home loan

The Right Lender Makes A Big Difference

elieliresidentialcom Arlington, Buyer, Loan , , , , , , 1 Comment
The Right Lender Makes A Big Difference

Question: Does it matter which lender/mortgage company I choose when I purchase a home?

Answer: Choosing a good lender is one of the most important decisions you make during the home buying process. In a competitive market like we’re in now, choosing the right lender goes beyond a low interest rate and access to good loan products; it can be the difference between having your offer accepted or passed over.

Stronger Offers

Better Pre-Approval: When I review offers on behalf of a Seller, I put a lot of value in the quality of the lender/bank who wrote the pre-approval letter for the Buyer. A lender who has taken the time to review credit and financial documents, and get a thorough understanding of the Buyer, means the risk of financing falling through is much lower than with lenders who generate pre-approvals based on a short form with inputs from the Buyer, without verification.

Most agents representing a Seller will contact the lender on the pre-approval letter to ensure they’re responsive, personally familiar with the Buyer’s financial qualifications, and are confident in closing based on the contract terms (price, settlement timeline, etc). Having a lender on your side who will answer the phone and understands the importance this communication can make all the difference in a competitive market.

Close Faster: Online lenders, larger banks, and credit unions often have difficulty closing in less than 35-45 days, but a good lender can often settle in less than three weeks. If you find yourself competing for a property, working with a lender who can close quickly will significantly increase the probability of your offer being chosen compared to a lender who needs at least five weeks.

Don’t Miss Settlement

Good lenders do not miss the settlement date. Their reputation and business rely on it. If you miss the contracted settlement date, you’re (usually) in default and expose yourself to risks including loss of Earnest Money Deposit, incurring the Seller’s carrying costs, or having the contract voided by the Seller.

A good question to ask your lender is where their staff works. There are quite a few people involved in getting your loan approved including the loan officer, processor, and underwriters. Lenders with a history of missing settlement deadlines often have staff working in different locations, that don’t regularly work together. If your lender works in the same physical office as those people, that’s a good indication that they can handle issues efficiently and have a higher probability of meeting the settlement date.

Don’t Get Duped (Interest Rate vs APR)

Be careful when you’re comparing interest rates, especially online rates. Make sure you’re comparing the Annual Percentage Rate (APR), not the interest rate. Many lenders advertise lower rates by including points (you pay cash up-front for a lower rate) or they charge higher fees. The APR is a measure of the total cost of the loan, including points, fees, and interest rate and allows for an apples-to-apples comparison.

Additionally, the advertised rates are often based on the ideal borrower profile and loan amounts. A true rate quote requires the lender to have your credit information, debts, income, purchase price, and down payment. Even with that information, I’ve seen lenders quote low rates to capture a Buyer’s attention and then increase the rate/fees once it comes time to lock everything in. Be careful and ask questions.

Reliable Pre-Approvals

A reliable pre-approval gives you the confidence that you’ll qualify for the loan you’re applying for. Weak pre-approval letters lead to surprises during the loan application process, which can lead to rejection letters, delays, and/or a lot of wasted time and money. The last thing you want is to find out you don’t qualify after you’ve spent money on a home inspection, appraisal, and started packing for a move that may not happen. Having a lender review all of your documents early also gives you time to fix credit scores, debt ratios, and more in order to increase your purchasing power and/or lower your interest rates.

Further, in competitive markets like this, it’s common for winning offers to waive the Financing Contingency (protects your deposit in the event you don’t qualify for your mortgage). Having a thorough pre-approval done can give you the confidence needed to waive this contingency, and be competitive, with limited risk.

Loan Consultant

In most cases, buyers should be considering multiple loan products and finding the best fit. This is particularly true if you’re buying and selling a property, if you’re exploring low down payment options, or if you’re planning to own the property for less than 10 years and can benefit from the lower rates of an Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM). A good lender will have access to a wide range of great products and be able to advise you on the type of loan that nets you the best long-term results.

If you’re considering buying or in the process of talking to lenders, I’d be happy to make some recommendations based on your financial situation, type of purchase, and goals. Feel free to reach out to me at Eli@EliResidential.com.

It’s a Great Time to Remove Mortgage Insurance

elieliresidentialcom Arlington, Home Owner, Loan , , , , , 2 Comments
It’s a Great Time to Remove Mortgage Insurance

Question: Can you explain what Mortgage Insurance is and if there’s any way to get rid of it?

Answer:

What is Mortgage Insurance?

Mortgage insurance is an additional monthly or up-front fee added to a mortgage, usually set at .1%-1% of the loan amount, offered by either the government or private insurance companies to enable lenders to offer down payments below 20%. Mortgage insurance covers lenders for losses up to a certain amount if a borrower defaults on their mortgage.

Note: there are some sub-20% down payment products on the market for high-earning, high-credit borrowers that do not require Mortgage Insurance.

