if the borrower defaults on a loan, and enables borrowers with less cash to have greater access to homeownership.

The cost is based on the type of mortgage product you secure, the amount  you borrow for your house and the amount of your down payment,  and is added to your monthly payments. On average the cost runs about 5% annually of your total mortgage amount.

Removing PMI

Private mortgage insurance should never be permanent. Prior to agreeing to and signing the mortgage loan, ask for a written disclosure from your lender stating when the PMI payments can be removed from the monthly mortgage payments.

Once you have paid at least 20% of your loan, it is up to you to contact your lender and ask to have the PMI payments terminated.  It is a good idea to make this request by phone and in writing.  They most likely will agree to do this if you have made your mortgage payments in a timely manner.

To avoid PMI, consider asking your mortgage broker if they will waive private mortgage insurance requirements if you accept a higher interest rate on the mortgage loan.  If they do, you may see on average an increase of .75% to 1%, depending on the down payment.

Finding your dream home is easy, but obtaining a competitive home loan is not. Thankfully, with sufficient planning, you can obtain the best mortgage possible – providing you with significant financial savings in the long run.

Check for Credit Score Errors

The most important element of obtaining a competitive loan is your credit score.  Even if you have stellar credit, obtain a copy of your credit report from the three reporting agencies to check for any reporting errors.  Considering that 40% of credit reports have errors, it is important to resolve these problems before you apply for your mortgage.
Raise Your Credit Score

Generally, it takes six months to one year to improve your credit.  The earlier you begin, the better your score will be.  However, if you plan on applying for a loan within the next two months, you can still improve your credit.  Reduce your debt-utilization ratio by paying down your credit cards and staying well below your maximum credit limits.

Show Your Savings

During the mortgage application process, the lenders will scrutinize your financial health.  Do not keep your savings in a checking account.  Instead, open a savings account or CD to demonstrate your ability to save money.  Remember, the more you have for your down payment, the better your mortgage rate will be.

Become Pre-Qualified

Becoming pre-qualified for your home loan locks in interest rates, protecting you from fluctuations.  In addition, being pre-qualified demonstrates that you are a financially serious buyer, which aids greatly during your closing negotiations.

Planning ahead increases your probability of obtaining the best mortgage possible for your dream home.

If you are contemplating renting or buying, keep in mind that Uncle Sam rewards you handsomely in tax benefits for being a homeowner.

Mortgage interest: Your mortgage interest on your home is 100% tax deductible.

Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI): If your lender requires you to have private mortgage insurance, the PMI premiums are also deductible for mortgages obtained between 2007 and 2010.

Property taxes: All the property taxes you pay are fully deductible from your annual income.

Home office: If an area of your home is utilized specifically for a business, then you can deduct a portion of your expenses, such as depreciation, repair, and insurance costs.

Capital gains: Unlike other investment instruments, selling your primary residence at a profit shields you from capital gains tax.  For gains up to $500,000 on your primary residence of the last two years, you are excluded from capital gains tax.

Home improvements: If you obtain a loan to finance home improvements, you can fully deduct the interest on that loan.  Keep in mind that this deduction only applies for improvements that are a “capital improvement,” not just repairs.

The benefits of buying a home significantly outweigh renting, not the least of which is building equity in your name.

Credit scores are becoming increasingly important, with many employers even factoring this into their hiring decisions.  A credit score is based on a credit report, which is a detailed account of one’s credit history, borrowings, repayments, and credit inquiries.  It indicates the financial responsibility of an individual, including on-time monthly payments, types of credit accrued, and complete credit history.

The three prominent credit bureaus which maintain credit records are TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. Any non-payment is immediately reported to these bureaus and reflected in one’s credit report. A credit score is calculated by a special type of software from Fair Issac Corporation Company, from which the FICO score name stems.

There are several different components, with individual weightings, that comprise your credit score:

Payment History – This accounts for 35% of a credit score and indicates timely payment of monthly bills or otherwise.

Extent of Indebtedness – How much an individual owes constitutes as high as 30% of the total credit score.  Thus, it is important to keep your borrowings low, preferably below 40% of maximum credit limits.

Length of Credit History – How long a person has maintained credit carries a weighting of 15%. The longer the credit history, the better this reflects on your score.

Types of Credit – The composition and different types of credit that a person has comprise 10% of the credit score.

New Credit – The size of new credit and inquiries has a weighting of the remaining 10% on the credit score.

A credit score varies between 350 and 850. While a score of 850 indicates excellent credit, 350 very poorly on the individual’s financial responsibility.  To improve a score, should reduce credit card debt, pay bills in time, and be careful in the types of credit you utilize.

Purchasing a house may be a daunting task for anyone, especially for first time buyers. One of the complexities involved is to decide between a fixed or variable rate mortgage.  Depending upon the market and your financial expectations, each option provides different benefits and drawbacks.

A fixed rate mortgage has many positive features, such as guaranteed rate of interest, monthly payment certainty, low down payment, few calculations, and easy understandability. Fixed mortgages are controlled mortgages and easy to administer. Because of all these factors, these are popular with first time home purchasers.

On the other hand, fixed mortgages come with high rates of interest and may not be suitable during times of falling interest rates.
Variable mortgages are generally cheaper and result in savings when rates fall.

Studies have shown that there have been more savings with variable rate mortgages, and they are favored by a large number of buyers.

However, variable mortgages require a higher down payment and are unstable. These are difficult to manage, as the monthly payments may fluctuate.  They can also be complex, as there are many types, such as standard, discounted, cash back, and tracker mortgages.

Choosing between the two depends on individual situations and interest rate deals.

An informed decision can be made in consultation with financial professionals.