Title:
How to Improve
Your Chances to Qualify for a Conventional Home Loan
Word Count:
1061
Summary:
Before you give
up on the idea that you will never be able to get a home equity loan because of
your bad credit, first be sure you can’t get one. It may save you a lot of
work, and it opens up more possibilities for home purchases and help from real
estate agents.
You might be surprised to find that there are ways you can get conventional
financing, even though you never thought you would be able to...
Keywords:
real estate,
mortage loans, conventional bank, bad credit, buy home, house
Article Body:
Before you give
up on the idea that you will never be able to get a home equity loan because of
your bad credit, first be sure you can’t get one. It may save you a lot of
work, and it opens up more possibilities for home purchases and help from real
estate agents.
You might be surprised to find that there are ways you can get conventional
financing, even though you never thought you would be able to. More and more
lenders are looking at people with less-than-perfect credit. Usually the
interest rates are higher than average, but you get into a house. You can
refinance later, after showing how you reliable you are making your monthly
payments.
Here are a few suggestions to get mortgage companies to look at you. If this method sounds likely for you, try
talking to a reputable home loan consultant, and see what your chances are.
This would be one of the easiest ways to get into a house.
Can You Fix Your Credit Report?
You might find that your credit is easier to fix than you supposed. Have you seen a copy of your credit report
lately? You are entitled to a free copy of your credit report if you have been
denied credit, employment, or insurance within the last 60 days. If you were
denied because of credit, the company should give you notice and give you the
contact information for the credit bureau.
No one can legally remove accurate negative information from a credit report
(no matter what those ads say) but you can dispute mistakes or outdated items
for free. Request an investigation of information in your file that you dispute
as inaccurate or incomplete. There is no charge for this. Ask the
credit-reporting agency for a dispute form or submit your dispute in writing,
along with copies of any supporting documentation. You don’t need a credit
repair organization to do this. Everything a credit repair clinic cando for you
legally, you can do for yourself at little or no cost.
Look into Special Loans for Bad Credit
Concentrate on those lenders who specialize in working with those who have had
credit problems. Spending time (and money) applying to lenders who do not work
with credit blemishes will accomplish nothing. If you have local sources that
you know will consider such loans, take advantage of them.
Other sources, available online, such as Lending Tree, have a large network of
lenders nationwide, including those who have experience in dealing with credit
problems.
Have a Home Telephone
If you have a telephone in your home and in your name, it helps increase your
chances of getting a loan. Lenders worry about people who don’t have a home
phone. I know that today a lot of people today use their cellular phones as
their home phone, but a land-line still looks better. It shows stability and
roots, at least to a bank.
Live in One Place for a While
Again, banks want to see that you have some stability. It helps if you have
lived in one place for at least 6 months. If you have just moved, show that you
lived somewhere before this for at least 6 months (and hopefully several
years).
Have a Good-sized Down Payment
The larger the down payment, the better your chances will be to get a loan.
(See “The 30/70 Rule” in the next chapter.) The more money down, the happier
the bank is to work with you.
And if you can show that you have saved the money over a period of time,
instead of borrowing it, it looks even better to some lenders. Not all lenders
ask where you got the money, so if you did save it, be sure to point that
out.
Show That You Have Good Character
Banks and lenders want to know that you are dependable and reliable. Show this when you talk to them by showing up
to meetings on time, dressing nicely, and having your information organized. Have your bank account and credit card
account numbers and financial information ready to show them.
It will help if you have someone you know write you a financial letter of
reference, such as someone whom you borrowed money from and who you paid the
money back to.
Be ready to show them any sources of credit you may have that may not be on
your credit history, such as paying the cable or cellular bills regularly. Even
information about a loan from a relative or friend that was paid back in
installments and on time will help. Be
ready to tell them how you will be able to pay this loan back.
Use Any Collateral You May Have For a Personal Loan
Maybe you have something of value that you can use for collateral for a
personal loan. This might be a good way
to come up with a down payment.
Some of the things banks will consider for collateral are:
Stocks
Bonds
Gold and precious metals
Other Real Estate, such as land
Vehicles
Furniture
Collectables
Have a Relative or Friend Co-sign the Loan
This is a time-honored way of getting a home. Often close relatives or friends
will help someone they care about who is in need. Sometimes all it takes is to
ask. You can also get someone else to
buy the house for you and later be added to the mortgage and quit-claimed to
the deed. Check your state laws on the subject.
Increase Your Income
Get a second job. This can just be for a while. The increase in salary may be
enough to qualify you for a loan. Also it gives you extra income to save for a
down payment or pay off debts and fix your credit.
Start a small home business to bring in extra income. Be careful there-- a
small business can be costly to start and run, and may not bring in much income
for a while. But it works for many people. Do your research before you start.
Weigh the risks and advantages.
Ask For Help
Ask for help from your church, synagogue or other nonprofit organization. Some
government programs and organizations will help you with financing or other
housing options. Check out our website for links to many of the organizations
that help people get into homes of their own.