Mortgages

To determine the value of the property you are purchasing or refinancing, an appraisal will be required. An appraisal report is a written description and estimate of the value of the property. National standards govern not only the format for the appraisal; they also specify the appraiser's qualifications and credentials. In addition, most states now have licensing requirements for appraisers evaluating properties located within their states.

The appraiser will inspect both the interior and exterior of the home to create a written report for us.  You will be given a copy of the report at least 3 days prior to your loan closing.

After the appraiser inspects the property, they will compare the qualities of your home with other homes that have sold recently in the same neighborhood. These homes are called "comparables" and play a significant role in the appraisal process. Using industry guidelines, the appraiser will try to weigh the major components of these properties (i.e., design, square footage, number of rooms, lot size, age, etc.) to the components of your home to come up with an estimated value of your home. The appraiser adjusts the price of each comparable sale (up or down) depending on how it compares (better or worse) with your property.

As an additional check on the value of the property, the appraiser also estimates the replacement cost for the property. Replacement cost is determined by valuing an empty lot and estimating the cost to build a house of similar size and construction. Finally, the appraiser reduces this cost by an age factor to compensate for depreciation and deterioration.

Using these three different methods, an appraiser will frequently come up with slightly different values for the property. The appraiser uses judgment and experience to reconcile these differences and then assigns a final appraised value. The comparable sales approach is the most important valuation method in the appraisal because a property is worth only what a buyer is willing to pay and a seller is willing to accept.

It is not uncommon for the appraised value of a property to be exactly the same as the amount stated on your sales contract. This is not a coincidence, nor does it question the competence of the appraiser. Your purchase contract is the most valid sales transaction there is. It represents what a buyer is willing to offer for the property and what the seller is willing to accept. Only when the comparable sales differ greatly from your sales contract will the appraised value be very different.

In addition to verifying that your home's value supports your loan request, we will also verify that your home is as marketable as others in the area. We will want to be confident that if you decide to sell your home, it will be as easy to market as other homes in the area.

We will review the features of your home and compare them to the features of other homes in the neighborhood. For example, if your home is on a 20-acre lot, or has a large accessory building, we will want to make sure that there are other homes in the area on similar size lots or with similar outbuildings. It is hard to place a value on such unique features if we cannot see what other buyers are willing to pay for them. In some areas, additional acreage or outbuildings could actually be a detriment to a future sale. Finding comparable properties can be more challenging in rural areas where it is more difficult to find homes that have similar features.

We will also make sure that the value of your home is in the same range as other homes in the area. If the value of your home is substantially more than other homes in the neighborhood, it could affect the market acceptance of the home if you decide to sell.

We will also review the market statistics about your neighborhood. We will look at the time on the market for homes that have sold recently and verify that values are steady or increasing.

We certainly do not expect that you will default under the terms of your loan and that a forced sale will be necessary, but as the lender, we will need to make sure that if a sale is necessary, it will not be difficult to find another buyer.

As soon as we receive your appraisal, we will update your loan with the estimated value of the home. As a standard practice we will provide a copy of your appraisal at least 3 days prior to your  closing.

Since the value and marketability of condominium properties is dependent on items that do not apply to single-family homes, there are some additional steps that must be taken to determine if condominiums meet our guidelines.

One of the most important factors is determining if the project that the condominium is located in is complete. In many cases, it will be necessary for the project, or at least the phase that your unit is located in, to be complete before we can provide financing. The main reason for this is, until the project is complete, we cannot be certain that the remaining units will be of the same quality as the existing units. This could affect the marketability of your home.

In addition, we will consider the ratio of non-owner occupied units to owner-occupied units. This could also affect future marketability since many people would prefer to live in a project that is occupied by owners rather than renters.

We will also carefully review the appraisal to insure that it includes comparable sales of properties within the project, as well as some from outside the project. Our experience has found that using comparable sales from both the same project as well as other projects gives us a better idea of the condominium project's marketability.

Depending on the percentage of the property's value you would like to finance, other items may also need to be reviewed.

Both a home inspection and an appraisal are designed to protect you against potential issues with your new home. Although they have totally different purposes, it makes the most sense to rely on each to help confirm that you have found the perfect home.

The appraiser will make note of obvious construction problems such as termite damage, dry rot or leaking roofs or basements. Other obvious interior or exterior damage that could affect the salability of the property will also be reported.

However, appraisers are not construction experts and will not find or report items that are not obvious. They will not turn on every light switch, run every faucet or inspect the attic or mechanicals. That is where the home inspector comes in. They generally perform a detailed inspection and can educate you about possible concerns or defects with the home.

Accompany the inspector during the home inspection. This is your opportunity to gain knowledge of major systems, appliances and fixtures, learn maintenance schedules and tips, and to ask questions about the condition of the home.

Federal Law requires all lenders to investigate whether or not each home they finance is in a special flood hazard area as defined by FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The law cannot stop floods. Floods happen anytime, anywhere. But the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 and the National Flood Insurance Reform Act of 1994 help to ensure that you will be protected from financial losses caused by flooding.

