I am ready to buy a home should I have financing arranged prior to a search?

Hi Angelia,

While there is no requirement for you to have been approved prior to a search there it is a very good idea for you to have talked to a mortgage lender and if possible get a per-approval so that you will know what price range you can afford.

He process moves astoundingly fast once you place an offer on a home. So as many things as you can do in preparation for closing on a home of your choice the smoother the transaction.

• Financing – Know what you can borrow based on your income. Debt obligations and cash reserves. A licensed professional is the best source of information. There are several ways to find a good mortgage lender.

Realtors® are a good source. They will give you the names of lenders they have worked with in the past and have proven to be good representatives of their clients best interest. Among other responsibilities your agent should be looking out for your ability to close a transaction w/in a specified time frame and knows lenders who are capable of processing and closing deals in the most efficient way. Make sure you talk to all referrals, sometimes clients can get a feel for personality fits after talking to a lender.

Banks. Your bank is also a good source. If they do not have mortgage services available they most likely have a corresponding relationship with another bank that does.

Friends that have recently closed on a home – If you have close friends who’s opinions your trust ask them about their experience with their lender of choice. A lot of clients value the opinion of people they know and trust.

• Current living situation – Regardless if you are in a lease or own a home. Have a plan in place to shift out of your current living arrangement. If you are having to break a lease make sure you know all penalties/options available to you from the management or owner of your lease unit.

Ask your Realtor® to do a CMA on your home and see what current market values are. A lot of consumers have inflated ideas on home value and the mortgage lander will need to know what you owe and what the current market value.

• Timing – A lot of people forget they have to specify a time frame on the offer contract that they intend to close on a home. There are several other time deadlines in the contract that must be met as well so make sure your agent explains all of the phases of the contract and exact deadlines that you have to perform under the contract terms. Pay close attentions to any changes that may be made during a negotiation some of these dates may be negotiable.

 

• Consumer purchases – All mortgage lenders will tell you right up front - “DO NOT MAKE ANY LARGE CONSUMER PURCHASES DURNG THE APPLICATION PERIOD”

It is tempting to buy appliances, furniture etc before moving into a new home. Any credit purchases of changes in cash positions will have an affect on the Debt to Income ratios the lenders use to help determine your ability to make mortgage payments. Hold off until after the home closes. The lending company is going to verify your credit/bank account balances and employment w/in 3 days of closing. If there are any large changes this could affect your closing date as they will need to verify the changes and possibly ask for explanations about cash deposits etc..

So best advice is to have as much of your financial information in order to help delay approval process. Be proactive in finding out reputations of the lenders your are targeting to use and listen to what your referring sources have to tell you. Seek advice only from qualified professionals. They are in the business everyday and may know some things that lenders will not tell you up front.

Hope this information assists you.

Please do not have any hesitations in contacting me direct if you have further questions.

Regards,

Bob Kenney, Realtor®

Mobile/Text: 512-922-4922