"Nature does nothing uselessly."Aristotle
|
| |
5 Reasons Early Spring is "Firewood Time"
As the weather hints of warmth and the spring buds appear on trees, firewood may not be the first thing that comes to mind. But early spring is the ideal time to buy or gather your firewood for your fireplace or woodstove. Why? Here are 5 good reasons: ...
Having Natural Stone Installed In Your Property – The Pitfalls
This last year has seen a large increase in the number of people having natural stone, marble, granite, limestone, sandstone or slate fitted into their homes either as work surfaces or as flooring. No man made product can rival the beauty of well ...
Selling a Home – What Personal Property Stays?
The home selling and buying process can be confusing, particularly when it comes to figuring out what items stay with the home. This is especially true when it is a FSBO (for sale by owner) operation. It’s even tougher when neither the seller nor the ...
|
|
|
| |
Qualifying for a mortgage can be a stressful affair. A common problem that can occur is not having enough income to qualify for the loan amount. If you have this problem, here are a few possible solutions.
Mortgage Creativity
You find the house of your dreams and need to get a home loan. You have great credit, almost no debt and have been employed for five years with the same company. You apply for a loan and are stunned when you are turned down. The reason? The lender says you have insufficient yearly income to justify the loan amount.
What the lender is really telling you is it doesn’t think you can afford the monthly payments for the mortgage. Before you go ballistic, you should sit down and seriously review your financial situation. Getting a home loan is fine and all, but not if you are unable to make the monthly payments. Try to be realistic in your evaluation. It will save you many sleepless nights. But, what if you can afford the payment?
The first creative solution you may want to consider is an increase in the amount of the down payment. By increasing your down payment, you will reduce the amount to be borrowed which can make all the difference in qualifying. If you can bump the
down payment up to 25% of the total value of the property, many lenders will relax the qualification requirements.
A second creative solution involves alternative loan sources. Initially, good old mom and dad may be able to help you out. In fact, this is one of the traditional down payment funding sources for most first time homebuyers.
A less known alternative, however, is your 401k retirement account. Under federal law, you can borrow up to 50% of your 401k balance. The repayments have to be made in five years, so analyze how this option will impact your finances. If you can pull it off, you will be in the advantageous situation of paying yourself interest instead of a bank.
Regardless of the approach you take, insufficient income need not be the end of your home buying prospects. Get creative and you can find a solution.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