We use a third party company who specializes in the reviewing of flood maps prepared by FEMA to determine if your home is located in a flood area. If it is, then flood insurance coverage will be required, since standard homeowner's insurance does not protect you against damages from flooding.

Licensed appraisers who are familiar with home values in your area perform appraisals. We order the appraisal once your application is approved and the appraisal fee is paid. Generally, it takes 10-14 days before the written report is sent to us. We follow up with the appraiser to insure that it is completed as soon as possible. If you are refinancing, the appraiser will contact you to schedule a viewing appointment. If you do not hear from the appraiser within two business days of the order date, please inform your Mortgage Loan Officer. If you are purchasing a new home, the appraiser will contact the real estate agent, if you are using one, or the seller to schedule an appointment to view the home.

Yes if the property is classified as real estate and attached to a permanent foundation.  We define manufactured housing as housing units that are factory built with a steel undercarriage that remains as a structural component and limits the structure to a single story. These types of manufactured homes are sometimes known as mobile homes. We do not consider other factory-built housing (not built on a permanent chassis), such as modular, prefabricated, panelized, or sectional housing, to be manufactured housing. If your home is one of these types, please complete the application indicating that your home is a single family home.

Interest rates fluctuate based on a variety of factors, including inflation, the pace of economic growth, and Federal Reserve policy. Over time, inflation has the largest influence on the level of interest rates. A modest rate of inflation will almost always lead to low interest rates, while concerns about rising inflation normally cause interest rates to increase. Our nation's central bank, the Federal Reserve, implements policies designed to keep inflation and interest rates relatively low and stable.

An adjustable rate mortgage, or an "ARM" as they are commonly called, is a loan type that offers a lower initial interest rate than most fixed rate loans. The trade off is that the interest rate can change periodically, usually in relation to an index, and the monthly payment will go up or down accordingly.

Against the advantage of the lower payment at the beginning of the loan, you should weigh the risk that an increase in interest rates would lead to higher monthly payments in the future. It is a trade-off. You get a lower rate with an ARM in exchange for assuming more risk.

For many people in a variety of situations, an ARM is the right mortgage choice, particularly if your income is likely to increase in the future or if you only plan on being in the home for three to five years.

Here is some detailed information explaining how ARM's work.

• Adjustment Period

  With most ARMs, the interest rate and monthly payment are fixed for an initial time period such as one year, three years, five years, or seven years. After the initial fixed period, the interest rate can change every year. For example, one of our most popular adjustable rate mortgages is a five-year ARM. The interest rate will not change for the first five years (the initial adjustment period) but can change every year after the first five years.

• Index

  Our ARM interest rate changes are tied to changes in an index rate. Using an index to determine future rate adjustments provides you with assurance that rate adjustments will be based on actual market conditions at the time of the adjustment. The current value of most indices is published weekly in the Wall Street Journal. If the index rate moves up so does your mortgage interest rate, and you will probably have to make a higher monthly payment. On the other hand, if the index rate goes down your monthly payment may decrease.

• Margin

  To determine the interest rate on an ARM, we will add a pre-disclosed amount to the index called the "margin." If you are still shopping, comparing one lender's margin to another's can be more important than comparing the initial interest rate, since it will be used to calculate the interest rate you will pay in the future.

• Interest-Rate Caps

  An interest-rate cap places a limit on the amount your interest rate can increase or decrease. There are two types of caps:

  1. Periodic or adjustment caps, which limit the interest rate increase or decrease from one adjustment period to the next.
  2. Overall or lifetime caps, which limit the interest rate increase over the life of the loan.

  As you can imagine, interest rate caps are very important since no one knows what can happen in the future. All of the ARMs we offer have both adjustment and lifetime caps. Please see each product description for full details.

• Negative Amortization

  "Negative Amortization" occurs when your monthly payment changes to an amount less than the amount required to pay interest due. If a loan has negative amortization, you might end up owing more than you originally borrowed. None of the ARMs we offer allow for negative amortization.

• Prepayment Penalties

  Some lenders may require you to pay special fees or penalties if you pay off the ARM early. We never charge a penalty for prepayment.

• Contact a Mortgage Loan Officer

  Selecting a mortgage may be the most important financial decision you will make and you are entitled to all the information you need to make the right decision. Please do not hesitate to contact a Mortgage Loan Officer if you have questions about the features of our adjustable rate mortgages.

Points are considered a form of interest. Each point is equal to one percent of the loan amount. You pay them, up front, at your loan closing in exchange for a lower interest rate over the life of your loan. This means more money will be required at closing, however, you will have lower monthly payments over the term of your loan.

To determine whether it makes sense for you to pay points, you should compare the cost of the points to the monthly payments savings created by the lower interest rate. Divide the total cost of the points by the savings in each monthly payment. This calculation provides the number of payments you will make before you actually begin to save money by paying points. If the number of months it will take to recoup the points is longer than you plan on having this mortgage, you should consider the loan program option that does not require points to be paid.

If you would prefer not to make this calculation the "old-fashioned way," we have a points calculator.

