Best Real Estate Financing Tips To Save You Money

by J. Johanson

Whether you're seeking a home mortgage for the first time or you're a seasoned buyer you want to save every penny you can. Often people don't realize they can save money on their real estate loans by doing some comparison shopping, which I'll get to further on in this article.

You want to keep in mind when financing any real estate that lenders will be able to tell you only what you MIGHT be able to afford based on your salary and level of debt including your credit card debt. And what seems like real estate financing mumbo-jumbo when you first start out will gradually make sense to you. Besides being the average person's biggest lifetime financial transaction, buying or selling a home is one of those areas where mistrust and misconceptions can easily be present.

An adjustable rate mortgage only sometimes may be a good choice because on the average, most people move or refinance within seven years. Now if you have a less-than-perfect or a 'bad credit' credit report, don't worry too much about it because with some lenders it isn't going to influence them.  Finding the best loan program for you depends on a few things including: how long you think you'll stay in the home, how much money you plan to put down and how you plan to finance the closing costs.

Your income and your debts will typically play the biggest roles in determining the price range of the house you can get approved for.  Now some of the advantages of adjustable rate mortgages include: lower costs - because they're usually priced lower than fixed-rate mortgages so you can increase your buying power and lower your initial monthly payments.  If the interest rates go down, you'll have lower payments, but if the interest rates go up you could be headed for a problem if you're just getting by.  You don't want to get in a foreclosure situation.  You might want to consider buying a house in a lower price range where you don't have to struggle whether or not you have an adjustable rate mortgage or a fixed rate mortgage.  You may not want to take a step down to do this but you will be less stressed about making monthly payments and you'll be accruing appreciation on your property.  Then after a couple of years or so you can re-evaluate and then step up to a higher priced property if you can do it. It also may give you some time to time to pay off some debts that have accumulated.

Now if you get turned down for any reason you can submit a mortgage application several times; it's not uncommon for this to happen either.  There are many competing lenders now for your business and they will look for ways to get you the real estate financing you need many times.

If you're having a problem getting a home mortgage and the seller still owes money on the home you can check with your lender and see if you can get a wraparound mortgage; although it isn't legal in all states, it will allow you to pay the monthly payment on the existing mortgage and an additional payment to pay the difference; make sure that a wraparound mortgage will not trigger a due-on-sale clause and make sure you can afford to do it.

A FICO credit score, good or bad, is not a requirement for most conventional or government loans such as FHA loans or VA loans. And if you do borrow money for a down payment it must be disclosed to the lender or if any of your money for your down payment was a gift, you have to provide proof for it. Know that any money you receive from any lending institutions will show up on your credit report and your monthly payments will factor into your debt-to-income ratio

Most adjustable rate mortgage programs offer what is called "rate cap" protection, which limits the amount the rate can be increased, both each year and over the life of the loan, double check with your lender on this.  All adjustable rate mortgages are amortized over a 30-year period.

Check with your CPA before you buy to make sure your property taxes are deductible.  Also find out from your CPA or other financial advisor what other real estate financing expenses can be deducted when you file your income tax return in a few months.  Knowing what deductions you can take may free up more for your income tax refund which you can apply to future loan payments or pay off debts.

Now if you get a 20-year fixed rate mortgage term it will mean higher payments, when compared to the more common 30-year fixed rate mortgage and you may not be able to swing it if this is your first home or job security isn't there. So don't get in over your head on this. Going the safer route is always the better way to go.

20-year fixed-rate mortgages allow you to make consistent higher monthly payments throughout all of the 20 years you have the mortgage; the shorter term means you pay the loan off quicker and therefore pay less interest and build equity faster than with a 30-year loan, BUT you need to know you have complete job security or a sure way to make the payments. It's better to be careful and opt for the 30-year loan even though you can save a lot of money with a 20-year loan.

A fixed-rate mortgage means the interest rate and principal payments remain the same for the life of the loan but the taxes will probably change. Your taxes may be written into the monthly payment or paid separately and sometimes you have no choice over this. The lending institution may be the final word on how the taxes are going to be paid. Home loan borrowers can submit information about income, assets and equity to determine how much a down payment should be, which is usually processed through an automated underwriting system.

One good way to save money on points, that is not commonly known, is that if you check around you can find real estate companies that have their own mortgage companies, sometimes in the same building. They often will shave off a point or more on your home loan if you buy from their real estate company and save you some money there.

Make sure you call around to several lenders or mortgage brokers before you apply for a home loan to get an idea what points and other fees they would be charging you. This can vary quite a bit. Some charge more points than others. Make sure you go with a quality lender however.

Work with your mortgage broker or lender to develop an individual loan or mortgage program based on your credit worthiness. And whatever you do don't get yourself into a situation where you can't make the mortgage payments; think far ahead. Thinking positive about your future and how it relates to your real estate financing is important but you must be realistic. Also don't be afraid to ask a few real estate agents if they know of any tips to save you money when you go for a home mortgage and what to avoid.  Ask homeowners how they're doing, how they've saved money on their loans and what real estate and mortgage pitfalls to avoid too.

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