Get a mortgage

If your goal is to buy your first home there are many things you will need to do to make the process as easy as possible. The first step is to become pre qualified for a home loan from a qualified mortgage broker.

The information a qualified broker will need is your Income, Assets, Debts, Employment History, DOB, Address and most importantly your permission to run a Credit Report.

In order to get a mortgage you must first become approved for a mortgage. You will be approved based on your credit scores and/or credit history, debt to income ratios, assets, employment history, among a few other items. All of these items will basically decide how much of a loan you will be approved for, how much money, if any, you will be required to place as a down payment, and what kind of mortgage programs and mortgage interest rates you will qualify for.

When first applying, try to have your information available to you with regards to income documentation and banking information.

Before starting the house hunting and mortgage process, review you credit report. If there are any false information listed, have the credit bureaus correct them. If there are negative items on the report, try to remove them. A clean credit profile with high credit scores will get you a lower rate and a higher loan amount.

For any successful real estate purchase, prequalification is key for a smooth transaction. Prequalication informs you of how much you can purchase, how much your payments will be, what price range you should be looking in, or if you can afford the house that you are interested in, and simply if you are qualified right now to get a loan.

Knowing your credit situation can be very helpful in getting qualified for a mortgage. Your mortgage broker can help you review your credit and understand it. Taking care of issues before making an offer on a home can help make the process much smoother.

If you are a self employed borrower talk with your mortgage broker about options for self employed borrowers. Self employed borrowers have different obstacles that must be overcome depending on how you are paid from you company.

If you have had credit issues in the past, do not be discouraged. Your mortgage loan professional will have access to dozens of mortgage lenders who specialize in offering programs to customers just like you.

You know when you are dealing with a Professional Mortgage Broker when s/he queries you with numerous questions. The better the pre-qualfication process, the greater your chances of having a successful transaction.

The best way to get a mortgage is to talk to a mortgage professional and learn which loan product best fits your financing needs and credit situation.

» DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this article on 'Get a mortgage' is a collection of contributions by licensed mortgage professionals and is not the opinion of Broker Outpost LLC. Always consult a licensed professional before applying for a mortgage.