If you’re buying a home, you’ll more than likely be obtaining a mortgage, which you may not know much about. In fact, unless you’ve been involved in a home sale before, there are many things you will be learning about for the first time.
Here is a handy list of some of the key terms that every person involved in a real estate transaction should understand.

Appraisal: The written analysis of the estimated value of a property, as prepared by a qualified appraiser, which often determines if you will qualify for the loan.

Closing: One of the last steps of any sale. This is the meeting where the lender, buyer and seller complete the sale and mortgage process. Once the home closes, the home officially belongs to the new buyer.

Closing costs: This term refers to the money paid at closing to the lender and consists of a loan origination fee, points, appraisal fee, title search and insurance, survey, taxes, deed recording fee, credit report charge and other costs assessed at settlement. Closing costs usually average between 2 – 6 percent of the total mortgage amount.

Credit report: Simply a report of your credit history that a lender will use to determine if you are a good risk for a loan.
Interest-only mortgage: A loan whereby you only pay the interest portion of the mortgage payment each month.
Interest rate: The annual interest on a loan. The lower your interest rate, the lower your monthly payment will be.

Lock-in: The lender’s guarantee that you will be granted a certain interest rate for a specific time period, such as 30 days before closing.

Origination fee: The fee charged by a lender for processing a loan.

Points: The amount that can be paid to a lender to lower the interest rate on your loan at closing. Each point is equal to 1 percent of the loan amount.

Private mortgage insurance (PMI): For those buyers who put less than 20 percent down on a home, lenders will require you to take out PMI, which is then added to your monthly mortgage payment. This protects the lender in the event that you default on the loan.

Title: The home document that proves ownership of the property.

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Many lenders pre-qualify or pre-approve mortgage applicants, which can help considerably in the buying process. While the terms are often used interchangeably, there are some important differences to note.

In general, pre-qualification is considered an initial step in which the applicant provides information on income, assets and debts. The lender may or may not require documentation.

Pre-approval is considered the next step and requires documentation and a credit check. A hard credit inquiry can affect your credit score, and several by different lenders in a short period of time can cause your score to take a significant hit. If you’re thinking about getting pre-qualified or pre-approved for a mortgage, ask if the company will perform a hard credit inquiry and decide if you are willing to risk the potential impact on your score.

Reasons to Get Pre-Qualified or Pre-Approved
Getting pre-qualified or pre-approved for a mortgage before you begin house hunting can help you throughout the whole process. It can save you time and can help you avoid frustration and disappointment later. This is because you can start your search with a reasonable estimate of how much you will be able to borrow. That means you can focus on houses in your price range, rather than falling in love with a house and then finding out that a lender will not loan you enough money to buy it.

If you have found the house of your dreams and want to make an offer, you need to show the owners that you are serious. That means you need to be able to demonstrate that you’re able to qualify for the mortgage you need to buy the house.

Some homeowners may only be willing to sell to buyers who’ve been pre-approved for a mortgage, while others may be willing to accept an offer from buyers who’ve been pre-qualified. In some areas, one is more widely accepted than the other. Ask your real estate agent whether being pre-qualified or pre-approved is more likely to help your chances of having your offer accepted.

Obtaining a Mortgage
Being pre-qualified or pre-approved does not necessarily mean that you’ll be approved for a mortgage by that lender. The company may require additional documentation to process your mortgage application and may learn more facts that influence their decision. Getting pre-qualified or pre-approved by a particular company does not mean that you’re obligated to obtain a mortgage from that lender. You can and should shop around for the best terms.

 

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