Factors that Affect A Mortgage Loan

A mortgage loan is no small thing. It is a long period commitment that usually stays with you 15 to 30 years of your life. Because of this, so many important things have to be thought and planned about and so many factors will be decided whether you will get a mortgage loan or not.

These factors can be divided into two. The first one would be those that you need to think about before taking in a mortgage loan and the second would be the factors about you that lenders have to consider before approving your mortgage loan.

Let us first consider you.

Before you can choose the mortgage plan for you, you have to review your financial situation at present and project if your housing needs might change in the future wile you are still tied with your mortgage loan. You can ask yourself these questions to help you with this:

- How long do you think do you plan to stay in your house?
- Are there expectations for you financial income to increase over time which could allow you to pay more for your mortgage loan?
- What do you think are the significant expenses you might make in the future that could affect your capability of paying your monthly interest? College tuition fees, investing in small business plans, etc are examples of these.

The next step is to assess the level of risk you are ready and comfortable in taking. Remember that a mortgage loan takes a long time to close and you have obligations to pay for it seriously and constantly for that length of time. Decide on what mortgage rate you think you can work with. Adjustable rate is risky since interest rates change increasingly which is why it is best to project your income if it can increase over time should you take this. Fixed rate will always be safer because it is stable.

The third step is to determine the length of period you want to have the loan. Most terms are 15, 20 and 30 years. Usually, a shorter term means higher monthly payments. This is good for people whose incomes are higher than average and are stable. But, most average income people go for long term periods because aside from a smaller monthly bill that can fit their budgets, mortgage plans like this bring forth assurance to loaners.

The last step is to assess the closing costs of a mortgage loan and the lowest interest rate that you can get.

Now, let us consider the factors that might affect the approval of your mortgage loan from lenders. There are ten of these which are the following:

1. Credit report. The three major credit bureaus: Equifax, TransUnion and Experian provide your credit report. It is important to review these for errors because according to statistics, errors are present in 40 percent of credit reports. These errors can figure in your mortgage loan which would lead you to get higher interest rates or not get the mortgage loan at all.

2. Credit Cards. Lenders become suspicious when you apply for new credit cards or close current accounts when you are applying for loan mortgage.

3. Outstanding Credit. This figures much in the approval of your mortgage loan. Pay off all credits before applying for the loan.

4. Income. A steady income will give you plus points in securing a mortgage loan so it is recommended that you should avoid changing jobs or quitting your job before applying for a mortgage loan.

5. Available funds. Make sure that you do not make purchases that could consume your available funds before buying a home. Aside from a down payment, you have to consider other expenses such as closing costs.

6. Down payment A bigger down payment assures you of lower interest rates on the mortgage loan.

7. Interest rate. This determines how much you will have to pay each month. It is best to consider "lock-in" fees to guarantee yourself that you still get the advantage should interests rise in the market. Remember that interest rates continuously change.

8. Price Range. From your current financial assessment of your situation and by figuring out your debt-to-income ratio, determine the price of your home. A lender will not approve of a mortgage loan whose price you cannot meet.

9. Lender. Know your lender and inquire about the statistics concerning those mortgage loan applications they turned down and approved. According to financial experts, it is not a good sign if the lender denies 20 percent of those who applied for a mortgage loan. 

10. Your honesty. Be honest when filling out all the information the lender requires from you to increase your loan approval. Beware that providing inaccurate information may backfire on you and no lender will be willing to work with you.