15
Sep
By Todd Grey
Mortgage, ,

What To Know About Your Debt-To-Income Ratio When Buying A Home

When you apply for a mortgage, your lender will do some quick math to figure out how much of a loan you can afford. Your lender will consider many factors, and one of the most important ones is your debt-to-income ratio. It is usually shortened to DTI, and understanding this formula can help you better understand how big of a house you can afford.  An Overview Of A DTI Your DTI represents the amount of money you spend compared to the amount you make. Your lender is going to have very strict DTI requirements when deciding whether you can be…
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14
Sep
By Todd Grey
Home Mortgage Tips, ,

The Quick and Easy Guide to Determining How Big of a Mortgage Your Family Can Afford

Are you shopping around for a new house or apartment? One of the key considerations you will need to make is figuring out how much you want to invest in your new home. Below you'll find our quick and easy guide to determining just how much "house" you can afford. Let's get started! Start By Making A Proper Budget The first thing you'll want to do is sit down and get a full budget put together. The easiest way to get the process started is to begin with two lists: income and expenses. For the income list, write down the…
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13
Sep
By Todd Grey
Mortgage, ,

The Minimum Credit Score For VA Home Loan Approval: What To Know

When you are applying for a home loan, you need to make sure that you meet the minimum credit score requirements. If you decide to go with a traditional loan, the credit limit can be high, making it hard to qualify for a home loan. In contrast, you might be able to qualify for a VA home loan with a much lower credit score. What do you need to know? The VA Does Not Have A Minimum Credit Score Requirement One of the major benefits of applying for a VA home loan is that you do not need to worry…
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07
Sep
By Todd Grey
Mortgage, ,

Should You Buy Mortgage Points?

When you take out a home loan, you might have the option to purchase mortgage points. Essentially, this is money that you pay to the lender upfront in exchange for getting a lower interest rate over the life of the loan. If you got a great deal on the house, you might have some extra cash on hand. Should you use that money to buy down the interest rate? This is a math problem that you need to calculate for yourself. How To Do The Math If you want to figure out if the mortgage points are worth it, you…
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02
Sep
By Todd Grey
Home Mortgage Tips, ,

Understanding Your FICO Score and Why Small Credit Mistakes Can Cause Huge Headaches

Many people all over the world are dealing with issues involving debt or poor credit history, but most aren't necessarily aware of what exactly makes up their credit score. Unfortunately, it might seem like it's the big stuff that counts when it comes to credit, but little things can have a significant impact on your financial health. If you're looking to improve your understanding and your finances, here's what you need to know about small mistakes and your FICO score. Making Late Payments The due date on your bills might seem like an advisory, but whether we're talking about a…
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