Monday, July 7, 2014

Home Loan Tips

  • Determine what monthly payment fits your budget
  • Determine how much money you have available for down payment, closing costs, prepaid expenses and property inspections.
  • Get your financial ducks in a row before you spend a lot of your time, or your Realtors time, looking at homes - Get preapproved for a home loan.
  • Know what price range you can afford so you don not spin your wheels looking at homes that you cannot afford.
  • We will run your application through our preliminary underwriting process, for a detailed loan preapproval and not just a simple prequalification.
  • It is not necessary for you to pull a credit report before doing a mortgage application. Lenders are required to disclose your credit scores within three days of loan application. We go beyond just giving scores and provide every applicant who completes a mortgage application a complimentary copy of their 3 bureau credit report.
  • Low down payment loan programs – as low as 3.0%, and the down payment money can be a family member gift
  • We have options to help you cover some, if not all, of the closing costs and prepaid expenses
  • Don’t do any other major financial transactions while you are in the home shopping or buying process (i.e. buy a new car, open a credit card etc.).
  • Getting a home inspection is like utilizing the services of a Realtor - Both are optional but highly recommended for most home buyers.
  • For Sale By Owner (FSBO) situations may seem like a better deal but they usually are not.
  • Find a Realtor to assist you with the home buying process as a good Realtor will prove to be worth their weight in gold to a home buyer. Your Realtor can help you identify properties that meet your home buying criteria much faster than you can search for homes on the internet and their service to Buyers is basically free as the Seller pays the Realtor's fee.
  
  

First Time Home Buyer Loan Options

  
Many first time home buyer loan programs advertised as "special first time buyer loan programs" are frequently just a smoke and mirrors marketing tactic. We probably have the same first time buyer loan program but we just don't put a fancy name on them for marketing purposes. Give us a call to discuss your options!
    
Conventional
Down payment as low as 5% of the purchase price and monthly PMI is not required with a 20% down payment or equity gift.
         
FHA
Down payment as low as 3.5% of the purchase price and the down payment can be a family member gift. FHA is usually a little easier on credit requirements than some other loan programs..
        
VA
As little as 0% down payment required. This is one of the best 100% financing home loan programs available today. It's only for qualifying Veterans and their spouses.
      
Rural Housing
A terrific 100% purchase program with low monthly mortgage insurance. Available for home in qualifying areas only. Household income limits apply.
 

Tips on buing a foreclosed home

For those looking to score a deal on a home, foreclosed properties can offer a great opportunity. Lenders are looking to unload the property and will often offer up a deep discount to do so quickly. But the process of buying a foreclosed home can differ a little from traditional home sales. Here are some things to consider before you make an offer on one of these properties.

The “As-Is” Sale

Disgruntled homeowners in foreclosure can feel like they have nothing left to lose. Faced with the prospect of losing their house, homeowners sometimes leave the place stripped of anything valuable or useful, including door knobs, fixtures and wiring. In cases like this, the lender is unlikely to make repairs and will sell the home as-is. While you can get the place at a steep discount, it might only be a bargain if you’ve got some DIY skills. This shouldn’t necessarily discourage you from buying, but you’ll need to figure out if the cost of repairs will offset the discounted offer price.

Not Knowing What You’re Getting Into

With most homes, you’ll likely get some disclosure from the current owners. A helpful homeowner might give you a little advice, like the best place to start a garden, or offer you a heads up on minor repairs, like a bathroom door that sticks.  And when it comes to big repairs, such as a shoddy foundation or termite damage, the owners might be legally required to let you know before you buy the place. But a lender has no history with the home, so don’t expect to get a run-down of problems before you move in. A foreclosure might be a good deal, but it can also turn into an unexpected adventure.

Don’t Assume They’ll Take Any Offer

While a foreclosed home can often be a bargain, you shouldn’t expect the lender to accept a lowball offer. Even in a market flooded with foreclosures, a bank might balk at a low offer, preferring to wait until housing prices bounce back rather than take a huge hit on the investment. However, you can use local foreclosures to your advantage. Take a look at recent sale prices for homes sold by lenders — which are often called real-estate owned, or REO sales — to help you price the place.