There are two types of mortgage insurance available:

  1. FHA mortgage insurance: FHA is a government program, which requires a down payment of as little as 3.5% of the sales price, and mortgage insurance is required on FHA mortgages, regardless of the amount of down payment.
  2. Conventional mortgage insurance: Conventional mortgages are home loans that are not insured or guaranteed by the government, as in the case of the FHA mortgage example. Many conventional loans are sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac and thus follow these entities “conforming” guidelines.

Conventional or private mortgage insurance enables lenders to offer conventional loans with a minimum down payment as low as 3.0%-5.0%. Most 3.0% down conventional mortgages are restricted to low-to-moderate income borrowers.

How is the Fee Determined?

The cost of mortgage insurance will vary greatly, depending upon several factors:

  1. The amount of the down payment
  2. The qualifications of the borrower like credit score and debt-to-income ratio
  3. Whether the mortgage is an FHA or conventional loan
  4. The type of the mortgage such as a 30-year or 15-year loan

Mortgage Insurance Can Be Removed

If you have a Conventional Loan (not FHA), you can request that your Mortgage Insurance premium be removed from your payments once your equity reaches or exceeds 20% (loan-to-value/LTV is 80% or less). This can be a result of a natural equity increase through your monthly payments and/or through appreciating home value.

To qualify, you cannot have a late payment in the last two years and if you are making your case based on a higher market value of your home, the loan servicer will require a new appraisal (cost is usually around $500).

For Conventional Loans, your Mortgage Insurance is automatically removed once your LTV reaches 78% (equity reaches 22%) or you reach the midway point in your loan (15 years into a 30 year loan). Prior to hitting a 78% LTV, it is up to your loan servicer to decide whether to approve the removal of your Mortgage Insurance payment.

Key Takeaway

Given how much townhouse and single-family homes have appreciated recently, if you have Mortgage Insurance and have not made a late payment in the last two years, it’s a good idea to contact your loan servicer about having your home reappraised to see if you now have 22% or more equity and qualify for automatic removal or have 20%-21.99% equity and can apply for early removal.

If you’d like to discuss buying, selling, investing, or renting, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at Eli@EliResidential.com.

The 20% Down Payment Myth

judson726 Buyer, Loan , , , , 0 Comment
The 20% Down Payment Myth

Question: Is it possible to buy a home with less than 20% down?

Answer: I’m always surprised by the number of people who assume they have to put 20% down to buy a home and delay their goal of becoming a homeowner for years because of it. Studies show that the most common reason people give for not buying a home is that they don’t have enough for a down payment.

In reality, about 1/3 of Arlington buyers purchase a home with less than 20% down and for many buyers, especially first-time home buyers, they’re putting as little as 3-5% down.

Programs For Everybody

For those with good credit, there are popular Conventional Loan programs allowing for as little as 3% down and for those with lower credit scores, FHA Loan programs range from 3.5%-10% down. There are also some exceptional programs available to those with great credit and strong incomes allowing for 10%-15% down at great rates.

Specialty Programs For Military and Doctors

If you are an active-duty or former servicemember you likely know about VA Loans that allow purchases with zero down. Doctors also have access to special loan programs offering great rates with low down payments for large loan amounts.

Mortgage Insurance

Most loans with less than 20% down will include mortgage insurance, which I wrote about here. It will increase your monthly payment and generally represents a higher percentage of your loan amount the less you put down. However, there are options to get rid of the mortgage insurance fees by buying it out or applying for early removal after a couple of years. There are also some programs that do not include mortgage insurance at all.

Impact on Negotiations

Clients often ask me how much a lower down payment will impact their ability to negotiate, so last year I ran the numbers on the impact of different down payments on the percentage buyers were negotiating off the sale price. The results showed that only cash buyers (100% down) and buyers not putting any money down were materially impacted by their down payment, the negotiation leverage was pretty similar for everybody in between.

However, it would be misleading to suggest that down payment percentage doesn’t have any impact. Most sellers will respond more enthusiastically to higher down payments and this comes into play in competitive scenarios (multiple offers), which has become common in Arlington and the surrounding DC Metro neighborhoods. When sellers are choosing between multiple, similar offers, buyers with higher down payments have an advantage.

Buyers can combat the potential negative impact of a lower down payment in multiple offer scenarios by getting a strong pre-approval letter from a reputable local lender, offering to get pre-approved by a lender of the seller’s choosing, increasing the Earnest Money Deposit, or a number of other tweaks to the contract that will be looked at favorably by the seller, without increasing risk to the buyer or increasing the offer price.

Favorite Mortgage Programs

Here’s a link to an article I wrote with some of my favorite mortgage programs and contact information for great lenders who offer them.

If you’d like any additional information or recommendations on lenders or loan programs, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at Eli@EliResidential.com. If you’re thinking about buying a home in Arlington or the surrounding Northern VA/DC Metro neighborhoods, I’d be happy to meet with you to discuss your options.