Thursday, September 20, 2007

Financing your home purchase

Now more than ever buyers need to do their homework when looking for a mortgage

A very important part of buying a home is finding the right lender and the right mortgage product. There are many different kinds of lending institution, offering a wide range of loan packages. So it is important to do some research and shop around because what you don't know could cost you.

In this regard, over the course of my career I have some excellent contacts in the mortgage industry, so if you have any questions or if you would like me to refer one or more of them to you, please let me know.



Getting Pre-qualified

Generally, it is recommend that home buyers get pre-qualified for a loan with a lender before searching for a home to purchase. That way you will have completely reliable information about what you can afford. Additionally, any offer that you make on a home will be taken much more seriously if you have been pre-qualified than if you haven't (you'll also be in a much better position to make an offer once you have sold your previous home, if you have one).

Other good reasons to get pre-qualified include:

You can determine which loan program best fits your need and which programs you qualify for.
You'll know exactly how much you are qualified for. It's no fun to find your ideal home and then realize that you can't afford it.
Your down payment, monthly payment and closing costs will be set so you can budget your money in advance.
If you are a first-time buyer, you may qualify for a special first-time buyer program which may allow you to afford more home for your money.

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