The Federal Truth in Lending law requires that all financial institutions disclose the APR when they advertise a rate. The APR is designed to present the actual cost of obtaining financing, by requiring that some, but not all, closing fees are included in the APR calculation. These fees in addition to the interest rate determine the estimated cost of financing over the full term of the loan. Since most people do not keep the mortgage for the entire loan term, it may be misleading to spread the effect of some of these up front costs over the entire loan term.

Also, the APR does not include all the closing fees and lenders are allowed to interpret which fees they include. Fees for things like appraisals, title work, and document preparation are not included even though you will probably have to pay them.

For adjustable rate mortgages, we cannot predict what market conditions will be in the future, assumptions must be made regarding future rate adjustments.

You can use the APR as a guideline to shop for loans but you should not depend solely on the APR in choosing the loan program that is best for you. Look at total fees, possible rate adjustments in the future if you are comparing adjustable rate mortgages, and consider the length of time that you plan on having the mortgage.

Do not forget that the APR is an effective interest rate--not the actual interest rate. Your monthly payments will be based on the actual interest rate, the amount you borrow, and the term of your loan.

Mortgage interest rate movements are as hard to predict as the stock market and no one can really know for certain whether they'll go up or down.

If you have a hunch that rates are on an upward trend then you will want to consider locking the rate as soon as you are able. Before you decide to lock, make sure that your loan can close within the lock in period. It will not do any good to lock your rate if you cannot close during the rate lock period. If you are purchasing a home, review your contract for the estimated closing date to help you choose the right rate lock period. If you are refinancing, in most cases, your loan could close within 30 days. However, if you have any secondary financing on the home that will not be paid off, allow some extra time since we will need to contact that lender to get their permission.

If you think rates might drop while your loan is being processed, take a risk and let your rate "float" instead of locking. After you apply, you can lock in by contacting your Mortgage Loan Officer by telephone.

A 15-year fixed rate mortgage gives you the ability to own your home free and clear in 15 years. And, while the monthly payments are somewhat higher than a 30-year loan, the interest rate on the 15-year mortgage is usually a little lower, and more important - you will pay less than half the total interest cost of the traditional 30-year mortgage.

However, many borrowers find the higher payment of a 15-year mortgage out of reach and choose a 30-year mortgage. It still makes sense to use a 30-year mortgage for most people.

Who Should Consider a 15-Year Mortgage?

The 15-year fixed rate mortgage is most popular among younger homebuyers with sufficient income to meet the higher monthly payments to pay off the house before their children start college. They own more of their home faster with this kind of mortgage, and can then begin to consider the cost of higher education for their children without having a mortgage payment to make as well. Other homebuyers, who are more established in their careers, have higher incomes and whose desire is to own their homes before they retire, may also prefer this mortgage.

Advantages and Disadvantages of a 15-Year Mortgage

The 15-year fixed rate mortgage offers two big advantages for most borrowers:

• You own your home in half the time it would take with a traditional 30-year mortgage.
• You save more than half the amount of interest of a 30-year mortgage. Lenders usually offer this mortgage at a slightly lower interest rate than with 30-year loans - typically up to .5% lower. It is this lower interest rate added to the shorter loan life that creates real savings for 15-year fixed rate borrowers.

The possible disadvantages associated with a 15-year fixed rate mortgage are:

• The monthly payments for this type of loan are roughly 10 percent to 15 percent higher per month than the payment for a 30-year.
• Because you will pay less total interest on the 15-year fixed rate mortgage, you will not have the maximum mortgage interest tax deduction possible.

Compare Them Yourself

Use the "How much can I save with a 15 year mortgage?" calculator in our Resource Center to help decide which loan term is best for you.

We charge a credit report fee as you complete your loan application for review.  You will have the opportunity to pay the credit report fee via credit card or via debit from your credit union account during the application. 

After your loan is approved and you have reviewed the loan disclosures, we will collect an appraisal fee from you.  There may be other fees, depending upon your property, that are required as part of the processing of your loan.  These fees are non-refundable and will be reflected as credits towards the loan costs on your final Closing Disclosure.

A Mortgage Loan Officer will contact you upon receipt of your application to discuss your interest rate and fees.  You can lock in your interest rate and points at that time.

None of the loan programs we offer have penalties for prepayment. You can pay off your mortgage any time with no additional charges.

General Statement

The interest rate market is subject to movements without advance notice. Locking in a rate protects you from the time that your lock is confirmed to the day that your lock period expires.

Lock-In Agreement

A lock is an agreement by the borrower and the lender and specifies the number of days for which a loan's interest rate and points are guaranteed. Should interest rates rise during that period, we are obligated to honor the committed rate. Should interest rates fall during that period, the borrower must honor the lock.

When Can I Lock?

In some cases, your online application will provide all the information needed and you will have the option to lock immediately after loan approval. Please contact us at 301.779.8500 ext. 5401 to discuss your Rate Lock options.

Fees

We do not charge a fee for locking in your interest rate.

Lock Period

We currently offer 45 day lock-in periods on our site. This means your loan must close and disburse within this number of days from the day your lock is confirmed by us.

Lock Confirmation

A Lock Agreement form will be forwarded to you upon your request for your review and signature.

