Removing or Adding a Person to a Loan

In divorce situations, it is common, for the spouse who keeps the home to refinance to remove the other spouse from the loan. Equally as common, first-time buyers who don't have enough income to qualify may ask a parent to co-sign and must add their name to the mortgage.

Another situation that requires removing or adding a person to a loan could be to qualify for a better interest rate. The difference in a minimally acceptable credit score and something that might be considered "good" could be as much as a 0.5% higher rate for the term of the mortgage.

Consider that a couple is buying a home on a conventional loan, and they have individual credit scores of 760 and 670. The underwriters will price the loan based on the lower of the two scores. A half percent interest on a $400,000 30-year mortgage could have close to $110 a month difference.

A possible solution to this dilemma could be available, assuming the borrower with the higher credit score had enough income to qualify for the mortgage separately. If so, that person would be eligible for the lower rate.

The property could still be titled in both names and if so, that person would be liable for the mortgage should the named borrower default on the loan.

Another scenario that may arise is that a couple has enough income to qualify for a mortgage but because one of the parties has a lower credit score, it will be priced higher. Having a parent or relative added to the mortgage as a non-occupying borrower to help with the credit score. Interest rates are determined on the lowest middle of three scores for the borrowers applying for the loan.

Assuming the parent's score was higher than the lower score of the couple, it could improve the rate applied to the mortgage loan.

The value of a trusted mortgage professional is very important. They can offer alternatives to situations that could be worth tens of thousands of dollars over the life of the mortgage and in some cases, can make the difference in being approved at all.

Your real estate professional would be more than willing to make a recommendation and can support the need to assemble a strong team to help with your transaction.

Comments

Why a Home Should Be Your First Investment

Real estate has been described as the basis of all wealth. Without considering income or investment property, buying a home to live in is an incredibly powerful way to build wealth or financial net worth. A home is an asset measured by the size of the equity. Equity is simply the difference between the value of the home and the amount owed. There are two powerful dynamics at work to increase the equity which include appreciation and amortization. Appreciation occurs when the fair market of the home increases. The shortage of available inventory coupled with high demand has contributed to an 18% increase in value in the past year on average for homeowners in the U.S. Most mortgage loans are amortized with monthly payments that include the interest that is owed for the previous month and an increasing amount that is paid toward the principal loan amount so that if all the payments are made, the loan would be repaid by the end of the term. A 30-year mortgage at 3.5% intere

Is Your Home Inventory Up To Date?

A current inventory of all the personal items in your home is important and even necessary, if you are faced with filing a police report or insurance claim. The homeowner is usually asked if they have a home inventory. If not, the homeowner can reconstruct one to estimate the loss. Imagine you are in this position; would you be able to make an accurate list of your belongings and their value? As an exercise, pick a room of your home, and, while being in another room, list all the belongings and their value. When you're finished with the list, go into the room, and check to see how you did. This little project should demonstrate the difficulty of reconstructing a list and depending on whether you missed a lot of items and the importance of having an up-to-date home inventory. Not only will this help you purchase the right amount and type of insurance, having an accurate inventory will make filing a claim easier. An accurate accounting of your belongings can als

Will Soft Inquiries Hurt Your Credit Score?

Soft inquiries, sometimes known as a soft credit check or a soft credit pull, do not impact your credit scores because they are not attached to a specific application for credit. They can occur when a credit card issuer or mortgage lender checks a person's credit for preapproval purposes. Examples of soft inquiries are when you check your own credit or one of your current creditors checks your credit. If you are concerned about the negative impact on your score, specify to the lender that you want a "soft pull" to see if you qualify for preapproval. Soft inquiries may appear on your credit report but should not adversely affect your credit score. Consumers are entitled to one free copy from each major credit bureau, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, once every twelve months available at AnnualCreditReport.com . Hard inquiries occur when a borrower makes a new application for credit. These will impact your credit score and will remain on your credit report

Welcome to Chapin Real Estate Blog

Search This Blog