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[H487]Home Buyer Mortgage Loan

by Kate Ford, Kat

Consider a declining economy. In general, people become more conservative with their money and consequently, longer skirts become popular.

On the other hand, economic prosperity ushers in risk taking and skirt hems rise. Case in point, consider the Flappers of the Roaring 20's.

Much the same, no one could deny the economic outlook during the Clinton administration was promising. The drive to increase homeownership was noble. In fact, loan approvals were reaching all time highs.

Real estate was the financial rock of the economy. Financial skirt hems were on the rise.

Now if you were a mortgage broker, you were hearing something like this from The Big Three, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA...

"100% conventional loans with PMI? No problem. Your borrower has a pulse? Good to go!"

Mortgage representatives witnessed automated underwriting systems spitting out unprecedented loan approvals all day long.

And then along came Subprime Lending. Mortgage brokers, visited by lender representatives, were being offered innovative programs never before seen.

Take a peek at what was being offered to Joe The Home Buyer to enable mortgage qualification...

Non verifiable income ok!

No income disclosed ok!

No assets stated ok!

No appraisal options ok!

Below 600 credit scores ok!

100% financing ok!

1st/2nd mortgage combos ok!

Non verified gifts ok!

No savings pattern ok!

Debt ratios out the wing-wang ok!

That was only the beginning. And deadly if ever combined with decreasing real estate values and job losses but I am getting ahead of myself.

It was official. FNMA, FHLMC and FHA were raising their skirts to qualify more home buyers.

America looked on as the Millennium ushered in more and more liberal guidelines. Caution was thrown to the wind. Excessive confidence was placed in credit scoring and automated underwriting. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA were exuberant.

The door had been opened, the stage was set and in walked Subprime Lending. However the most recent darling of Wall Street needed to replace its tarnished loan shark image. So to make it more palatable for borrowers and mortgage companies, hard money underwent a name change.

Meet the new and improved Alternative Lending.

The volume got louder as Fannie, Freddie, and FHA played musical chairs. Round and round the guidelines they frantically darted seeing who could churn out the most buyers before the music ended.

Fannie, Freddie and FHA, the millennial Flappers, had raised their skirt even higher.

Now understand this. When one of the Big Three loosened underwriting guidelines, you can be sure the other two competed. But Alternative Lending financed by Wall Street made qualifying for mortgages the easiest of all.

It was at this juncture that home buyers stormed in by the thousands across America. And why not! Standards for mortgage loan approvals had never before made home buying this easy.

Lest you think I am criticizing the first time home buyer, please hear me out. Joe The Renter was watching his rent payment gradually increase. Saving for a down payment was slow. The threat of paying rent for years to come loomed over Joe.

Then Joe The Renter caught wind of new mortgage programs that did not require a downpayment. Mortgage loan approval was granted overnight and a month later Joe got the keys to his first house.

In light of the ease with which Joe could buy a house, there is a lingering attitude I find very disturbing. It goes something like this...

"Home buyers by the droves had the audacity to get a mortgage with no downpayment and everybody knows how THAT turned out for America."

So I am going to say it once and for all. I am sick and tired of Joe The Homeowner being blamed for the mortgage debacle.

In the 1990's the Big Three, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA recognized that underwriting guidelines had become outdated. To modernize loan approval standards to match a healthy economy was necessary.

But herein lies the rub. Had mortgage investors not succumbed to greed, and of most importance, had Wall Street not excessively leveraged...

Well, I contend Joe The Homeowner knows how THAT turned out for him.

Sometimes a viable solution can get you so confused, especially when you get to know the factors that may affect it. It's the same case with your home mortgage loan. Normally, the basic question is this: should you go for it or not?

Here are some tips for you. Hopefully this will help you in making a good decision on getting your loan:

1. Ask for all related information first before you strike a deal. It's only when you learn to ask the right questions to your lender that you will know if it's the right thing to do or not. Make sure that you've gathered all relevant information regarding your loan. These can include the interest charges, the principal amount, any associated costs and the loan term, among others. Moreover, you need these details to determine if you're dealing with the right provider or he's a potential scammer who's only after your money. It's not unusual to find lenders that will encourage you to sign up for a home mortgage loan by lowering down your interest rate, which, unfortunately, can increase dramatically after six months. This type of interest rate is called a honeymoon interest rate. If you aren't prepared with the sudden increase, you may find it very difficult to pay up your loan.

2. Know how much you need the money. The thought of needing money can sometimes be enough to compel you to settle for home mortgage loan. However, you have to remember that this is still a debt that you need to pay for a particular period of time. You have to evaluate how much you need the money right now. Perhaps you can look for a way to increase your income so you no longer have to go for a loan.

3. Determine your options. If you can just learn to shop around for different options for your home mortgage loan, you will discover that there are many of them. All of them carry their own pros and cons. Those that can offer lower interest charges may have longer loan terms, while those with shorter payment terms may possess very high interest rate. What you can do is to check where you will likely be able to save more money, which you can utilize to pay other immediate expenses that you may incur.

4. Identify the possible hidden fees related to your home mortgage loan. The last thing you want to happen is to be surprised by charges that you don't even know exist. Hence, before you go for this kind of mortgage, determine what the possible hidden fees are and if these are the ones that you're willing to pay.

In the end, learn to be open with other options of how to get funds to buy a home or improve a property. You can always go for refinancing, or if you have already acquired equity in your home, you may apply for a home equity loan.

Article Source : Pg. 5

About Author

Both Kate Ford & Alan Lim are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Kate Ford has sinced written about articles on various topics from Health, Finances and Family. Kate Ford, author of the contemporary and informative website Get-Your-Best-Mortgage-Rate.com understands how to help current and prospective homeowners in today's home loan environment. Want an easy way to stay informed during a tumultuous economy? Stay. Kate Ford's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.

Alan Lim has sinced written about articles on various topics from Colorado Springs Refinance, Flirting Tips and Online Dating. Visit or. Alan Lim's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.