Lock Changes

Once we accept your lock, your loan is committed into a secondary market transaction. Therefore, we are not able to renegotiate lock commitments.

A home loan often involves many fees, such as the appraisal fee, title charges, closing fees, and state or local taxes. These fees vary from state to state and also from lender to lender. Any lender or broker should be able to give you an estimate of their fees, but it is more difficult to tell which lenders have done their homework and are providing a complete and accurate estimate. We take quotes very seriously.

To assist you in evaluating our fees, we have grouped them as follows:

Third Party Fees

Fees that we consider third party fees include the appraisal fee, the credit report fee, the settlement or closing fee, the survey fee, tax service fees, title insurance fees, flood certification fees, and courier/mailing fees.

Third party fees are fees that we collect and pass on to the person who actually performed the service. For example, an appraiser is paid the appraisal fee, a credit bureau is paid the credit report fee, and a title company or an attorney is paid the title insurance fees.

Typically, you will see some minor variances in third party fees from lender to lender since a lender may have negotiated a special charge from a provider they use often or chooses a provider that offers nationwide coverage at a flat rate. You may also see that some lenders absorb minor third party fees such as the flood certification fee, the tax service fee, or courier/mailing fees.

Taxes and other unavoidables

Fees that we consider to be taxes and other unavoidables include: State/Local Taxes and recording fees. These fees will most likely have to be paid regardless of the lender you choose. If some lenders do not quote you fees that include taxes and other unavoidable fees, do not assume that you will not have to pay it. It probably means that the lender who does not tell you about the fee has not done the research necessary to provide accurate closing costs.

Lender Fees

Fees such as points, document preparation fees, and loan processing fees are retained by the lender and are used to provide you with the lowest rates possible.

This is the category of fees that you should compare very closely from lender to lender before making a decision.

Required Advances

You may be asked to prepay some items at closing that will actually be due in the future. These fees are sometimes referred to as prepaid items.

One of the more common required advances is called "per diem interest" or "interest due at closing." All of our mortgages have payment due dates of the 1st of the month. If your loan is closed on any day other than the first of the month, you will pay interest, from the date of closing through the end of the month, at closing. For example, if the loan is closed on June 15, we will collect interest from June 15 through June 30 at closing. This also means that you will not make your first mortgage payment until August 1. This type of charge should not vary from lender to lender, and does not need to be considered when comparing lenders. All lenders will charge you interest beginning on the day the loan funds are disbursed. It is simply a matter of when it will be collected.

If an escrow or impound account will be established, you will make an initial deposit into the escrow account at closing so that sufficient funds are available to pay the bills when they become due.

If your loan requires mortgage insurance, up to two months of the mortgage insurance will be collected at closing. Whether or not you must purchase mortgage insurance depends on the size of the down payment you make.

If your loan is a purchase, you will also need to pay for your first year's homeowner's insurance premium prior to closing. We consider this to be a required advance.

If you've ever purchased a home before, you may already be familiar with the benefits and terms of title insurance. But if this is your first home loan or you are refinancing, you may be wondering why you need another insurance policy.

The answer is simple: The purchase of a home is most likely one of the most expensive and important purchases you will ever make. You, and especially your mortgage lender, want to make sure the property is indeed yours: That no individual or government entity has any right, lien, claim, or encumbrance on your property.

The function of a title insurance company is to make sure your rights and interests to the property are clear, that transfer of title takes place efficiently and correctly, and that your interests as a homebuyer are fully protected.

Title insurance companies provide services to buyers, sellers, real estate developers, builders, mortgage lenders, and others who have an interest in real estate transfer. Title companies typically issue two types of title policies:

1) Owner's Policy. This policy covers you, the homebuyer.

2) Lender's Policy. This policy covers the lending institution over the life of the loan.

Both types of policies are issued at the time of closing for a one-time premium, if the loan is a purchase. If you are refinancing your home, you probably already have an owner's policy that was issued when you purchased the property, so we will only require that a lender's policy be issued.

Before issuing a policy, the title company performs an in-depth search of the public records to determine if anyone other than you has an interest in the property. The search may be performed by title company personnel using either public records or, more likely, the information contained in the company's own title plant.

After a thorough examination of the records, any title problems are usually found and can be cleared up prior to your purchase of the property. Once a title policy is issued, if any claim covered under your policy is ever filed against your property, the title company will pay the legal fees involved in the defense of your rights. They are also responsible to cover losses arising from a valid claim. This protection remains in effect as long as you or your heirs own the property.

The fact that title companies try to eliminate risks before they develop makes title insurance significantly different from other types of insurance. Most forms of insurance assume risks by providing financial protection through a pooling of risks for losses arising from an unforeseen future event, say a fire, accident or theft. On the other hand, the purpose of title insurance is to eliminate risks and prevent losses caused by defects in title that may have happened in the past.

This risk elimination has benefits to both the homebuyer and the title company. It minimizes the chances that adverse claims might be raised, thereby reducing the number of claims that have to be defended or satisfied. This keeps costs down for the title company and the premiums low for the homebuyer.

