I have been working with a couple of clients who are buying homes and who’ve recently asked if it’s okay for them to buy furniture before closing on their new home. It must be all the “Fourth of July blow-out” sales going on that’s causing this question to come up recently.
Credit and Financial Strategy
Your mortgage approval doesn’t start with a rate — it starts with your credit profile and financial structure.
In this section, you’ll find educational articles on:
- Credit scores and reporting
- Debt-to-income ratios
- Mortgage insurance
- Bankruptcy recovery
- Financial planning considerations
- Long-term homeownership strategy
Understanding how lenders evaluate credit and income allows you to prepare strategically rather than reactively.
My goal is to help you improve your financial scenario — whether that means preparing to buy, restructuring debt, or planning your next move.
I know my credit score
March 5, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Recently my husband and I considered buying an investment home in West Seattle. We began the preapproval process so that we could present an offer with a bona fide preapproval letter. We gathered our W2s, tax returns, bank statements and paystubs…and had our credit report pulled.
Determining Rental Income for a Conforming Mortgage
November 22, 2014 by 1 Comment
UPDATE: This post was written in 2014 and guidelines may have changed. Please visit our Conforming Mortgage Guide or contact me for more information.
Recently Fannie Mae updated their guidelines for rental income, including the addition of Rental Income Worksheets for the lender to complete to help make sure the rental income is calculated correctly. How much rental income may be used and how it is calculated will depend on when the borrower obtained the rental property, when rents were collected and what how many units there are with the subject property. Underwriters are looking the likelihood that the rental income will continue as well as the losses too. If your rental is producing a net loss, that will factored into your qualifying ratios.
How do Inquiries on my Credit Report impact my Mortgage Approval?
February 21, 2014 by Leave a Comment
When you apply for credit, it may appear as an inquiry on your credit report even if you decide not to proceed with the credit or debt you applied for. The credit reports that mortgage companies use will show the inquiries going back 120 days.
Why does a lender care if you have credit inquiries – even if you never proceeded to take the credit that was offered to you? Inquires to your credit appears as though you are shopping for credit and therefore may be taking on additional debt. Additional debts may impact your ability to make payments on your new mortgage.
Don’t let these things HAUNT your Preapproval
October 31, 2013 by Leave a Comment
I encourage anyone who is considering buying a home to start the preapproval process as soon as possible. Regardless of if you’re not planning on buying for a year or you think your credit, income and assets are prefect – you never know what underwriters may find lurking in your application.
