| |
| |
|
Mortgage & Refinancing Information |
|
|
|
Mortgage-Refinance Loan Measurment 101 -- Evaluate Your Own Ability to Pay
We live in a society where people are losing their homes at an alarmingly high rate. There are several reasons for this, but one could certainly be avoided -- buying a house that creates a loan that is too large for you to handle. This article will examine how to decide your loan size -- whether you are purchasing or refinancing. We'll look at this issue from the point of view of lenders and from the standpoint of what is actually best for you. In a conventional, conforming loan -- one in which you have good credit and good job history -- a lender will look at what he calls "debt-to-income ratio." Many mortgage brokers refer to it as DR (debt ratio). They also break it into two categories -- front end ratio and back end ratio. A front end debt ratio calculates your gross monthly income against your new house payment. Conventional lenders want this number to be at 28 percent or less. So, if you make $3,500 each month in gross income (before taxes and other withdrawals), just take this number and divide by 28 percent. This new number is $980.00, which is the number the lender will use as your front end ratio. So in the lender's mind, you can afford a house payment of $980.00 or less. Remember, though, this is only half of the equation. Now, the lender will look at your overall debt scenario. When calculating your back end debt ratio, the lender takes your new mortgage and all other monthly credit debts -- car payments, credit card payments, other loans, cell phones, etc. Items like insurance and utilities are not included. Conventional, conforming lenders want this ratio to be at 36 percent or less. So, to calculate your back end or overall debt-to-income ratio, take your gross monthly income and divide by 36 percent. Again, let's assume you make $3,500 monthly. When divided by 36 percent, you get $1,225.00. Now, add up all your monthly minimum payments, plus your new house payment, and this new number needs to be less than $1,225.00. So, if you have very little debt, you can afford to go all the way to the $980.00 for a new mortgage. If you have a couple of cars, several credit cards and a cell phone, you'll likely have to get much less house. Now, these ratios are very conservative. In most cases, lenders will allow you to break one or both of these guidelines, based on other factors -- things like A+ credit, good liquid assets or a large down payment. Or, you may need a loan program that is non-conforming. This would involve a lender who increases these ratios as high as 50 percent, meaning your debt can be half of your gross monthly income. Lenders, you see, want to make loans. That's why they are so rich, because they are doing trillions of dollars in loans each year, and getting back even more in interest payments. In order to assure yourself of getting a loan that you can afford, you should qualify yourself. It's important to remember that when calculating debt to income ratios, lenders don't take many important factors into account. For example, they allow you to use gross income -- instead of net income. We pay our bills with our net, not our gross. When deciding what you can qualify for, consider your net income. In other words, add up all your debts and look at the money you have after taxes, retirement, savings, other investments, etc. Also, account for debts lenders do not, such as insurance, groceries, utilities, the probability that taxes on your home will go up, clothing, and spending money for fun and hobbies. After all, you want having a home to add to your life -- not make it more difficult. Lenders leave this part out. Mark Barnes is the author of the new novel, The League, the first work of fiction, based on fantasy football. He is also an investment real estate and home loan finance expert. Learn more about his suspense thriller at http://www.sportsnovels.com. Get his free mortgage finance course at http://www.winningthemortgagegame.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Mortgage-Refinance - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Interest-only Equity Loans Create Amazing Power and are Quite Easy to Get The power of home equity and interest-only payments, provided from most home equity loans is amazing. You can get a home equity loan, with no closing costs and pay as little as $30. To Refinance or not to Refinance -- Here is the Answer I have written many articles on refinancing a fixed rate mortgage to an adjustable rate mortgage. I have helped people cut as much as $800 off their monthly payments by turning their high fixed rate mortgage loan into a much lower ARM. Thinking About Refinancing Your Loan? Refinancing your home or property is a big decision that could drastically affect your financial future, for the good or the bad, depending on how smart you go about the process. Take the time to