Buying a home is a big step emotionally and financially. With title insurance you are assured that any valid claim against your property will be borne by the title company, and that the odds of a claim being filed are slim indeed.

Mortgage insurance should not be confused with mortgage life insurance, which is designed to pay off a mortgage in the event of a borrower's death. Mortgage insurance makes it possible for you to buy a home with less than a 20% down payment by protecting the lender against the additional risk associated with low down payment lending. Low down payment mortgages are becoming more and more popular, and by purchasing mortgage insurance, lenders are comfortable with down payments as low as 3 - 5% of the home's value. It also provides you with the ability to buy a more expensive home than might be possible if a 20% down payment were required.

The mortgage insurance premium is based on loan to value ratio, type of loan, and amount of coverage required by the lender. Usually, the premium is included in your monthly payment and one to two months of the premium is collected as a required advance at closing.

It may be possible to cancel private mortgage insurance at some point, such as when your loan balance is reduced to a certain amount - below 75% to 80% of the property value. Recent Federal Legislation requires automatic termination of mortgage insurance for many borrowers when their loan balance has been amortized down to 78% of the original property value. If you have any questions about when your mortgage insurance could be cancelled, please contact your Mortgage Loan Officer.

The maximum percentage of your home's value depends on the purpose of your loan, how you use the property, and the loan type you choose, so the best way to determine what loan amount we can offer is to complete our online application or contact us at 301.779.8500 ext. 5401.

FHA loans are mortgages issued by government-approved lenders and insured and administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD. FHA mortgage loans generally require less of a down payment and have less stringent qualification requirements than conventional loans. Any borrower of legal age is eligible to apply for an FHA mortgage loan regardless of income level, including non-U.S. citizens. However, FHA does limit the maximum amount an individual can borrow under this program based on the location of the property.

If you are looking for a loan that requires less of a down payment, you should compare both Conventional and FHA loan types to determine which financing type is best for you.

A combination loan is a combination of a first mortgage and a second mortgage. Together, the two loans provide the funds required to purchase or refinance a property. It is called a combination loan because the second mortgage is “stacked” on or combined with the first. Generally the first mortgage is for 80% of the home’s value, and the second mortgage is used to finance the portion of the remaining 20% that isn’t covered by the down payment. In most cases, the interest rate on the second mortgage is higher than the interest rate on the first mortgage.

Please contact your Mortgage Loan Officer at 301.779.8500 ext. 5401.

There is no maximum loan amount for a USDA/Rural Housing mortgage. However, the loan amount is limited by the appraised value and your ability to repay based on your household income.

A home equity loan often can involve fees, such as the appraisal fee, title charges, fees and state or local taxes. These fees vary from state to state and also from lender to lender. Any lender should be able to give you an estimate of their fees. It is more difficult to tell which lenders have done their homework and are providing a complete and accurate estimate. We take fee quotes very seriously. 

If you have any other questions about fees, please contact one of our Mortgage Loan Officers - they would be happy to help.

A credit score is one of the pieces of information that we will use to evaluate your application. Financial institutions have been using credit scores to evaluate credit card and auto applications for many years, but only recently have mortgage lenders begun to use credit scoring to assist with their loan decisions.

Credit scores are based on information collected by credit bureaus and information reported each month by your creditors about the balances you owe and the timing of your payments. A credit score is a compilation of all this information converted into a number that helps a lender to determine the likelihood that you will repay the loan on schedule. The credit score is calculated by the credit bureau, not by the lender. Credit scores are calculated by comparing your credit history with millions of other consumers. They have proven to be a very effective way of determining credit worthiness.

Some of the things that affect your credit score include your payment history, your outstanding obligations, the length of time you have had outstanding credit, the types of credit you use, and the number of inquiries that have been made about your credit history in the recent past.

Credit scores used for mortgage loan decisions range from approximately 300 to 900. Generally, the higher your credit score, the lower the risk that your payments will not be paid as agreed.

Using credit scores to evaluate your credit history allows us to quickly and objectively evaluate your credit history when reviewing your loan application. However, there are many other factors when making a loan decision and we never evaluate an application without looking at the total financial picture of a customer.

An abundance of credit inquiries can sometimes affect your credit scores since it may indicate that your use of credit is increasing.

The data used to calculate your credit score does not include any mortgage or auto loan credit inquiries that are made within the 30 days prior to the score being calculated. In addition, all mortgage inquiries made in any 14-day period are always considered one inquiry. Do not limit your mortgage shopping for fear of the effect on your credit score.

We will collect a non-refundable credit report fee as part of your application process online.  You may provide credit card information or authorize a debit from your credit union account. 

Whether you are purchasing or refinancing, we are certain you will find our service amazing.

If you will be purchasing but have not found the perfect home yet, complete our application and we will issue an approval for a mortgage loan now with no obligation.

Yes, you can borrow funds to use as your down payment.  However, any loans that you take out must be secured by an asset that you own. If you own something of value that you could borrow funds against such as a car or another home, it is a perfectly acceptable source of funds. If you are planning on obtaining a loan, make sure to include the details of this loan in the Expenses section of the application.