It Takes More Time

Most mortgages are backed by big banks and financial institutions, which means you will likely run smack into a large, slow-moving bureaucracy when trying to buy a home in foreclosure. With a traditional home sale, you can expect to find out if your offer has been accepted within a day or two. But when buying from a financial institution this process can take weeks. So have patience and don’t freak out if you don’t immediately hear back from the seller.

A Different Kind of Sale

Banks have their own processes and procedures for selling a home in foreclosure, which can make the purchasing process feel a bit foreign for experienced buyers. Banks work with real estate agents to show and sell the home, and often these agents can be dealing with dozens or foreclosures at a time, leaving them little time to tend to you. You shouldn’t expect the same careful attention when dealing with a foreclosure, but that’s the price of getting a good deal. The bank might also have its own contract that protects it should the home turn into a money-pit. To make sure you don’t end up feeling shortchanged, hire a good building inspector and insist on tagging along so that you can find out as much as possible about the home

Home Buyer tips

Have a moderate approach when you negotiate while buying real estate. A lot of people want to get a good deal, and begin acting aggressively; they end up doing themselves more harm than good. You can have a firm idea of what you want to pay, but let the Realtor and lawyers have some leeway.
TIP! All real estate agents should contact any past clients during the holidays, and at the anniversary of that person’s purchase date. When they hear from you, they will remember how much you helped them out.

Like most things in life, before you attempt to do something, you need to be educated about it, and that pertains to real estate buying too. Knowing your stuff not only gives you more power at the negotiating table, but can also improve your own future, as well as your family’s. The following article will guide you in learning about real estate purchasing.
When you have kids, or are planning to start a family in the future, make sure you buy a home that can accommodate everyone. Don’t neglect safety issues as well, especially if there is a swimming pool or stairs in the home you’re considering buying. A house that was previously owned by a family with children might feature a lot of built-in safety devices.
TIP! If you are considering purchasing a house in a new neighborhood, you should look up information about the neighborhood using resources on the Internet. Almost every town has plenty of information online.

Have a moderate approach when you negotiate while buying real estate. Often, people who are too aggressive about trying to make the best possible deal work against their own best interests. Be firm with your wants, but allow your lawyer and Realtor to be present at your negotiations since they have experience with these battles.
Just because the seller chose not to accept your offer, it does not mean that you cannot find a way to compromise. So, do not lose hope yet. The seller may offer to make some repairs that you want done or pay for closing costs.
TIP! When you want to make a good investment with real estate, consider repairing and remodeling. The value of your property will go up quickly.

If you sell a home to a client, don’t lose touch. Contacting customers on each anniversary of the day they bought the home and during holidays allows you to stay in touch without seeming intrusive. When you contact them, they will recall how you helped them with their real estate experience. At the end of your message, let them know you work on referrals and would love it if they passed your information on to their friends and family.
You are already aware of an asking price on a potential home, but you should also have your offer firmly in mind. By talking to the seller, both parties can come to a final, mutually agreeable price.
TIP! When you make an offer on a home, consider asking the seller to contribute toward the closing costs or give you some other type of financial incentive. For example, it may be to your advantage to ask for an interest rate “buy down.

Get a partner that you trust when you want to make the step and buy an expensive commercial lot. It will make it easier to qualify for the loan that you need to buy the property. You may be able to qualify for a loan that you cannot qualify for alone by having a partner. A partner may be able to help with a down payment as well as lowering your debt-to-income ratio.
Check the online registry for local sex offenders prior to purchasing a home in an area. While the sex offender registry is public, you had best check it yourself, as the agent and seller are unlikely to voluntarily disclose this information. Research it yourself for peace of mind.
TIP! Before you purchase a home, make your own measurements of its dimensions. You should always verify that the owner’s listed square footage matches with information in public records.

Just because the seller chose not to accept your offer, it does not mean that you cannot find a way to compromise. So, do not lose hope yet. Explore options such as incorporating closing costs into the deal or asking for improvements to the home, prior to purchase.
If you are considering renting a home or apartment that has a garden, don’t sign a lease agreement until you find out from the landlord who is responsible for tending the garden. Sometimes rentals require that you handle it yourself, or for you to hire a gardener or yard person. However, this service is included with some rentals, with the cost of it already incorporated into the rent.
TIP! Take a realistic approach to your real estate options once you make the decision to start searching. A long while can pass before you locate a property which fits your goals and strategy.

