Introduction
Before you make an offer on the house, there are some things you should know about getting a mortgage—and we’ve got a step-by-step guide to help you through it.
Check your credit report.
If you have credit card debt, a home loan or a personal loans is not the best way to pay it off. Contact your creditors and try to restructure your debt as soon as possible.
Consider paying off the smallest balances first if this isn’t an option. This will establish a strong foundation of good credit while keeping your interest rate low by avoiding paying more interest than necessary.
If you have several bad debts on your record and are trying to repair your credit score before applying for a home loan, you must understand how long it’ll take for these bad marks to fall off your report.
It can take up to three years or more for certain types of negative information, such as bankruptcies or court judgments, to show up on your report as “paid,” so having patience is crucial during this process (and also requires avoiding new bad behavior).
Find out what you can afford.
As you search for the right home, it’s essential to figure out what you can afford. This process involves calculating numbers like your income, debt, and expenses. You’ll also need to consider the following:
How much will your monthly mortgage payment be? This includes interest, principal charges, taxes, and insurance (known as PITI). You’ll want to ensure this amount fits within the budget for your new home.
In addition to PITI, other costs are associated with buying a home, such as closing costs and property taxes.
The money you put down the purchase will determine how much more cash you have available once all those bills are paid off each month after moving in, which affects affordability.
Talk to more than one lender.
Each lender will have a different request for you, and you will be able to compare the interest rates and fees each lender offers.
Some home loans are more suited for certain types of borrowers than others. For example, the government may offer first-home buyers more assistance than they would receive from an investor who wants an investment property loan.
Lock in your mortgage rate.
As I mentioned above, locking in your mortgage rate is a crucial step to saving you money. When you lock in your mortgage rate, you commit to a specific interest rate and payment plan for the life of the loan.
If interest rates go up or down after signing your mortgage, you won’t be affected unless it’s within what was agreed to when locking in your loan.
Now that we have gone over why this is important and how to do it properly let’s talk about when exactly we should lock our loan.
Make sure you have all your paperwork and everything in order before applying.
When you’re ready to apply for a home loan, here are some steps that you should take:
Make sure that all your paperwork and information are in order. This includes your credit report, which can show the moneylenders in Singapore if there are any problems with your finances. If there are, it’s best to fix them before applying for a loan.
Figure out what you can afford. Before shopping around and speaking with different lenders, find out how much they’ll give you based on your income and obligations (such as car payments).
You may need to change up some aspects of your finances before seeking financing, but remember that taking on more debt than necessary isn’t necessarily better than getting less than what you want.
Conclusion
When you’re ready to apply for a home loan from moneylenders Singapore, ensure you have all your paperwork in order.
You’ll need a copy of your credit report and proof that you have enough income to cover the mortgage payments.
You can also get pre-approved by talking with more than one lender and locking in the rate before applying for financing through them.
Take the time to do these things so that everything goes smoothly when it comes time to close your new house or apartment building project next month.