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Four Ways to Blow up Your Home Purchase...Before You Even Get Started!

By
Mortgage and Lending with Cherry Creek Mortgage Illinois Residential Mortgage License LMB #0005759 Cherry Creek Mortgage NMLS #: 3001 NMLS ID# 158606

There are a few common mistakes that I see borrower do all too often.  I see it time and time again.  Don't make the mistake that a lot of buyers make.

DON'T BUY A CAR BEFORE GOING HOME SHOPPING

 I can't tell you how many times that I see a new applicant come to me to buy a home.  They say "we're all set.  We just bought a car and now we're ready for a house.  The payment, whether it $200, $200, $400 or $500 per month can have a HUGE negative impact on your ability in two ways.  First, it's another inquiry into your credit which could drop your credit scores.  Secondly, that payment could greatly affect how much you qualify for.  DON'T BUY YOUR CAR until after you get your house!

DON'T FIX YOUR CREDIT ON YOUR OWNLet's Be one Big Happy Family here

Just this past week I had a new applicant who said that they had some "credit issues."  But they said that they just paid off their car the day before and they've closed a lot of accounts over the past week.  Noooooooooooooooooooo!  Don't let it happen!  Closing accounts will hit you negatively, especially if they're long standing accounts with a good pay history.  What has just happened here is that the borrowers have worsened their credit for a bit!  Yikes!  Daddy No Likey.....now we have even more work to do to get that credit up.

DON'T BUY A HOME WITHOUT A PRE-APPROVAL

iI see this all the time.  "Larry, we just put an offer into the house located at 123 S. Main Street in Saint Charles."  I run their numbers and pull their credit and they don't qualify for that much of a house.  "But we thought we were OK" they'd say.  Why am I the one to dash their dreams.....

REMEMBER....THERE'S 4 BOXES THAT WE NEED TO FILL TO GET YOU APPROVED!!!!

  1. Income

  2. Assets

  3. Credit

  4. Appraisal

 

It's your house!  It's your dream.  Make it happen.  Look before you leap.  If you take a few simple precautions life will be very good for you.  If not.....yikes to everyone involved!!!!

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Comments(30)

Larry Bettag
Cherry Creek Mortgage Illinois Residential Mortgage License LMB #0005759 Cherry Creek Mortgage NMLS #: 3001 - Saint Charles, IL
Vice-President of National Production

Thanks for all of the comments.....Tosh.....don't beat yourself up!  We all go through this.

Lora.....it is a huge blunder!

Fred....groan!!!!

Aug 14, 2013 02:40 AM
Paul Collier
Patriot Home Mortgage - Huntington Beach, CA
Paul Collier

When I read "blow up," I assumed I was going to be reading an article on some incredible pre-marketing. But you meant "blow up" in a negative way...oh, the curse of reverse language we've got going. These are some awesome pointers though, and an article I will be sharing with clients looking to pre-qual as well.

Aug 14, 2013 02:59 AM
John Meussner
Mortgages in AZ, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, IN, MD, MN, MT, NC, NJ, NV, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI - Fair Oaks, CA
#MortgageMadeEasy Fair Oaks, CA 484-680-4852

Great post, Larry - I've seen every one of these situations in the past few months - I'd also add "dont move into a place because the seller lets you BEFORE you know the purchase is a 100% go", and use a solid credit repair company so the entire report isn't "in dispute" throughout the process.  So frustrating!

Aug 14, 2013 03:15 AM
Steven Cook
No Longer Processing Mortgages. - Tacoma, WA

Larry -- John (#13) stole my comment as I just had potential client who was using "reputable credit repair organization" - and they had disputes on nearly all the negative reports.  Now we have to get those removed, so that the underwriters will consider it.

Aug 14, 2013 03:54 AM
Brenda J. Andrew
ULTIMA REAL ESTATE - Willis, TX
Professional Realtor in Conroe/Willis, TX

Great information and I tell buyers this all the time.  I just realized the dispute issue on a sale I just closed.  My buyer had not ever disputed anything but it was showing dispute on her credit report.  I think it cost close to $300 to have it removed.  I am not sure but it sounded like a scandal to me - something on the report that shouldn't have been there to begin with and then you have to pay to have it removed.  Anyway there was happy ending, the buyer closed and is now in her house!

Aug 14, 2013 04:03 AM
Carla Muss-Jacobs, RETIRED
RETIRED / State License is Inactive - Portland, OR

Yup, and if people don't think they will be declined, they need to re-think that.  I had a potential buyer tell me they bought a car a few months prior.  His car note was $350/month.  Blew his income-to-debt ratios.  YES, he could get a loan, but it dropped him into the price range where he didn't have many good selections, in an already tight market.

