Mortgages 101: Getting Started on The Path to 首页ownership  

众所周知，大多数房屋和公寓都是通过抵押贷款购买的, 消费者新沙巴体育网保护局将其定义为“你和贷款人之间的协议，如果你不能偿还你所借的钱加上利息，贷款人有权拿走你的财产。.” Sounds serious — and it is. Mortgages come with a wide variety of lengths (c所有ed the term), repayment provisions and interest rates. 锁定最适合你的人意味着接受某种教育. 特别是如果 you’re a first-time homebuyer因此，了解抵押贷款融资的来龙去脉是值得的，这样你就会知道会发生什么.

抵押贷款101

在你开始寻找抵押贷款之前，你需要了解它们是如何运作的. 最常见的抵押贷款类型是所谓的30年期固定利率贷款. 听起来, 你有30年的时间来偿还这笔钱，利率是你最初锁定的固定利率. You’ll also see 15-year and sometimes 10-year fixed rate loans. These require you to pay off the home in a shorter period of time, but because the bank is lending the money for a shorter term, the risk that you won’t repay the money is lower. 这就是短期贷款利率低于长期贷款利率的原因. 

另一种主要类型的住房贷款是可调利率抵押贷款或ARM. 在这里, 首期月供低于现行利率(这使得购房者有资格借更多的钱), 但随着时间的推移，利率会与当前利率或其他新沙巴体育网指标同步调整. 如果利率上升, 你的月供将会增加(通常会有一个上限来限制允许的上限). If rates f所有, your monthly payment may f所有 as well. 混合武器, which you may see represented as 5-1 or 7-1 ARMs, are fixed for the first 5 or 7 years of the loan, then begin adjusting. 如果你认为你只会在一个房子里住5年或7年就会搬家, 例如, 这是一种既可以降低月供，又不会冒太大风险的方法.

Qualify For The Best Rate On A Mortgage

获得最佳的抵押贷款利率涉及两件事:货比三家(贷方之间的利率差异通常很大)和你自己的信用. Before you begin shopping for a house, 做自己的功课来确定你的信誉，并准备与贷款人对话, 鲍勃·柯林斯说, a mortgage broker at Signal Hill Mortgage in California.

第一个, gather tax returns, 工资存根和其他证明你过去两年收入的文件. You’ll also need documentation of liquid assets, 手头现金, as well as credit history and your current income. That may include credit union, bank and investment account statements. If you’re not familiar with your credit rating, request a free copy of your credit reports from the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion and pull a free copy of your credit score. You may be able to do this through your credit union. If you find an error on your credit report, 在有关部门的网站上向有关部门提交错误报告. They typic所有y have a month or two to correct it.

What Lenders Are Looking For

As you gather information, keep in mind what lenders are looking for. Harrine Freeman, a credit expert and owner of H.E. 弗里曼企业说这些东西将帮助你得到你正在寻找的贷款. 

• A credit score of at least 660. (Some lenders accept scores as low as 620.)
• An explanation of any late payments in the past two years.
• Credit card balances at or less than 30 percent of the credit limit.
• A solid work history and income.
• A history with financial institutions such as credit unions, and collateral such as checking and savings accounts, investment accounts, retirement accounts, life insurance policies and automobiles.
• A total debt-to-income ratio of 36 percent or less.
• A down payment of at least 5 percent.

更好的是, 和你的信用合作社的贷款顾问坐下来谈谈你的具体情况. They may or may not be the lender you go with in the end, 但这是获得教育的极好的第一步(而且信用合作社在利率方面通常非常有竞争力).)

Don’t F所有 For Gimmicks

Getting that education will help you when it comes to shopping around. Many lenders advertise deals, but it’s unlikely you’ll save a lot with such marketing efforts, says Casey Fleming, author of “The Loan Guide: How to Get the Best Possible Mortgage.” “Lenders get c所有s by advertising, ‘We never charge points!’ or ‘We pay your closing costs!’”弗莱明说. “But they build their profit into your interest rate.”

If you plan to hold the property for a short period of time, such a deal might work in your favor, 弗莱明说. But over a longer period, 为了获得较低的利率，自己支付交易费用可能会更便宜. 弗莱明建议打电话给任何“无成本”的贷款人，询问如果你支付成本的利率是多少, 太.

类似的, 一些抵押贷款公司宣称他们会支付你的抵押贷款保险——但这种保证通常伴随着更高的利率. “The higher interest rate lasts forever, whereas the mortgage insurance may only last for two years,弗莱明说. 打电话给贷款人, 让他们比较一下无抵押贷款保险计划和利率较低的保险计划. 让他们在一段时间内计算期权的总成本，比如7年.”

Get Pre-qualified (Then Pre-approved) For A Mortgage

当你找到了一个让你感觉舒服的贷款人，这是个好主意 to get prequalified before you start shopping. 资格预审包括讨论各种贷款计划的要求，并确定您是否将有最低首付, employment and income history, credit history and payment reserves.

贷款人不应该检查你的信用来预审你的贷款资格. 在大多数情况下, 承销商(决定你是否有资格获得某种贷款的贷款专业人士)将审查文件并发出有条件的贷款批准. The formal pre-approval process is the next step, 您的贷款申请和信用报告在哪里提交审核, along with income and asset documentation.

Understand The Real Costs

Once you’ve made an offer for a home and it’s been accepted, you can move on to scheduling a closing date. Just keep in mind there are costs there as well. 由法律规定, 所有 lenders must provide a good faith estimate of closing costs, but that list doesn’t include 所有 the charges you’ll face. 例如, 产权公司, 谁会研究房屋的所有权或契约，以确保没有其他人对其拥有权利, 会决定自己的费用(“产权保险”)，验房员会决定吗, and a homeowners’ association if applicable.

Don’t Make Big Changes Before Closing

If you’ve gone through a loan pre-approval process, 在你的贷款结束之前，不要做任何大的改变，比如换工作. 如果你知道, 所有的就业和工资数据，你的贷款是基于不再准确，你可能不再被批准.

最后，如果你没有资格立即获得住房贷款，不要惊慌. There are things you can do to move the needle on your credit score. It won’t happen overnight, but with hard work and diligence in paying your bills on time, 每一次,  这是可能发生的. 如果这听起来像你需要一点帮助，看看 新沙巴体育网菲克斯 sm所有 group coaching program, 有一个专门的教练和一个负责任的合作伙伴团队会指导你完成它吗, 循序渐进的.