We take full advantage of an automated underwriting system that allows us to request as little information as possible to verify the data you provided during your loan application.  The automated underwriting system compares your financial situation with statistical data from millions of other homeowners and uses that comparison to determine the level of verification needed.

Generally, the income of self-employed borrowers is verified by obtaining copies of personal (and business, if applicable) federal tax returns for the most recent two-year period. However, based on your entire financial situation, we may not need full copies of your tax returns.

We will review and average the net income from self-employment that is reported on your tax returns to determine the income that can be used to qualify. We will not be able to consider any income that has not been reported as such on your tax returns. Typically, we will need at least one, and sometimes a full two-year history of self-employment to verify that your self-employment income is stable.

In order for bonus, overtime, or commission income to be considered, you must have a history of receiving it and it must be likely to continue. We will usually need to obtain copies of W-2 statements for the previous two years and 30 days of recent pay stubs to verify this type of income. If a major part of your income is commission earnings, we may need to obtain copies of recent tax returns to verify the amount of business-related expenses, if any. We will average the amounts you have received over the past two years to calculate the amount that can be considered as a regular part of your income.

If you have not been receiving bonus, overtime, or commission income for at least one year, it probably cannot be given full value when your loan is reviewed for approval.

We will ask for copies of your recent pension check stub and recent bank statements if your pension or retirement income is deposited directly in your bank account. Sometimes it will also be necessary to verify that this income will continue for at least three years since some pension or retirement plans do not provide income for life. This can usually be verified with a copy of your award letter. If you do not have an award letter, we can contact the source of this income directly for verification.

If you are receiving tax-free income, such as social security earnings in some cases, we will consider the fact that taxes will not be deducted from this income when reviewing your request.

If you apply for your mortgage now and qualify based on the information provided, we will issue a pre-approval letter online instantly.  We will verify your income and assets upon receipt of your mortgage application so that you can use the pre-approval letter to assure real estate brokers and sellers that you are a qualified buyer.  Having a pre-approval for a mortgage lets others know that you are a serious buyer and you are ready to purchase a new home.

Generally, only income that is reported on your tax return can be considered when applying for a mortgage. Unless, of course, the income is legally tax-free and is not required to be reported.

Some lenders may offer a stated income program, which means that you can be qualified for a loan based on the income you state rather than that which can be verified. Usually these programs require larger down payments and offer interest rates that are substantially higher than regular mortgage rates. We do not offer stated income programs at this time.

If you own rental properties, we will generally ask for the most recent two year's federal tax returns to verify your rental income. We will review the Schedule E of the tax returns to verify your rental income, after all expenses except depreciation. Since depreciation is only a paper loss, it will not be counted against your rental income.

If you have not owned the rental property for a complete tax year, we will ask for a copy of any leases you have executed and we will estimate the expenses of ownership.

Generally, two years personal tax returns are required to verify the amount of your dividend and/or interest income so that an average of the amounts you receive can be calculated. In addition, we will need to verify your ownership of the assets that generate the income using copies of statements from your financial institution, brokerage statements, stock certificates or Promissory Notes.

Typically, income from dividends and/or interest must be expected to continue for at least three years to be considered for repayment.

Information about child support, alimony, or separate maintenance income does not need to be provided unless you wish to have it considered for repaying this mortgage loan.

Typically, income from a second job will be considered if a two-year history of secondary employment can be verified.

First, complete our online application.

The application will ask you questions about the home and your finances and takes less than 20 minutes to complete. As soon as you have finished the application we will review your request for instant approval.

After completing your application, a Mortgage Loan Officer will contact you to introduce himself or herself and to answer any questions you may have. Your Mortgage Loan Officer is a mortgage expert and will provide help and guidance along the way. If your request was not approved online, he or she will ask you for any information required to make a decision about your loan.

If you are purchasing a new home, the Mortgage Loan Officer will also contact the Real Estate Broker or the seller so that they know whom to contact with questions.

We will send you an application package and prepare your loan for closing.

The application package will be sent to you and will contain papers for you to sign and a list of items we will need to verify the information you provided about your finances during the online application.  If your loan is approved, we will ask you for a deposit to cover the cost of the appraisal  and order the report from a licensed appraiser who is familiar with home values in your area. This deposit will be credited towards your closing fees at closing.

Title insurance will be necessary. If you're purchasing a home, we will work with the real estate broker or seller to ensure the title work is ordered as soon as possible. If you are refinancing we will take care of ordering the title work for you. We will use the title insurance to confirm the legal status of your property and to prepare the closing documents.

We will contact you to coordinate your closing date.

After we received the application package back from you and the appraisal and title work, we will contact you to schedule your loan closing. If you are purchasing a home, we will also schedule the closing with the real estate broker and the seller.

The closing will take place at the office of a title company or attorney in your area who will act as our agent. A few days before closing, your Mortgage Loan Officer will contact you to walk through the final information so that there will not be any surprises at closing.

Having changed employers frequently is typically not a hindrance to obtaining a new mortgage loan. This is particularly true if you made employment changes without having periods of time in between without employment. We will also look at your income advancements as you have changed employment.

