Your credit history is represented by credit scores. They are the driving force in determining
whether or not you qualify for a home loan. A credit score calculates the probability of default—how
likely you are to make your loan payments on time. Although the scores may seem arbitrary,
the science—especially over the past 20 years—has made them fairly accurate.
Equity Atlas knows and understands the science. This can provide an upper hand in resolving
credit issues that may be affecting your scores. Even with a low score, given sufficient
time and a game-plan (usually 1-2 years), one is able to improve the scores to a point where
one qualifies for a home loan.
Credit Score Rankings
In the event you have no credit or less-than-perfect credit, don't worry.
There are proven strategies for building good credit. Credit scores are
based on your credit history, how much money you owe, how long you've owed it,
how many new accounts you have, how often you miss or are late with payments,
and what type of credit accounts you have. Changes in any of those factors will
cause your score to recalculate.
Take a look at the minimum scores listed under
Loan Programs.
The higher your credit score, the more loan options you'll qualify for and the more likely you'll qualify for a lower rate. There are three credit
reporting agencies who provide complimentary credit reports annually through the sanctioned U.S.
Government website,
www.annualcreditreport.com.
Sometimes there can be incorrect information on the reports. If you discover any mistakes that
need correcting, it's best to contact the credit agency as soon as possible. Removing errors
can take time, and there is a lag-time between when the correction is made and when the credit
score improves. Not sure how to manage this process? Contact one of our Home Loan Advisors
for further information and assistance on how to improve your credit scores.
Let our expert Home Loan Advisors assist you with the process of building or rebuilding your credit.
It's only a matter of time before you'll be eligible for a home loan. The Great Recession affected
many households and potential homebuyers.
Don't let this stop you in your pursuit to own a home.
Here are some examples of our clients building the credit they needed:
For Joe, 37, and his family, rebuilding their
credit
was a long-term affair.
Affected by a layoff during the
Great Recession
, they were forced to sell their
home as a
short sale
. During the three year mandatory waiting period, they slowly
rebuilt their credit. When the time came, they were ready to buy. Utilizing a low
down payment
with minimal
credit score
requirements, they were able to find
a home that met their family's needs. Joe, his wife, and two children now live in a
single-story home in a beautiful SE Portland neighborhood.
Elsa, 26, and her husband were committed to purchasing their first home.
With minimal income and savings, several loan programs were utilized including the
Mortgage
Credit Certificate. Unbeknownst to them, was the fact her husband had multiple medical
collections on his
credit report
. The claims had been reported in error. It took several
months of continuous correspondence before they were removed. The end result was a sufficient
improvement in his
credit score
s which enabled Elsa and her husband to purchase and close
on their first dream home.
Melissa, 39 and her husband owned their home for 10 years. They decided to do a
cash-out
to lower their rate as well as provide funds for the purchase of an
investment property
. During
this time-period, a small
credit
card balance was overlooked and went unpaid, which lowered the
husband's
credit score
to 657. Although it was still possible to close the loan, the rate was
approximately .250-.375% higher. After analyzing the credit, it was determined the best course
of action was to pay off the small balance as well as another credit card and then rescore the
credit. In the end, the score improved to 684, which resulted in an
interest rate
reduction and
long-term savings.
More Reasons For Building Good Credit
Not only do
s affect your home loan rates and payment
rates, they can
affect your
interest rate
s and pricing on everything from credit cards to auto loans to the insurance
premiums for your home and auto. Even potential employers may use credit scores to help evaluate how
dependable you are.
Mortgage Insurance
Mortgage Insurance helps make homeownership more affordable when you have less than 20%
down. While some loans such as the
VA
Loan require no mortgage insurance, most loans, in some fashion or another,
require mortgage insurance coverage when there will be a low
down payment
. Rather than wait until you accumulate
a savings of 20%, mortgage insurance provides the opportunity to buy a home sooner with less money down.
The mortgage insurance is in place during the early years of your home loan. Once you pay the mortgage balance
down to 22% of the original purchase price, you can cancel the mortgage insurance coverage. Note:
s
no longer offer this option. Most loan programs allow for a new
appraisal
to determine the home's value in
place of the original purchase price.
There are different types of mortgage insurance and different rates dependent on the amount of the
down payment, the loan program, and your
s. Be sure and check with your Home Loan Advisor
which loan program is best suited to your homeownership goals for the short and long term.
Maintaining Financial Fitness
Tax Benefits
IRS Tax Publication 530 outlines the tax deductions and how tax filers should treat
costs relating to purchasing and owning a home, including
s,
mortgage
interest, real estate taxes,
and repairs. The publication outlines which home-related items can and cannot be deducted on the tax return
and what items a taxpayer should keep track of in order to set the
cost basis
of the property.
One of the biggest deductions will be the interest you pay on your home loan.
Property taxes
are deductible
from your federal taxes if you itemize.
Points
, if paid at the closing, are tax-deductible in the year you
pay them. If you use part of your home exclusively for a home-based business, you may be able to deduct a
portion of the related expenses. To make it worthwhile, your itemized deductions should exceed your standard
deductions. Check with your accountant to make sure you are receiving the full tax benefits of home ownership.
Simple Interest Loans
All
mortgage
loans made by
Equity
Atlas are
simple interest loan
s. Simple interest ignores the effects
of
compounding
, so interest paid is always based on the outstanding balance; there is no interest on
interest. This means that if you make additional
principal
payments, you will lower your outstanding
balance thereby lowering the amount of interest you pay over the lifetime of the loan.
For example, if you have a loan amount of $200,000 with a fixed payment for 30 years at the rate
of 5.00%, your monthly payment is $1,073.64. By making one additional payment annually, the loan
will be paid-in-full in 25.42 years versus the normal 30 years, thereby saving $32,922 in interest
payments.
For further Financial Fitness information,
be sure to sign-up for our updates.