When in the market to purchase a new home, always consider your long-term situation. You might not have children right now, but if you are going to stay in this house for a long time and you will one day want kids, you should check out the schools that are in the area and make sure you would want your future kids to go there.
When purchasing a foreclosure, it is to your benefit to hire an attorney. Because problems can occur during pre-foreclosure or foreclosure deals, a legal representative is a good person to have on your side. A good legal eye can spot problems and solve them, saving you money overall.
TIP! Determine which goals are important when you are under negotiations for a real estate contract. Clarify the nature of each issue and create well-defined expectations for each specific concern.

You may have to be flexible in order to close on a home. Sometimes you must choose between two major features if the price of having both falls outside of your price range. Consider all of the options that are available and weigh them out in terms of your preferred location, the desired features of the house and how much you can pay.
Before moving into a new home, you need to purchase a homeowner’s insurance policy. If you put this off, you may not be covered for any losses that may occur, and you never know what Mother Nature has in store.

Closing Costs

The appraiser that you choose for your real estate should always have a lot of experience; five years at the least. Hire an appraiser independent of any real estate office. There is possibly a pretty stern conflict of interest. Make sure that any appraiser you deal with has a state license.
TIP! There may be programs that will assist you with your down payment. You should do your research to see if you are eligible for them.

When you purchase a property, extra funds should always be available for unexpected costs that are bound to arise. Buyers will often calculate the final closing costs by combining the amount for the down payment, any points that go to the bank, as well as any prorated taxes for real estate. Closing costs might consist of extra fees such as taxes, bonds, or fees based on the local area.
Look at your credit report before you start looking for a house. After you obtain a copy of your history, carefully look through it and report any issues that you see. Your credit report should be in good standing when you are going to buy a home.
TIP! Using a calculator on the web helps you determine what is affordable for you to spend. These tools allow you to input how much money you make, your daily expenses and any debt that you have.

If you want to purchase real estate for investment purposes, the likelihood of performing remodel and repair work is high. You’ll have a rapid return on investment, thanks to a little elbow grease. Sometimes your property value will increase more than the money you put in.
You should make certain that you have funds available to meet the required minimum down payment set by your mortgage company. If you can’t make a traditional down payment, then you may have to get private mortgage insurance. This means you have to spend extra money every month just to prove you can afford your payments without actually working toward paying back your mortgage.
TIP! You may not be required to get a home inspection, but you should schedule one anyway. This is important because you simply never know what’s really going on under the surface of a home.

When buying a house, make sure you understand your options when it comes to the term of your loan. If you know how the term of the mortgage ties in with your payment and the final cost of the house, you will not be surprised later.
Make sure that you get a letter of approval first before you even make a bid on a house. On the other hand, if you are not approved, this can extend the timeline of the purchasing process, which can result in additional costs.
TIP! Keep an eye out for pre-foreclosure properties. In the event you are able to spend substantial time searching for investment opportunities, you may want to give pre-foreclosure properties a look.

Taking the time to get educated about buying real estate is one of the smartest things that you could have done. Real estate agents will help guide you, but you must be ready to make smart decisions for yourself. Having a great deal of knowledge about real estate will give you the confidence to make necessary decisions.
Get as much information about potential rental properties as possible. If you are thinking about buying rental property, hold off on purchasing it until all records have been reviewed for at minimum the past 24 months. The reason for this is that you have to make sure that the seller has made full and accurate disclosure regarding the property’s potential for income. Your lender will probably want to view verification of income prior to issuing the property’s purchase loan.

Pre Approval Tips

Getting pre-approved should be the very first step when buying a home. Michigan first time home buyers are facing enough competition already without compounding the problem by not getting pre-approved or worse, getting a bad pre-approval.

Depending on which publications or websites the buyer may trust for information, there will be mixed opinions on where the Real Estate market is heading for the first time home buyer in Michigan. While there are still great deals to be had on homes for sale in Michigan, first time buyers are facing fierce competition from repeat buyers as well as investors.
In fact, for the past five years, the percentage of homes purchased by first time buyers has been steadily declining. Four years ago, first timers were responsible for more than 50% of the homes purchased whereas, today, they account for less than 35%. While this statistic is based on nationwide data, similar declines are represented in the Michigan housing market as well.

