Another reason to get your buyer's pre-approved

By
Real Estate Agent with Progressive Realty (Boise Idaho) www.Progressive-Realty.info DB-17066

I was really surprised this week when one of my clients was getting pre-approved for a home purchase.  This young couple is upwardly mobile with a growing family and needs a larger home.  I thought they would be a "slam dunk" since they have:

  • great credit;
  • good jobs, 
  • no car payments;
  • no credit card debt;
  • only owe about another $8,000 on student loans
However, the lender tells me:
  • If the home they are inheriting out of state free and clear records prior to their closing the new home, it will be considered a liability since they will have to show things like property taxes as an expense and can't count the income yet since it hasn't been on the record for a year;
  • We can't even wait for it to record and then do a home equity loan against this house since that would show as even more debt;
  • they can't count their current home's potential income as a rental but they do have to show it as an expense so it is their intent to keep it as a rental (no more credit at 50 or 75% of fair market rents allowance);
  • They can't go FHA again since they already have an FHA loan;
This "slam dunk" almost fell apart!.

Never Give Up - Jim Paulson's Real Estate Guideline

Fortunately, we found a Fannie Mae foreclosure that meets their needs in Meridian, Idaho that offered HomePath financing.  We will take advantage of:

  • the lower down payment (3 percent instead of 20);
  • HomePath allows for up to 3.5% of the buyer's closing costs to be paid for by the seller;
  • There is no mortgage insurance issues regarding the expanded ratios;
We will use the savings to pay off their student loan to get their "ratios" back in line and hope to close ASAP.

Comments (9)

Scott Godzyk
Godzyk Real Estate Services - Manchester, NH
One of the Manchester NH's area Leading Agents

great post Jim, I agree alot of good people are being dragged through the mud that should not be. The banks have gone from one extreme to the other, i hope it tilts back to the middle soon.

Dec 19, 2010 07:16 AM
Robert Amato
Bob Amato of Empire Home Mortgage Inc - East Meadow, NY

Jim,

And no appraisal fee for those Homepath loans! Nowadays you have to own 30% equity on a property to use the rental income AND have 2 years landlording experience to use the rental income! CRAZY RIGHT?

Dec 19, 2010 07:25 AM
Mike Saunders
Lanier Partners - Athens, GA

Jim - there is always something hiding out their in the bushes, or sometimes right in front of our faces. Great that you could get those alternatives.

Dec 19, 2010 07:34 AM
Mike Frazier
Carousel Realty of Dyer County - Dyersburg, TN
Northwest Tennessee Realtor

Many people think they are slam dunks and probable were 2 years ago but boy do we live in different times now!

Dec 19, 2010 08:40 AM
Jim Paulson
Progressive Realty (Boise Idaho) www.Progressive-Realty.info - Boise, ID
Owner,Broker

@Scott, hard to believe about six years ago they were doing 125% LTV's refi's.

@Bob, I wasn't aware of the 2 year requirement.  Does that include if you use a property manager or is that if you are just planning on doing it yourself?

@Mike's, we definitely need to know the alternatives and keep up on the changes.  That is yet another reason I love AR. 

Dec 19, 2010 10:43 AM
Marcy Moyer
eXp Realty of California Silicon Valley Probate, Trust, and Investment Sales - Mountain View, CA
Probate, Trust, and Investment Specialist

I have run into the issue of people wanting to keep their first home, rent it out and buy a new home being very difficult if not impossible because of lender opposition.

Dec 19, 2010 01:58 PM
Jim Paulson
Progressive Realty (Boise Idaho) www.Progressive-Realty.info - Boise, ID
Owner,Broker

@Marcy, there have been so many "Strategic defaults" that the banks are gun shy these days to say the least about this.  I don't know why they just don't say that the new home's loan is called if the buyer defaults in the first 12 or 24 months.  They would even cross collateralize both homes and invoke an assignment of rents clause to cover their bases better instead of just saying no!

 

Dec 19, 2010 05:15 PM
Rob Arnold
Sand Dollar Realty Group, Inc. - Altamonte Springs, FL
Metro Orlando Full Service - Investor Friendly & F

Great advice.  Always get them pre-approved.  Don't take their word that they can obtain financing, no problem.  Especially in today's crazy lending climate.

Dec 20, 2010 02:15 AM
Jim Paulson
Progressive Realty (Boise Idaho) www.Progressive-Realty.info - Boise, ID
Owner,Broker

I can't believe it, after all this, Fannie Mae turned down our offer claiming the buyer is an "investor".  

He is going through an approved HomePath lender (which is a Fannie Mae product), qualifying with his ratios as if the current house was vacant (since he can't claim income off it) and some $7 an hour clerk has the authority to call him an "investor"?  I would understand if the guidlelines said you can't own another home, but it doesn't!

AAARRRGGG - you can't rationalize with irrational people - how I am supposed to win this battle?

Dec 22, 2010 07:29 AM

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