Do You Need Mortgage Insurance Even if It’s Not Required by Your Lender? Let’s Take a Look

Finding a proper mortgage loan and understanding the processing procedures behind the loan is the basis of good research. The down payment on a mortgage loan is typically significant when dealing with mortgage insurance. Most loan applications with less than 20% down payment are required to include mortgage insurance with the loan. However, mortgage insurance may still be required even if it's not typically required by your lender. Underwriting Requirements Most home mortgage applications undergo a strict set of standards for approval. These standards are known as underwriting and make up the bulk of time spent on a mortgage application.…
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Three Tips for How to Secure a Mortgage if You Are A Self-Employed Entrepreneur

If you are self-employed, either as a freelancer or as the owner of your own business, your income can fluctuate greatly from year to year. That can make it difficult to get approved for a mortgage, although there are some things you can do to improve your chances. Here are three tips for securing a mortgage if you are self-employed. Make Sure Your Credit Score Is In Good Shape While your ability to pay back a mortgage is the most important factor in approval, your credit score is a close second, and that goes for every borrower, not just those…
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Are You Applying for a Reverse Mortgage? Here Are 3 Considerations You’ll Need to Make

If you're a homeowner who is looking to tap in to the home equity that you've spent years building you may be interested in a "reverse mortgage" or "home equity conversion mortgage". While these unique financial tools aren't for everyone, if you qualify for a reverse mortgage you'll find that this might be the perfect financial solution which allows you to pay off your existing mortgage, or for some other regular expenses that you have. Let's take a closer look at how reverse mortgages work, including how to qualify, what happens to your existing mortgage and what a reverse mortgage…
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Be Prepared for Your Mortgage Pre-approval Interview by Having Answers to These 4 Questions

So – you've completed an initial mortgage pre-qualification and now you're ready to take the next step and meet with your lender or mortgage advisor for the pre-approval interview. Are you ready? At this stage of the application process your lender will dig into your financial background to ensure that you're fully capable of making your mortgage payments and that you don't present too high a risk. Let's take a quick look at a few questions you should know the answers to before you go in for a mortgage pre-approval. Do You Have a Specific Home in Mind? If you've…
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Understanding the Difference Between a Mortgage Pre-qualification and a Pre-approval

If you're in the market for a new home and you've been researching mortgages, you've likely come across the terms "pre-qualification" and "pre-approval". While these terms are self-explanatory in some circumstances, they are quite different in regards to mortgage financing. In today's blog post we'll explain the difference between a mortgage pre-qualification and a pre-approval. Pre-qualification: an Initial Look at Your Mortgage Options The first – and easiest – step on the way to receiving mortgage financing to buy a home is known as pre-qualification. During this process you'll meet with a mortgage advisor or lender who will assess your…
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A Step-by-Step Guide to Preparing Your Finances for the Mortgage Pre-Approval Process

Being pre-approved for a mortgage isn't just a way to get a step ahead, in many cases it's a necessity to buying a home. Many sellers don't want to go through the negotiation process of selling their home only to have the buyer drop out when they can't get approval for the mortgage they were relying on. The Difference Between Pre-Qualification And Pre-Approval Pre-qualification is a faster process than pre-approval and is usually a best estimate based on how the borrower answers certain questions about their financial history and status. Pre-approval is way more valuable to a borrower than pre-qualification…
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