The process of buying a home is always stressful, but it can be a true nightmare when you have so many other things that keep demanding your attention.
One of the things that you need to get exactly right is your mortgage.
#1 What Bank Should You Talk To
For one thing, there are so many different banks and lenders that you could approach, that your first responsibility is choosing which ones to speak to.
Whether or not they will want to speak to you is a different matter. If your credit rating is not as great as it could be, you may have trouble.
#2 Get Your Documents Together
Before approaching a potential lender, you should get all of your documents in order, and if you have made payments late in the past, or incurred more debt than you could pay off, you should consider including explanatory notes.
Everybody has money troubles at one time or another but if you demonstrate that you are serious about meeting your obligations now, you will have a better chance of convincing someone that you intend to meet them in the future.
Another thing that will impress a bank is the size of your deposit. The greater it is, the more options you will have when it comes to choosing a mortgage.
Some lenders are now insisting on the deposit being 40% of the value of the property that you want to buy.
If you make sure that you are prepared as you can be, and your finances are in good shape, you should not need to worry about various banks offering you loans with them. But you then have to make the choice between them.
#3 Getting a Mortgage Can Be Overwhelming
There are so many different options with mortgages, and so many numbers that at first don’t seem to have anything to do with real life, that it can be completely overwhelming.
If maths was never your forte at school, you may want to consider speaking to a mortgage broker in your area. As the name suggests, they can help you broker your mortgage and ensure that you get the right one.
If you are worried that you cannot brook another expense at the moment, especially when you are saving for your new house, then do not worry.
Mortgage brokers are paid by the lenders so you will not get a bill in the mail. However, this may prompt you to be cautious.
How can you trust a broker to act in your best interests when they are being paid by the lender? Wouldn’t human nature skew towards you being left with the mortgage that pays the broker the most?
To make sure that what you are being told is in your best interests rather than anyone else’s, you should find out how much your broker is being paid and whether that may have had an effect on their recommendation.
#4 Remember the Extra Cost
Lastly, when buying a home, you have to remember to budget for the extra costs that you do not have when renting.
For instance, insuring it and its contents along with paying for its maintenance now too. Another expense is the local council tax that will be levied.
If you think that your finances won’t stretch far enough to cover these costs and your mortgage too, then you should keep saving for the time being and look into buying a property in another few years.
Are planning to get a mortgage soon?
Cheers!
My wife and I haven’t ever bought a home before, so these were all really helpful tips. I liked how you mentioned that it’s important for us to get our documents together in order for the process to go a lot smoother. We’ll be sure to do this so that we can improve our chances of getting a good mortgage.
I agree that you need to consider finding a mortgage broker to help uncomplicate getting a mortgage. Finding someone to help you out would probably make things much less stressful. My brother needs a new home mortgage, so he’ll have to consider getting some help.
My wife and I are getting ready to buy our first home this year, so thanks for the tips on getting the perfect mortgage. I like your point about getting your finances in shape first. I’ll be sure to take care of any debt first so we can get the best rates and prices possible.
I like how you mentioned that mortgage lenders prefer your credit to be good, as it shows you are a lower risk client. My friend just had a baby, so she and her husband want to get their very first home. These tips will definitely help them get a great mortgage, so thank you for sharing!