If you are paid on a commission basis, a recent job change may be an issue since we will have a difficult time of predicting your earnings without a history with your new employer.

If you were in school before your current job, enter the name of the school you attended and the length of time you were in school in the "length of employment" fields. You can enter a position of "student" and income of "0."

Unfortunately, if you are purchasing a home, we will have to use the lower of the appraised value or the sales price to determine your down payment requirement.

It is still a great benefit for your financial situation if you are able to purchase a home for less than the appraised value, but our investors do not allow us to use this "instant equity" when making our loan decision.

Gifts are an acceptable source of down payment, if the gift giver is related to you or your co-borrower. We will ask you for the name, address, and phone number of the gift giver, as well as the donor's relationship to you.

If your loan request is for more than 80% of the purchase price, we will need to verify that you have at least 5% of the property's value in your own assets.

Prior to closing, we will verify that the gift funds have been transferred to you by obtaining a copy of your bank receipt or deposit slip to verify that you have deposited the gift funds into your account.

If you are selling your current home to purchase your new home, we will ask you to provide a copy of the settlement or closing statement you will receive at the closing to verify that your current mortgage has been paid in full and that you will have sufficient funds for our closing. Often the closing of your current home is scheduled for the same day as the closing of your new home. If that is the case, we will just ask you to bring your settlement statement with you to your new mortgage closing.

If you will be working for the same employer, complete the application as such but enter the income you anticipate you will be receiving at your new location.

If your employment is with a new employer, complete the application as if this were your current employer and indicate that you have been there for one month. The information about the employment you will be leaving should be entered as a previous employer. We will sort out the details after you submit your loan for approval.

Generally, a co-signed debt is considered when determining your qualifications for a mortgage. If the co-signed debt does not affect your ability to obtain a new mortgage we will not require any additional documentation. However, if it does make a difference, we can ignore the monthly payment of the co-signed debt if you can provide verification that the other person responsible for the debt has made the required payments, by obtaining copies of their cancelled checks for the last twelve months.

Any student loan that will go into repayment within the next six months should be included in the application. If you are not sure exactly what the monthly payment will be at this time, enter an estimated amount.

If other student loans are reflected on your final credit report, which will not go into repayment in the next six months, we may need to ask you for verification that repayment will not be required during this time period.

If you have had a bankruptcy or foreclosure in the past, it may affect your ability to get a new mortgage. Unless the bankruptcy or foreclosure was caused by situations beyond your control, we will generally require that two to four years have passed since the bankruptcy or foreclosure. It is also important that you have re-established an acceptable credit history with new loans or credit cards.

An installment debt is a loan that you make payments on, such as an auto loan, a student loan or a debt consolidation loan. Do not include payments on other living expenses, such as insurance costs or medical bill payments. We will include any installment debts that have more than 10 months remaining when determining your qualifications for this mortgage.

The closing will take place at the office of a title company or attorney in your area who will act as our agent. If you are purchasing a new home, the seller may also be at the closing to transfer ownership to you, but in some states, these two events actually happen separately.

During the closing you will be reviewing and signing several loan papers. The closing agent or attorney conducting the closing should be able to answer any questions you have or you can feel free to contact your Mortgage Loan Officer if you prefer.

Just to make sure there are no surprises at closing, your Mortgage Loan Officer will contact you a few days before closing to review your final fees, loan amount, first payment date, etc.

The most important documents you will be signing at the closing include:

Closing Disclosure

This document provides an itemized listing of the final fees charged in connection with your loan. If your loan is a purchase, the Closing Disclosure will also include a listing of any fees related to the transaction between you and the seller. If this loan will be a refinance, the settlement statement will show the pay off amounts of any mortgages that will be paid in full with your new loan. These numbers will correspond to the numbers listed on the Loan Estimate that will be provided in your initial disclosure package.

The Closing Disclosure also provides full written disclosure of the terms and conditions of a mortgage, including the annual percentage rate (APR) and other fees. It is similar to the Loan Estimate that you received immediately after your initial application, except it has been updated to reflect the final rate and fee information. Federal law requires that all lenders provide you with this document at closing.

Note

This is the document you sign to agree to repay your mortgage. The note will provide you with all of the details of your loan including the interest rate and length of time to repay the loan. It also explains the penalties that you may incur if you fall behind in making your payments.

Mortgage / Deed of Trust

This document pledges a property to the lender as security for repayment of a debt. Essentially this means that you will give your property up to the lender in the event that you cannot make the mortgage payments. The Mortgage restates the basic information contained in the note, as well as details the responsibilities of the borrower. In some states, the document is called a Deed of Trust instead of a Mortgage.

If your loan is a refinance, Federal Law requires that you have three days to decide positively that you want a new mortgage after you sign the documents. This means that the loan funds will not be disbursed until three business days have passed. The closing agent will provide more details at the closing.

In some areas of the country it is very customary, and sometimes required by law, to have an attorney represent you at the closing. In other areas, attorneys are not as common at a real estate closing. Please contact the closing agent if you have questions about attorney representation. By all means, we recommend that you have an attorney at the closing if it would make you more comfortable. If your attorney has any questions about your new mortgage, please refer them to your Mortgage Loan Officer. We are happy to provide any information necessary.

