You have decided to buy your house and now there are some Do’s and Don’ts you need to keep an eye on:
TO DO:
- Check your credit score and credit report. – Your credit score and the information within your credit report are important in the home buying process; your MLO (Mortgage Loan Officer) will use this information to assess your credit worthiness. The highest your credit score, the lowest your interest rate will be. Check one of my blog posts where I share How to get your credit report for FREE.
- Shop around for a mortgage.- This will allow you to compare service between MLO’s, as well as options for the loan and pick up the one you feel the most comfortable with.
- Use a mortgage calculator.- This will give you an estimate on how much your monthly payments will be, taking in consideration the purchase price of the house, the down payment and the interest rate. There is a mortgage calculator in my page, it is FREE to use it and you can check it here.
- Get pre-approved.- Make sure you receive by email or mail your pre-approval letter, this will allow your Realtor to move quicker on the house hunt and will give you the advantage above other home buyers who haven’t started the process yet. In this highly competitive market, having a pre-approval letter is vital.
- Save and save.- While the down payment of a house can be as low as 0% on a USDA loan or 3.5% on a FHA loan, make sure you do have much more on your savings, because you will have to cover other expenses such as inspections, appraisal, closing costs, fees attached to the mortgage as well as reserves (savings after closing).
NOT TO DO:
- Big changes.- Once you start the house buying process (as soon as you apply for your mortgage), please DO NOT MAKE ANY BIG CHANGES in your life, like changing jobs, buying a new car, getting into new debt or move money around your accounts. Keep all the assets you declared on the application and make sure your balances are maintained or lowered.
- Make sure you are dealing with licensed professionals.- The loan application specifically will require you to provide your social security, among other important information, therefore make sure the person you are dealing with has a licence and works with a reputable lending company. You can check if your MLO is licensed in the following link https://nmlsconsumeraccess.org/
- Work with more than one Realtor at the same time.- If you are not happy with the interaction with your Realtor, make sure to tell him/her you are looking for something different and do not make them lose their time working for you if you already decided not to work with them. Your time is precious and so as the Realtors.
If you have any question, give me a call, will be happy to help you – 813 446 2003
Clarisa Moody
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