Investing in a Vacation Property? Learn What You’ll Need to Have to Get A Mortgage Approved

Investing in a Vacation Property? Learn What You'll Need to Have to Get A Mortgage ApprovedWith approximately one million people having purchased vacation homes in the last year, this type of residence is gaining popularity for those who are interested in a home in a beach setting or a vacation hot spot. However, while a second home can seem like a great purchase and solid investment opportunity, there are different requirements that go into this type of purchase. If you’re considering a vacation home, you may want to be aware of the following financial factors.

The Down Payment Amount

If you currently have a primary residence, you may be aware that you don’t need to put down 20% or even 10% in order to make a home purchase, but things are different when it comes to a vacation home. Because you will be taking on an additional mortgage, there is greater risk involved, and this means you will likely have to put in at least 10 percent. Because of this, many homebuyers utilize the equity they have in their first home to make up the down payment.

About The Credit Score

Most people that have a credit score of more than 500 have the ability to use a mortgage product and purchase a home, but if you’re buying a second property, you’ll need a higher credit score in order to facilitate the purchase. Because there is more risk involved, lenders will want to make sure you’re a good bet. In addition, if you do have a lower credit score, lenders like Fannie Mae may also expect you to put more down to decrease the risk involved for them.

The Income Required

Since you’ve been through the mortgage process for your first home, you’re probably aware that you debt-to-income (DTI) ratio needs to be a certain amount in order to qualify for a mortgage. While your DTI for a primary residence may be a little bit higher since it’s your only payment, this ratio will be lower for your vacation home since it’s higher risk. This means you’ll require a slightly higher income than for your primary residence in order to get approved.

Deciding to purchase a vacation home can be a very exciting concept for many people, but there are a number of different financial requirements that go along with buying another residence. If you’re in the market for a vacation property and are curious about what’s involved, contact your local mortgage professional for more information.

Mortgage Myths: Here’s Why You Don’t Need a Full 20 Percent Down Payment

Mortgage Myths: Here's Why You Don't Need a Full 20 Percent Down Payment If you’re just getting into the real estate market, you may have heard that 20% down is the ideal percentage in order to lower your monthly payments and get your mortgage application approved. However, while 20% is often suggested, many people struggle to come up with this amount of money. If you’re staving off home ownership, here are some reasons you may not need to hold off as you long as you thought.

Minimizing Your Insurance Costs

Putting down 20% of the total purchase price of your home is often suggested, but it doesn’t definitively mean that your application won’t be approved if you don’t. If you have a good credit score and are in good financial standing, putting less than 20% down means you’ll have to pay Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI); however, it can be worth paying the extra funds in order to get into the real estate market sooner and start paying into your most significant investment.

Mortgage Programs For Less Than 20%

It may seem less possible to buy a home if you only have 5 or 7% of the purchase price, but there are many programs in the United States that enable those with limited funds to apply for a mortgage. From the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, there are many lenders that can offer you mortgage programs that will work for your situation. While higher rates come in tandem with a lower down payment, there are options out there for those who haven’t saved quite enough.

Why Put Down 20%?

Putting down 20% is not a necessity for mortgage approval or purchasing a home, but it can be a great means of saving money in the long run and reducing your interest rates. If you’re raring to get into the real estate market and don’t want to wait for the bills to stack up, that’s OK, but if you want to hold off and save up additional funds before diving in, this can mean more money and a more solid investment in the future.

20% is often the magic number when it comes to a down payment on a home, but you don’t require this percentage of your home’s price in order to get approved for a mortgage. If you’re currently considering diving into home ownership and would like to know more about the opportunities in your area, contact your local mortgage professional for more information.

Financing That Dream Home with a Mortgage? Here’s What to Expect on Closing Day

Financing That Dream Home with a Mortgage? Here's What to Expect on Closing DayThere are so many details that lead up to the purchase of your dream home that it can be hard to realize it when the closing day is finally upon you. However, when closing day finally arrives, there will still be a few last minute details that need to be taken care of. If you’re getting ready to solidify your home purchase and are wondering about the remaining paperwork and any unknown details, here are some things you can expect when it comes to making your purchase complete.

One Last Walk Through

A home inspection is an important part of any home purchase, but buyers often have the option to go for one final walk through on closing day in order to determine if any additional damage has been done. This will help to ensure that if any additional issues have appeared, they can be discussed and taken care of by the seller. While it might seem like the home inspection should take care of things, a last walk through can be very important in ensuring you don’t get stuck with unwanted – and potentially expensive – repairs.

A Few Helping Hands

Most of the details will be taken care of by the time closing day comes, but that doesn’t mean it will be up to the lawyers to settle everything for you and the seller. Instead, you can expect a wide cast of involved parties that can range from the seller’s agent to the title company representative to the closing agent, in addition to the homeowner and yourself. It’s just important to be aware that which parties are involved will be dependent upon where you live.

A Bevy of Documents

Purchasing a home is not without an abundance of paperwork, but there will be a few more documents to deal with during your closing meeting. In addition to documents that outline the agreement and the property transfer, there will be others like the deed of trust, the settlement statement and the mortgage note that verifies that the buyer will pay back the mortgage loan.

There are many stressors that come along with the purchase of your home, but by taking all the documents you need and being prepared to deal with all the engaged parties, the day can go a lot more smoothly. If you’re currently looking into a mortgage and are on the market for a home, contact your local mortgage professional for more information.