Buying a new home takes time and planning. To make sure you don’t get too far ahead of yourself, here are 6 things to do before applying for a home loan in Greater Cincinnati Area or Northern Kentucky.
Determine Your Budget
The first step to getting things started on the right foot is to take the effort to build a detailed, itemized budget.
Doing this at the very beginning will help you figure out how much you will be able to afford, how much money you could save every month for a down payment by possibly cutting some expenses, and how long it will take you to meet your savings goal in order to move into your new home in a comfortable financial position.
Give yourself as clear a picture as possible by including every small detail in both your income and expenses and then try to find ways to chip away at your expenses. Every little bit you can save every month will put you in a better place through the entire home buying process.
Know the Market
With an idea of what you can realistically afford, start researching homes that attract your attention in your desired neighborhood or city.
By knowing how much the properties located next to your potential target sold for previously, you will have a better idea of what to expect to pay when negotiating the price of a property in that given area and when searching for a home loan in Greater Cincinnati Area.
Check Your Credit
An incredibly important thing to do is request your free annual credit report from the major credit agencies.
The reason this is a good idea is you may have forgotten about existing debts that are still impacting your credit, and there’s always the possibility that there are mistakes or inaccurate information on your credit report that can cause problems when applying for a home loan in Greater Cincinnati Area.
You don’t want to begin the mortgage application process with an inaccurate credit report that could have a large negative impact on your interest rate, or even being approved for a mortgage in the first place.
Dry Up Your Debts
After you have thoroughly combed through your credit report, do your best to pay down or eliminate as much of your existing debt as possible.
Mortgage lenders are not going to reject an application if it comes with some debt attached, so don’t feel that you have to be absolutely free of any and all debt prior to filling out and submitting your home loan application. However, do keep in mind that the lender will take all debts into consideration to determine if they consider you too risky to approve for a mortgage.
It’s more important to display an uninterrupted history of responsibly paying your debts rather than have no debt at all.
Find Your Lender
Not all mortgage lenders are alike, and putting in some time shopping around for the right mortgage lender for you can make a difference when applying for a home loan in Greater Cincinnati Area.
Try and compare any available information on advertised home loan interest rates, and read through available online reviews to narrow down your choice of lenders. Finding reviews that express that the homeowner experienced a problem and it was resolved quickly and easily is always reassuring.
If you are located in the Cincinnati or Northern kentucky area and need help finding a great lender, Team Sztanyo has you covered. We work with several reputable loan officers and would be glad to make a recommendation.
Maintain the Status Quo
The last important thing to remember is that once you are ready to begin filling out home loan applications, you should do everything you can to not change anything in your financial world.
This means you should not change jobs, make any large purchases, and especially do not take out any additional loans. If any of these things were to change, it could have a seriously detrimental effect on your application’s viability. Keep everything as it was and let the mortgage lender go through their steps to get you approved.