Organize Your Documents
If you are buying or refinancing a home
- Provide two years W-2 and one month of pay stubs.
- If you own rental property, please provide rental agreements and two years tax returns.
- Please also provide three months bank statements for each bank, stock and mutual fund account.
- Provide recent copies of any stock brokerage or IRA/401K accounts that you may have.
- If you are requesting a cash out refinance please provide a letter explaining what you plan to do with the proceeds.
- Provide a copy of divorce decree if applicable.
If you are applying for a home equity loan
- Provide two years W-2 and one month of pay stubs.
- If you own rental property, please provide rental agreements and two years tax returns.
- Please provide a copy of the note on your first mortgage.
- Please provide a signed letter explaining what you plan to do with the proceeds.
- Provide a copy of divorce decree if applicable.
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Get Qualified
This is very important in today's market. Getting qualified before you apply for a loan can help you understand how much you can borrow. When buying a house, you may get pre-qualified or pre-approved. You can typically get pre-qualified over the phone or on the Internet in a few minutes. A pre-qualification is not as beneficial as a pre-approval where you have to go through a more rigorous process which includes verification of your credit, income, assets and liabilities. It is highly recommended that you get pre-approved before you start looking for a house. This will help you:
- Find out the maximum house you can buy.
- Puts you in a stronger position when you are negotiating with the seller, because the seller knows that your loan is already approved.
- Helps you close quickly, since your loan is already approved.
- Being preapproved in a short sale scenario will benefit you more in negotiating with the bank.
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Shop Loan Programs and Rates
To shop for a loan you will need to:
- Think about how long you plan to keep the loan. If you plan to sell the house in a few years you may want to consider an adjustable or balloon loan. On the other hand, if you plan to keep the house for a longer time, you may want to look at fixed loans.
- Understand the relationship between rates and points. Points are considered to be prepaid interest and are tax deductible. Each point is equal to one percent of the loan. So for example 1 point on a $100,000 loan is $1,000. The more points you pay, the lower the rate you will get.
- Compare different programs. Shopping for a loan can be difficult. With so many programs to choose from, each of which has different rates, points and fees, it's hard to figure out which program is best for you. That's where an experienced mortgage broker can help you make a decision that's best for you.
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Obtain Loan Approval
Once your loan application has been received we will start the loan approval process immediately. This involves verifying your:
- Credit history
- Employment history
- Assets including your bank accounts, stocks, mutual fund and retirement accounts
- Property value
Based on your specific situation, additional documents or verifications may be required. To improve your chances of getting a loan approval:
- Fill out the loan application completely.
- Respond promptly to any requests for additional documents. This is especially critical if your rate is locked or if you plan to close by a certain date.
- Do not make any major purchases. Do not buy a car, furniture or another house till your loan is closed. Anything that causes your debts to increase might have an adverse affect on your current application.
- Do not move money into your bank accounts unless it can be traced. If you are receiving money from friends, family or other relatives, please contact us.
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