explore all of the different refinancing options you have available to you. Refinance Your Home Mortgage Online The largest financial obligation most people ever take on couldn't escape the reach of the Internet. Home mortgage loans originated online comprise an integral part of one of the largest and most profitable aspects of the banking industry. Mortgage Pre Approval - Getting Pre Approved For a Home Loan Online A pre-approved mortgage is a must in a competitive housing market. It also gives you an idea of what you can afford to buy as you look at houses. Home Mortgages: Does It Ever Make Sense to Pay Points? Interest rates on home mortgages are often quoted with and without points. A point equals one percent of the amount you are financing. Bad Credit History? How Financing and Buying a Home Can Help You Improve Your Financial Situation Financing and buying a home can help improve your financial situations, especially if you have a bad credit history. Adding a mortgage payment to your monthly expenses seems like a mistake if you are having financial difficulties, but in the long run a mortgage can save you money on your living expenses. Online Mortgage Loan Companies Are Convenient There are many reasons to use the internet to take care of your mortgage loan needs. Online mortgage companies can give you quick answers to your mortgage application and can often times give you an answer of whether or not you have been pre-approved within 24-48 hours after you submit your mortgage application. Cardinal Principle of Homeowner Personal Loans - It is a Solution for Any Sort of Financial Funding You bought a house and you were promoted to the position of a homeowner. It was perhaps the most important decision of your life. First Time Buyer Mortgages - Transforming Homeless into Property Owners Having just settled in life, you are finding the rentals putting too much of a burden on your finances. Nevertheless, you continue the payments thinking that purchasing a home would be practically impossible. How Much Home Loan Can I Afford? Have you ever asked yourself how much home loan can I afford? If you know how much of a payment you qualify for before shopping for a home, your purchase will go much smoother and it can save you a lot of headaches.How would you like to find the perfect place to live then not know if you can qualify for the loan? Long before you even start looking for your home, you need to know how much home loan you can afford. Why Refinance Back into a 30-Year Loan? One of the biggest reasons homeowners refinance their mortgage is to obtain a lower interest rate and lower monthly payments. By refinancing, the borrower pays off their existing mortgage and replaces it with a new one. Buying a Home? Dont Get Saddled with Two Mortgage Payments I have a lot of friends and family who are currently buying houses. Many of them have had a problem with timing. Homeowner Loans - Drawing Lessons of the Past Loans are not of a recent origin. People used to take help from others even at times when money was unseen and barter was the mode of trade prevalent. UK Mortages: A Guide Through The Maze Types of UK MortgagesYou may be wasting your money with the wrong type of mortgage. Knowledge is power. Home Equity Loans Categories Fixed Rate Mortgages: These loans have a fixed rate of interest over the entire term for which the loan has been disbursed. The term for these mortgages is typically between 10 to 30 years. First Time Buyer Home Loans - Things To Consider When Applying Online As a first time home buyer, there are several things you should consider when applying for a loan online. First, do you know what type of loan you want? Secondly, do you want personal service or better rates? And finally, how do you plan on scheduling in a home loan?Type Of LoanMortgage loans come in a variety of financing forms to best suit your needs. Mortgage Soup Looking for home mortgage loans can get confusing with the alphabet soup of mortgage loans programs available today. Most of these programs are just variations of fixed rate and adjustable rate mortgage loans. How To Get The Best Home Equity Loan Are you wondering how to get the best Home Equity loan? Do not be afraid to shop around. If you decide that the timing's right for a home equity loan, ask your friends or family for recommendations of lenders. Who Could Benefit From A Reverse Mortgage? What is a "Reverse Mortgage?"Also known as a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM)a reverse mortgage,is a popular way older homeowners (62+) can convert part of the equity in their homes into tax-free income without having to sell the home, give up title, or take on a new monthly mortgage payments.Before explaining a reverse mortgage, let's review the features of a Standard Mortgage:With a standard loan or mortgage, your income stream is used to 'qualify' for the mortgage or loan.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
