When you are starting a home search, the first subject you must become familiar with is how to finance your purchase. In this author’s opinion, the best way to go is with a lender or broker who was referred to you by someone you trust. When you decide on someone, the next step is to find out if you really qualify for a loan.
Credit Score, Income, and Debt
The first question a mortgage lender will want to know is “what is your credit score?” (Tip: Most first time home buyers don’t realize that they do not have to give every possible lender their social security number to get an estimate of their rates. If you know your credit score, you can just tell them what it is and let them give you the rates they have, then you can come back and give them your social to process the loan.) Most lenders will not even look further into an application with a credit score lower than 580, while others will try to take advantage of bad credit customers with high priced products. Generally, customers with credit scores over 700 will have an easy time getting a fair mortgage loan. If your credit score is less than desirable, you may want to reconsider your decision to purchase a home at this time.
How Much Home Can I Afford?
So one of your first questions to tackle is “how much home can I afford?” The general rule is that your total monthly home costs should be no more than 28% of your gross monthly income. Monthly home costs include mortgage payment, taxes, insurance and any home repairs and upkeep. (Tip: You can find many mortgage payment calculators by doing a simple Internet search.) You also need to find local information about your tax and insurance rates.
Another important formula that most lenders will consider is your debt-to-income ratio. You generally do not want your total monthly debt to exceed 36% of your gross monthly income, or you may be in a trouble zone as far as trying to get your home purchase financed at a reasonable rate.