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[B1157]Buying A Home After Bankruptcy

by Cl Haehl, Cl

1. Apply With at Least 3-4 Mortgage Companies - Compare offers. Subprime mortgage borrowers are at the highest risk for excessive mortgage fees, inflated interest rates and other unethical mortgage practices. Applying with several mortgage companies will give you an idea of what you can expect your interest rate and fees to be and will lessen your chance of being "taken" by an unscrupulous lender. Having several offers in hand will also give you leverage to negotiate for lower rates and fees.

2. Consider a Down Payment - When you apply for a new home loan, there are only a few factors that weigh heavily on your approval. Some of those factors are credit, income, debt-to-income ratio, employment history and down payment amount. If your credit is weak, you will need to really strengthen those other factors. Consider creative ways to come up with even a small down payment of around 2-5%. That might be enough to get you a better approval.

3. Consider Waiting to Apply Past the 2 Year Mark - Home mortgage lenders typically are more willing to lend to people with a past bankruptcy when they have past the 2-year mark from the date of their bankruptcy discharge. If you are close to that date anyway, consider waiting. After the 2 year mark, most lenders are willing to work with people with a bankruptcy.

4. Watch Out For the PrePayment Penalty - Most subprime mortgage lenders will tack on a prepayment penalty to the loan. If you are ok with a prepayment penalty and the loans interest rate is not too high, make sure the penalty is for a reasonable amount of time. It should be somewhere between 6 months to a year. If your penalty is for 2 years. Make sure that your interest rate is one you can live with for the entire 2 years. The penalty is usually the equivalent of 6 months of interest payments. Be careful not to lock yourself into a rate that is too high without the opportunity to refinance when your credit has improved.

Although home loans following a bankruptcy discharge come with high rates, a home purchase is a great way to quickly boost a low credit rating. Here are a few tips on getting a low credit score mortgage loan.

Sub Prime Mortgage Loan Programs

There are many options available to homebuyers with a low credit rating. Credit scores below 680 do not qualify for prime home loans. Hence, these persons will need to speak with a sub prime mortgage broker or lender. Sub prime loans are intended to assist those who cannot obtain traditional mortgage financing. These lenders work with all types of people and credit situations. Furthermore, sub prime lenders have a multitude of different loan options.

Who Qualifies for a Sub Prim Mortgage Loan?

Anyone with a low credit score can get approved for a sub prime mortgage loan. However, there are certain limitations. Many lenders will not approve a mortgage loan if the borrower's credit score is below 500. In this instance, the risks are too high. Homebuyers who fall into this group may consider improving their credit before applying for a home loan.

Having a chapter 7 bankruptcy, collection accounts, and judgments will not disqualify a buyer from obtaining a sub prime mortgage loan. Naturally, loans of this sort have higher interest rates. However, if the homebuyer maintains a good payment history, they will have the option of refinancing for a better rate in the future.

Other Loan Options Available after Bankruptcy

As mentioned, sub prime mortgage lenders offer a range of home loans for every need. Following a bankruptcy discharge, homebuyers have the option of obtaining a ?no credit score home loan.? Because lenders do not offer 100% financing on these loans, buyers must be prepared to pay a 20% down payment.

Another loan option available is the zero down home loan. This loan is offered to buyers with good and bad credit. Zero down home loans include 100% financing, which is perfect for first time homebuyers and buyers with little cash savings. To qualify for a no money down home loan with bad credit, your credit score cannot fall below 580.

Article Source : How to File Bankruptcy

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Both Cl Haehl & Carrie Reeder 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.

Cl Haehl has sinced written about articles on various topics from Unsecured Loans, Bad Credit Loans and Finances. . Cl Haehl's top article generates over 14800 views. to your Favourites.

Carrie Reeder has sinced written about articles on various topics from Finances, Mortgage and Finances. Try using for a list of