Angela Kroemer Mortgage Professional

Angela Kroemer Mortgage Professional
1.250.650.4182
Showing posts with label closing costs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label closing costs. Show all posts

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Survey Says-- You Want To Know More about Financing a Home

 
The #1 comment I get is -- I just want a simple mortgage !
Mortgages are far from simple mainly due to each mortgage being different because everyone has different circumstances. It is a big loan for a home, and Financial Institutions want to know they will get their money back. They are not interested in owning your home if a default should happen. It is more headaches for them.

1. So What Should You Do If You Want To Buy

Get your financial information in order.
- Make sure you have pay stubs, T4's, Assessment papers from your income tax
- Know what your savings are
- Got RRSP's - you may be able to use them for your down payment
- Know what you owe in credit cards, car payments, personal loans

2. Make an Appointment With a Mortgage Professional

A Mortgage Professional will help you get the needed information on financing a home for your circumstance. They cannot give you accurate advise without the accurate financial information. That is the main reason, they pull a credit score right away. It gives them the information needed on who you owe and how you have managed your credit in the past.

3.Your Credit and The Mortgage Professional Services

A home is a big investment. You will spend at least 15-25 years paying for your home. To predict if you are a good risk the Financial Institutions look at your ability to pay now and in the future, also by looking at your past in relation to your credit score and how you managed past credit.
Most people have had a rocky period when it comes to their past credit, due to unpaid cell phones, divorces, job loss, etc. That is just part of what happens in Life. The Financial Institutions understand that. That is why once you have had a hardship, you are able to build up your credit score once again.
Most clients I ask about their credit score, don't know what it is or how it applies to them. It is a huge mystery to most people. That is why it is so important to work with a mortgage professional, so they can guide you. If you go to a Bank, the conversation is yes or no. The mortgage professional on the other hand will advise you on what to do next. What can you do to get your home? A mortgage professional will let you know. The job of a mortgage professional in simple terms is to find you the best mortgage and to secure financing for your home.

4. What is Involved In Financing

-income -the ability to pay a monthly mortgage
-paperwork from the past 2 years-- Notice of Assessments, T4's, a record of savings or where the down payment will come from, bank statements, letter from your employer, credit report from your mortgage professional
-good credit score

5. Why Does It Say 5 Year Term/ 25 Year Amortization?

Is my mortgage paid off in 5 or 25 years?
A mortgage is usually long term so the correct answer would be 25 years. Because, the mortgage is so long in a time period, you have the ability to break it down into shorter terms to reflect the newer interest rates and the new options that have been put into place. A 5 year term is the most common term in a closed fixed mortgage.

Is That good?
It is nether good or bad. For right now the interest rates are low, when you renew in 5 years from now chances are you will be renewing at a higher interest rate. Although if you have had a mortgage previously and your mortgage is now coming due, you would be getting a lower interest rate then what you had previously. It is all about timing that no one can control.
For options that usually is better for you. We now have more liberal prepayment clauses then we did 5 years ago. It is always a good idea to talk to your mortgage professional about 3-6 months before your mortgage needs to be renewed. They will watch the market for you to time a better deal for renewing.


How Much Does A Mortgage Professional Cost?

The services of a mortgage professional is free. The financial institutions pay the mortgage professional when a mortgage is secured. So unless you have an extreme case, you will not pay for any of these great services. The mortgage professional will disclose to you at the start if they require payment for securing a mortgage for you.

When Buying a Home What Do I Pay For?

-Closing Costs-- lawyers, property transfer tax, home inspections
If needed-- home appraisal, well inspections, septic inspections
For closing cost a budget of 1.5% of the purchase price is usually enough to cover this expense.


Of course, if you should have a specific question please email or call me.

akroemer@mortgagegroup.com
1.250.650.4182





Monday, October 31, 2011

Buyers Market

On my last Blog writing I mentioned the subject Buyers Market. This blog will explain what a buyers market is and what terms you can ask for.

Buyer's Market is when there are more houses up for sale than there are buyers. The buyers have choice in what they choose and have time to ask for terms since the house will probably not be sold under them. The homes are slow to get sold and the sellers who really want/need to sell will listen to what the buyer is asking for. The sellers will negotiate to get their house sold.

What should you be doing in a buyers market while looking for a home.

1) Choose and have a Realtor you like and trust. When it comes time for negotiating for a house you want your Realtor to be there for you.

2) Have your Realtor send you updates. Especially updates on price changes.

3) Make a list of what you must have in your future home. Make sure your Realtor knows this list so both of you are not wasting your time. If you don't know what you like then go to several "open houses" to find out. ( http://www.comoxvalleyopenhouses.com ). The more clear and concise you can be to your Realtor the better chance they will only show you what you want , or a close enough choice from the range of homes on the market.

4) Go to homes that have been on the market for 30 days or more. These sellers are looking for a sale and you may get what you want for less. Renovations may be affordable to get you exactly what you want. Make sure you are realistic on what renos you can do and what renos would have to be jobbed out.

5) If you are interested in a house make sure your Realtor has the comparables for that nieghbourhood. These are the dollar amounts that the houses sold for in that nieghbourhood in the last 6 months to a year.

6) Ask for a credit. Don't lowball on the price, people just get annoyed at that and shut down. If you don't like the carpets, paint color or the appliances then just ask for a credit since you will need to change that to make it your home. Be realistic in the cost of replacing and negotiate with the sellers. If your offer is fair, then they usually will have no problems with the offer.

7) Ask for things that are already in the home. If the window treatments are not included but you like them , then ask that they stay. Appliances are usually negotiable. Go through the list to see what is staying with the house. Then if you like something ask if it can stay with the house. Everything is negotiable and the sellers will think you are serious in buying and will be open to new ideas.

8) Closing costs. Ask that the seller pay for your part of the property taxes for the rest of the year or any other costs associtated with you buying that house.

9) Building Inspection. If you are serious then you will probably have a building inspection. If the inspection comes up with some minor things and the building inspector has a money figure to back it up, ask for a credit on that money figure or ask that those minor repairs be done by the time you take over the house.

10) Short acceptance period. Just because the housing market has slowed down doesn't mean you can't ask for a fast reply on your offer. A 24 hour limit should be plenty for the sellers. Their house has been on the market for awhile and they should be ready to deal. If not they may not be ready to sell and you are wasting your time negotiating with them.

These are just some of the ways to get a house plus extras in which a seller does not feel "lowballed". Each house is unique. Your realtor may have more suggestions for credits or a lower price. Be open to ideas that will get the house price lower and you closer to owning the home.

Thank you

Angela Kroemer, AMP
Mortgage Professional
1.888.679.0190
akroemer@mortgagegroup.com
www.ComoxValleyMortgagesToday.com
TMG The Mortgage Group Canada Inc.