Aug 14, 2013 04:08 AM
Trisha Bush-LeFore
Preferred Properties Land & Homes - Walla Walla, WA
Providing Realtor Services in the Walla Walla Area

Just hadthe car situation happen recently with one of your clients. Oh, so frustrating.

Aug 14, 2013 04:12 AM
Suzanne Otto
Six Twenty Designs - Lansdale, PA
Your Montgomery County PA home stager

Excellent advice and easy to follow. Now if buyers would just listen!

Aug 14, 2013 04:20 AM
Larry Bettag
Cherry Creek Mortgage Illinois Residential Mortgage License LMB #0005759 Cherry Creek Mortgage NMLS #: 3001 - Saint Charles, IL
Vice-President of National Production

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  It does happen to others as I see by the notes....thanks for the comments!

Aug 14, 2013 04:26 AM
Ralph Gorgoglione
Metro Life Homes - Palm Springs, CA
California and Hawaii Real Estate (310) 497-9407
Larry, thanks for emphasizing the importance of maintaining a solid financial picture going into a home purchase.
Aug 14, 2013 04:44 AM
Jay & Michelle Lieberman
Keller Williams World Class - Agoura Hills, CA
Creating Calm in the Buying and Selling Chaos

Crazy how people don't realize your first comment.  Do not go shopping while you are trying to get a loan.  Just common sense.

Aug 14, 2013 05:15 AM
Adam Finkelstein
Lenders United - Freehold, NJ
Lenders United

Smart Advise! 

 

Preparing for a home purchase goes well beyond making a good income and paying your bills!

 

www.LendersUnited.com 

Aug 14, 2013 05:51 AM
Pamela Seley
West Coast Realty Division - Murrieta, CA
Residential Real Estate Agent serving SW RivCo CA

Home buyers always should have a pre-approval before home shopping, and definitely before putting in an offer. this shouldn't be your job to give the bad news; agents should be getting their buyer customers pre-approved before anything. Thanks for your post today,

Aug 14, 2013 06:20 AM
Jeanne Woodward
Movement Mortgage, LLC - Reisterstown, MD

Great info...thank you for sharing... I tell ALL my buyers... not to buy ANYTHING until after they close on their mortgage, now that does not mean they always listen. :-)  I am always shocked when i go to an open houses and meet buyers to hear them say,  they have not be pre-approve... that should ALWAYS be their first step.

 

Aug 14, 2013 06:44 AM
Karen Feltman
Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, IA KW Legacy Group - Cedar Rapids, IA
Relocation Specialist in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Yikes is right!  Don't forget the people that get all excited during the escrow period and go out and charge all new appliances and furniture for their dream home.  But, but, it is 3 years no interest!  The bank doesn't care that you plan to pay it off in a year.  They care about your debt to income now.  

Aug 14, 2013 08:34 AM
Ron Gardinski II
SharkeyRE, LLC - Port St Lucie, FL
MrMillennium

Best advice yet, was to not go shopping when you are about to apply for a loan.

Aug 14, 2013 08:51 AM
David Shamansky
US Mortgages - David Shamansky - Highlands Ranch, CO
Creative, Aggressive & 560 FICO - OK, Colorado Mtg

Yep see it more than I like and its a sad reality. I have had some stop even  making payments on their debts when we let them know they are approved. Then go to close and voila where di this 30 day late come from that just dropped your score 100pts!?!?!?!?

It happens, truth is crazier than fiction for sure

Aug 14, 2013 11:49 AM
Christine Donovan
Donovan Blatt Realty - Costa Mesa, CA
Broker/Attorney 714-319-9751 DRE01267479 - Costa M
Larry - I've seen many potential buyers cause problems by buying a car first.
Aug 14, 2013 04:45 PM
William J. Archambault, Jr.
The Real Estate Investment Institute - Houston, TX

Larry,

Amen, amen!

Don't buy a car, or furnishing!

Then there is advice from Las Vegas now relevant over most of the country, don't go gambling!

Bill

Aug 16, 2013 01:31 AM
Troy Erickson AZ Realtor (602) 295-6807
HomeSmart - Chandler, AZ
Your Chandler, Ahwatukee, and East Valley Realtor

It's amazing how many times potential home buyers shoot themselves in the foot because they do something last minute that affects their ability to qualify for a home loan. Back when I was in lending, we had a guy, unbeknownst to us, purchase a car just before his closing. When we ran the final credit report, the car loan came up and the buyer lost the house.

Aug 21, 2013 06:47 AM