Be Aware that You Can Save Money by Choosing Your Own Title Insurance Service 

What is Title Insurance?

Title insurance is usually required by the lender to protect against loss resulting from claims by others against your new home. In some states, attorneys offer title insurance as part of their services in examining title and providing a title opinion. In other states, a title insurance company or title agent directly provides the title insurance. 

To save money on title insurance, compare rates among various title insurance companies. Under RESPA, the seller may not require you, as a condition of the sale, to purchase title insurance from any particular title company. Generally, your lender will require title insurance from a company that is…

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When applying for a mortgage, a lender may ask a borrower to show "post-closing reserves," depending on the mortgage program that the borrower is applying for (the funds must only be "shown," they are not taken by the lender). This is a very common underwriting guideline when applying for a "Conventional" mortgage on a 2-unit property. For example, if the proposed "PITI" (principal and interest, real estate taxes and homeowner's insurance) total $2,000 per month, then a lender wants to see a total of $12,000 in reserve, post-closing. These assets, that need to be shown, may be excess liquid funds in bank accounts, monies held in mutual funds or retirement funds (lenders generally let a borrower use 60% of a non-liquid retirement account when used for…

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Now that the title search is complete and you have your mortgage commitment signed, you are ready to set a closing date.

When setting a closing date, there are a few things to keep in mind. First off, most people decide to close at the end of the month. The reason behind this desire is due to the fact that there is prepaid interest due at closing. This means that at closing, you are required to pay the interest for the month you are closing. The prepaid interest is calculated from the date you close until the end of that month. For example, if you close on the March 14th, you will pay interest from that date until March 31st. If you close on March 30th, you will pay interest until March 31st, or only one day’s worth of interest. Closing towards the end…

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By Timmy Rail of Citybrook Corp.; NMLS I.D. #: 12812

As a homebuyer in today's marketplace, one should be aware of all mortgage programs that are available to a borrower. The first step in the home-buying process should be getting "pre-qualified" by a seasoned mortgage loan officer that can assist in showing you all of your available options and answering all of your questions. Today, we focus on a comparison of a Conventional mortgage versus an FHA mortgage and emphasize the benefits of the Conventional loan. On a 1-family unit, a borrower can obtain a Conventional mortgage with 5% down. Assuming a 760 FICO score, let's compare a Conventional mortgage versus an FHA mortgage at today's interest rates:

  • As evidenced above, although FHA…

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By: Daniel Boxman of United Northern, NMLS ID# 1077102

What is a home appraisal and why do lenders need to know my home’s value?

An appraisal is a report that outlines an appraiser’s professional opinion of your property’s value at a specific point in time, based on specific factors. These factors include the location of the property, square footage, age and room count. The appraiser will also take into account what comparable properties have recently sold for in your area. 

Whether you’re refinancing or buying, a bank must have a good idea of the value of your home because it determines your maximum approvable loan amount. Once they have your home’s value, they can determine your loan-to-value ratio. Your loan-to-value ratio is one of the…

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By: Daniel Boxman of United Northern, NMLS ID# 1077102

Mortgage Application Process

Now that you have negotiated a sales price and reached an agreement with the seller of your home, it is time to apply for your mortgage.

You can first reach out to the lender that gave you the mortgage pre-approval, or any other lender if you desire. Since you now have a contract of sale and are ready to apply, it is not a problem to check out which lender can give you the lowest rates and fees.

Once you decide on the lender, you will need to gather up some more documents. The lender will need to get a copy of the contract of sale, as well as a canceled check you are using for your down payment. If you decide to pursue with a different lender than the one who…

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By: Daniel Boxman of United Northern, NMLS ID# 1077102

Once your offer has been accepted, but before you sign your Contract of Sale, it is very important to get your home Inspected by a qualified home inspector. This is a very important step in the home buying process. 

The home inspection consists of a very detailed look throughout the home. The main goal of a home inspection is to make sure that the home is safe to live in. For example, the inspector will take a close look at the roof to make sure it is well intact. They will also check to see if there is any structural or mechanical damage such as broken heating systems, or a collapsing floor. The basement will be checked for cracks and damage as well as your toilets and more. A termite report is…

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By: Daniel Boxman of United Northern, NMLS ID# 1077102

Get Preapproved

After you've gotten yourself prepared and feel ready to move forward with your home purchase, the next step is to get pre-approved with your mortgage lender. A pre-approval is based on your financial situation and includes a loan amount agreed upon between you and your lender that they believe you will be able to repay. 

A pre-approval letter is not necessarily a commitment to the loan, but it is a huge asset to have when you are searching for your home, as it shows any realtor and/or seller you are working with that you are serious about this purchase and ready to qualify. This gives you an advantage over other buyers who have not pre-approved through a bank yet. Also, many…

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By: Daniel Boxman of United Northern, NMLS ID# 1077102

Preparing yourself for a home purchase is very important. When you are investing in one of the biggest purchases of your life, you want to make sure you are ready. Here are things to consider that may help:

Look over your Financial Situation:

  1. Check your credit. Run your credit (if you haven’t in the last 3 months); you are entitled to a free credit report once a year. There are online sites such Credit Karma who do this for free, or you can even look into creating an account with one of the three big credit Bureaus (Experian, TransUnion, Equifax). Knowing your credit score will give you an idea if you are in good standing to buy a home. You will also be able to see if there are any issues…

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By Timmy Rail of Citybrook Corp.  NMLS•: 12812

Some important tips that first-time homebuyers should be aware of as this year's "Spring­ Buying Season" approaches:

  • Your credit profile is made up of 3 scores from the 3 main credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion; lenders will use your middle (average) credit score
  • A huge part of getting "pre-qualified" is to take an early look at your credit scores and credit profile, in-case there are errors or items on your report that you can "clean-up" before you find homes you like and want to put an offer on
  • Lenders generally take your "unreimbursed employee expenses," found on the "Schedule A" of your tax return (generally, page 3, line 21), off the top of your gross income (these may be…

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