How to find a home mortgage lender

Looking for a home loan? In searching for a home loan, there are three providers which you may choose from an officer at a bank, other lending institution or you may turn to a mortgage broker. Whichever provider you choose the end result is just the same and that is you get to have a new house.

Loan officers are actually employees working in a bank, a credit union or lending institution who work to sell and process mortgages and other loans. They offer a wide selection of loan types, but all originate from that specific lender. It is usually the job of the loan officer to take care of the client’s application and look for a specific loan product that would best suit their client’s needs. Once the client get credit approval, the loan officer will then start with the processing of the home purchase transaction.

On the other hand, mortgage brokers are people who match up lenders and borrowers. They are freelance agents, usually working with many different lenders. Mortgage brokers are the scouts of the mortgage industry since they are the ones that search and evaluate home buyers. They also analyze a client’s credit situation in order to find the best lender for that client. An expert mortgage broker is capable of finding various types of lenders to suit diverse types of credit.

A mortgage broker earns by securing a client’s loan and is paid according to the quality of the transaction. For your protection as the client it would be best not to offer any interest rate but rather wait for your mortgage broker to tell you what terms they can secure. And then try to shop around in order for you to make sure that the terms your mortgage broker has given you are reasonable. Also, try to be cautious when searching for mortgages advertised online since most of them are owned by mortgage brokers.

The advantage of hiring an online mortgage broker is that you make yourself available to lenders in other parts of the country who may have better rates than the ones in your hometown. However, there is a drawback to this, since most out of town lenders won’t be familiar with the peculiarities of where you live: local heating systems and septic systems, for example, or the jargon and classifications used by the appraisers in your area. All the above mentioned slows down loans made by an out of town lender.

Local banks are the most common mortgage lenders but not always the preferred choice. They have underwriters that basically understand the local properties and compared to a distant lender will not cause any delay on the processing of loan. Moreover, banks are always much better and faster in closing loans than any mortgage broker working with a lender. However, this is not generally applicable to all banks since there are some banks that really take a long time to process loans. On the other hand, mortgage brokers are capable of finding lenders who will grant loans that a bank would deny, which is especially ideal if ever you have a bad credit history.

The secret to finding the best mortgage loan

As you apply for a home loan or look to refinance your home, it is important to understand your situation and how it will be affected by the type of loan that you will be applying for.

But first, it is important to find out why you need the loan. For instance, do you need it for a home loan.

The next step is to do your research in order to escape the headaches and hassles that plague the home loan process. During this process, you should consider two major factors: How much you can afford and how to compare the different lending companies.

Let’s take a look at each…

How much you can afford:

The most important factor to getting the right kind of mortgage loan is to know how much you can fit into your budget. That way, you can ensure that you are staying within the proper budget limit. When calculating the affordability factor, it is important to take into account these three factors:

Income - The key is to know how much you make each month in relation to a mortgage payment. The rule of thumb is that the payment should not exceed 27 percent of your total income.

Debt - Obviously the less debt you have, the

better your financial situation. So by having less debt, you will be in a better position to afford the house of your dreams.

Down Payment - A house that requires a large down payment will require you to spend more money upfront. In some situations, you can spend up to 20% of the selling price with 3 to 6% in addition for closing costs

How to compare mortgage loans:

In addition to considering your finances, it is important to carefully research the various lenders that are available to consumers. Here are just a few factors to take into consideration:

Compare lenders at the same Interest rate and lock in period. That way you will be able to properly compare the different lenders

Every lender has associate fees including points and various costs. Each company is different, but it is important to factor in all these costs to fully understand how much your mortgage loan will cost

Once you have compared both of these factors, you should find the one that has the best rate

After discovering the best rate, you will be able to discover the home loan that fits your budget and your unique situation.

By understanding the home loan process and what type of loan is right for you, it will simple to get the best possible home loan.

Selling your mortgage note - fast and easy

In order to ensure a smooth note transaction, it would be wise, as a well informed note seller, to have the following documents available before submitting you note to a Note Investor for purchase. These are documents that you, your attorney, or your real estate agent should have on file from the sale of the subject property.

The documents are as follows:

Copy of Note

Copy of Trust Deed, Mortgage or Land Contract

Escrow instructions from real estate sale in which the "Contract" was created

Escrow closing statement from real estate sale in which the "Contract" was created

Title insurance policy which insures the "Contract"

Fire insurance information on the property which secures the "Contract" (Insurance Company, Policy Number, Agent's Name and Address)

Loan Payment Record (if possible)

Appraisal from the time of sale or thereafter (if possible)

Please provide two (2) pictures of subject property (if possible)

Copy of street or city map showing property location (maps. google. com)

Plans, surveys or other documents in your possession (if possible)

Tenant Rental Agreement (if applicabale - rental property note)

Once these documents are in order go forward with submitting your mortgage note for purchase to a note buyer. Usually with the more experienced note buyers you can fill a quick submission form online.

After submitting your note, it should take 48 business hours to receive a Soft Bid. The definition of a soft bid is; the preliminary dollar amount a note investor is willing to purchase, prior to verification of information.

Once the soft bid is agreed upon, the note investor does some preliminary investigating into the note info submitted (i. e. credit score, property value, etc). This usually takes 72 business hours.

The soft bid is subject to change if the original note info submitted is inaccurate. That is why it is very important to be as accurate as possible when submitting your note submission form in the beginning. This way nothing will change over the course of the underwriting period and you will get the money you need. The more detailed and prepared you are, the less you have to worry about!

Once the preliminary verification takes place the note investor will confirm the Firm Bid to the note seller.

Once the firm bid has been confirmed and all the above documents are in the possession of the note buyer , the underwriting process will begin. This includes, ordering drive by appraisal, checking title for liens, verifying all note info.

Closing instruction and date will be set up and the transaction is closed.

From front to Back, assuming all of above documents are in your possession, it should take 2-3 weeks to receive your check.