“Michigan Mortgage Solutions speaks with, and pre-approves, a lot of first time buyers and one of the most common issues they face is competition. With a lower inventory of homes for sale, it’s extremely important for the first time buyer to know where they stand so they can craft a solid offer. Getting pre-approved by a knowledgeable lender will put a first time home buyer in the best position possible to bid aggressively on their dream home” says Jason Nolan, President of Michigan Mortgage Solutions.

Since the average Michigan home offered for sale is usually under contract within the first two weeks of being listed, knowing what you can afford is imperative. This is why the first step in the home buying process should always be to get pre-approved.

A pre-approval letter is often needed prior to putting an offer on a home anyway, so starting there only makes sense. To complete the pre-approval process, the lender will review a borrower’s income, credit, and assets to determine which mortgage programs they are eligible for, how much home can they afford and also how much money they will need at close to cover down payment and costs.
Knowing the total costs prior to putting in an offer will allow the first time buyer to know their financial limits. If they determine they will be short money to close, they can request a seller’s concession to cover some if not all of the costs. In Michigan, the average purchase transaction has a seller’s concession of 2% of the loan amount which can be used to cover the buyers closing costs and pre-paid expenses.

A good mortgage lender should be able to break these costs down for the buyer prior to them offering on a property. However, some lenders take short cuts and use estimates which can be misleading and cause huge problems as the transaction proceeds. Make sure to question the lender on whether they are using estimates or real numbers for items like property taxes, tax pro-rations, title fees, and homeowners insurance since these will be the majority of the costs.

“Numbers are extremely important in a mortgage transaction and taking the time to dial things in as accurately as possible is imperative. Doing this allows buyers to know exactly what they are getting themselves into and what will be due at closing. This eliminates the nightmare closing scenarios you read about online” says Jason Nolan, President of Michigan Mortgage Solutions.
Michigan Mortgage Solutions is a licensed mortgage lender and broker specializing in first time home buyer programs in Michigan. They offer a wide range of mortgage products including conventional financing, FHA loans, and also 100% financing with the VA and USDA Rural Development Loans. Make sure to call 248 630-3489 for more info on getting qualified to purchase your first home.




Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Why use a buyers agent to help you find a home

There are many reasons to use a buyers agent to purchase property.

Never call the selling agent on the sign to look at a home. They are paid by the sellers to give them the best deal. Instead use a buyers agent to work and negotiate on your behalf to get you the best deal at no extra cost to you...

What's the difference between a Buyer's Agent and a Seller's Agent?

Traditionally, all agents involved in a real estate transaction legally represent the Seller (both the "Listing Agent" and the "Selling Agent.") When a Buyer's Agent is involved, the person buying the property is represented by the "Selling Agent," who is known as the "Buyer's Agent."

How does the agent get paid?

The agent gets paid with commissions that come from one of two places:
Out of the total commission being paid to the listing agency, or
As a reduction in the selling price equivalent to the Buyer's Agency commission, thus enabling a direct payment from the Buyer to the Buyer Agency. Typically, the Buyer's Agency Commission is paid from the proceeds of the closing.

What will it cost me?

No additional cost! In fact, a Buyer's Agent can save you money by being able to negotiate with the Seller and Selling Agent to work toward obtaining the lowest price and best terms for you, the Buyer. The buyers agent commission comes out of the listing agents commisson. It costs you 0....

What are the Benefits of Buyer's Agents?

Advise and counsel a Buyer with unrestricted assistance.
Prepare an estimate of value and future salability to insure the true value of the property.
Investigate any situation that might jeopardize the best interest of the Buyer.
Negotiate with the Listing Agent and Seller to obtain the lowest price.
Show all properties on the market, regardless of whether they are listed with Multiple Listing Service.
Help you search for homes that interest you on the MLS which the general public does not have access to.
Represent you at the closing after the purchase and help guide you through the closing documents.
The agent will accompany the inspector during the home inspection and will help point out problems that come up during the inspection to the listing agent to possibly get them fixed by the seller or lower the price.

The Competitive Edge

A Agent is able to show properties that are not listed in the Multiple Listing Service. This allows you to have a greater selection to choose from. If an inspection reveals a problem, a Buyer's Agent can make a crucial difference. He or she protects the Buyer's interests and helps negotiate a fair and equitable agreement for the property. Legally, a Buyer's Agent is obligated to provide complete confidentiality of the Buyer's personal motives and financial intentions. Without this confidential duty, a Seller might gain a competitive bargaining edge.