The most important documents you will sign at closing are the note and mortgage, sometimes called the deed of trust. Unless there are special circumstances, these documents are usually prepared one to two days before your closing. Other documents are prepared by the closing agent the day before or the day of your closing. If you would like copies of the completed documents to be sent to you after they are prepared, please contact your Mortgage Loan Officer.

The closing agent acts as our agent and will represent us at the closing. However, your personal Mortgage Loan Officer will contact you prior to closing to talk about your final documents and to provide a final breakdown of your closing fees. If you have any questions that the closing agent cannot answer during the closing, ask them to contact your Mortgage Loan Officer by phone and we will get you the answers you need before the closing is over.

If you will not be able to attend the loan closing, contact your Mortgage Loan Officer to discuss other options. If someone you trust is able to attend on your behalf, you can execute a Power of Attorney so that this person can sign documents on your behalf.

We use a nationwide network of closing agents and attorneys to conduct our loan closings. We will schedule your closing to take place in a location that is located near your home for your convenience.

We will deliver our loan documents and wire transfer your loan funds to the closing agent or attorney prior to closing so that they will have plenty of time to prepare for your closing.

Automated monthly payments are available. At the loan closing an automated payment application will be provided. Simply return it at your earliest convenience to enroll in the automated payment program.

If you've ever purchased a home before, you may already be familiar with the benefits and terms of title insurance. But if this is your first home loan or you are refinancing, you may be wondering why you need another insurance policy.

The answer is simple: The purchase of a home is most likely one of the most expensive and important purchases you will ever make. You, and especially your mortgage lender, want to make sure the property is indeed yours: That no individual or government entity has any right, lien, claim, or encumbrance on your property.

The function of a title insurance company is to make sure your rights and interests to the property are clear, that transfer of title takes place efficiently and correctly, and that your interests as a homebuyer are fully protected.

Title insurance companies provide services to buyers, sellers, real estate developers, builders, mortgage lenders, and others who have an interest in real estate transfer. Title companies typically issue two types of title policies:

1) Owner's Policy. This policy covers you, the homebuyer.

2) Lender's Policy. This policy covers the lending institution over the life of the loan.

Both types of policies are issued at the time of closing for a one-time premium, if the loan is a purchase. If you are refinancing your home, you probably already have an owner's policy that was issued when you purchased the property, so we will only require that a lender's policy be issued.

Before issuing a policy, the title company performs an in-depth search of the public records to determine if anyone other than you has an interest in the property. The search may be performed by title company personnel using either public records or, more likely, the information contained in the company's own title plant.

After a thorough examination of the records, any title problems are usually found and can be cleared up prior to your purchase of the property. Once a title policy is issued, if any claim covered under your policy is ever filed against your property, the title company will pay the legal fees involved in the defense of your rights. They are also responsible to cover losses arising from a valid claim. This protection remains in effect as long as you or your heirs own the property.

The fact that title companies try to eliminate risks before they develop makes title insurance significantly different from other types of insurance. Most forms of insurance assume risks by providing financial protection through a pooling of risks for losses arising from an unforeseen future event, say a fire, accident or theft. On the other hand, the purpose of title insurance is to eliminate risks and prevent losses caused by defects in title that may have happened in the past.

This risk elimination has benefits to both the homebuyer and the title company. It minimizes the chances that adverse claims might be raised, thereby reducing the number of claims that have to be defended or satisfied. This keeps costs down for the title company and the premiums low for the homebuyer.

Buying a home is a big step emotionally and financially. With title insurance you are assured that any valid claim against your property will be borne by the title company, and that the odds of a claim being filed are slim indeed.

First, complete our online application.

The application will ask you questions about the home and your finances and takes less than 20 minutes to complete. As soon as you have finished the application we will review your request for instant approval.

After completing your application, a Mortgage Loan Officer will contact you to introduce himself or herself and to answer any questions you may have. Your Mortgage Loan Officer is a mortgage expert and will provide help and guidance along the way. If your request was not approved online, he or she will ask you for any information required to make a decision about your loan.

We will send you an application package and prepare your loan for closing.

The application package will be sent to you and will contain papers for you to sign and a list of items we will need to verify the information you provided about your finances during the online application.  If your loan is approved, we will ask you for a deposit to cover the cost of the appraisal  and order the report from a licensed appraiser who is familiar with home values in your area. This deposit will be credited towards your closing fees at closing.

Title insurance may be necessary. If you are refinancing we will take care of ordering the title work for you. We will use the title insurance to confirm the legal status of your property and to prepare the closing documents.

We will contact you to coordinate your closing date.

After we received the application package back from you and the appraisal and title work, we will contact you to schedule your loan closing.

The closing will take place at a location of your choose with an agent of a title company or attorney in your area who will act as our agent. A few days before closing, your Mortgage Loan Officer will contact you to walk through the final information so that there will not be any surprises at closing.

The closing documents need to be signed in the presence of a notary.  We will schedule an appointment with the notary at the location and time most convenient to you.