Phoenix Bank Owned Foreclosure Homes--Phoenix Real Estate Vlog » Financing

11 Steps to Buying a Phoenix Home Series-Financing

Joe Martin — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 18:31:45 +0000

Table of contents for 11 Steps to Buying a Phoenix Home Series

Secure a Phoenix home loan before you start your home search

If you have been following the future posts in this 11 Steps to Buying a Phoenix Home Series we touched briefly on how to establish or clean up your credit if needed. Now for the purposes of this series moving forward we will assume you have a least a 620 credit score, a steady documented income for the previous 12 months and your DTI is 41% or less as indicated in our previous post regarding debt-to-income ratios…the next step is to get pre-qualified with a Phoenix home loan.

Ask for referrals to qualified Phoenix home loan specialists

Word of mouth is the best way to find a great loan specialist for your Phoenix home loan and your Realtor is a great place to start. Your Realtor should have excellent referrals for you as they tend to use the same preferred lenders over and over again that make them look good and give their clients the best service available. Just like any business if you do a good job, word gets out about your services and others refer you business. I do not recommend just haphazardly going online and completing online questionnaires or applications. 9 times out of 10 your information is sold and you can get bombarded with loan professionals. Find a few that come highly recommended by asking your family, friends, neighbors and Realtor and start there. A lender should be able to take a phone application and/or secure online application and have answers for you the same day. Unless of course you go to a brick and mortar bank where a pre-qualification can take up to five business days.

Understand the terms and fees associated with your Phoenix home loan

After you complete the application process via online, over the phone or in person you will be provided with a pre-qualification letter that will state the amount of financing you qualify for. In Arizona specifically your Phoenix home loan qualification letter may be issued on as an LSR or Loan Status Report. An LSR will be required to write any offer and typically required prior to view homes. If this is your first time buying a home and applying for a Phoenix home loan you will have several questions. Your lender should be able to tell you your rate (which can still change until you lock it), your estimated mortgage payment including taxes and insurance, your estimated closing costs to bring to the closing table (which you can negotiate the Sellers contribute to), and your required down payment for your particular Phoenix home loan program. First time home buyers will typically use an FHA loan with 3.5% of the purchase price required as a down payment.

Example: 100,000 purchase price x 3.5% = $3500 down payment

There are also Phoenix home loan programs such as a USDA loan which allows first time home buyers to purchase at $0 down provided the property is located in a qualifying area. Phoenix-Metro areas that qualify mainly are Queen Creek, San Tan Valley as well as parts of Apache Junction.

The next step once you receive your Phoenix home loan qualification letter is to select a Realtor to represent you if you have not already done so which we will discuss in the next post in this 11 Steps to Buying a Phoenix Home Series.

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11 Steps to Buying a Phoenix Home Series-Budget and DTI

Joe Martin — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 20:56:16 +0000

Table of contents for 11 Steps to Buying a Phoenix Home Series

The Phoenix home buying planning process means time to budget

It is time to finally track your spending and put pen to paper an itemized list of where you spend money each month and how much. The goal here is to see how much Phoenix home you can afford within your budget. The good thing is right now in Phoenix-Metro area you can own for less per month that what you can rent in many areas so your living expenses might actually go down once you buy!

Accurate figures are important to the Phoenix home buying planning process

Start with making a list of all your expenses such as utilities and living expenses such as electricity and groceries, then all monthly expenses such as credit card bills, car insurance and yes add your entertainment, clothes, etc. as well. If you spend $40/week on movies and you want to continue to spend $40/week on movies than include it, otherwise remove or lower it to something you feel is reasonable and then follow that. You may be surprised to find out how much money you spend on certain things that with a few minor changes here and there you can drastically reduce your overall monthly expenditures. After you total everything and subtract it from your income you will have a figure. From that figure take a certain percentage off the top to add to your savings accounts and/or retirement plan, etc and the final figure leftover (assuming you already accounted for miscellaneous disposable income in your list) is what you can afford as a mortgage payment with/without any lifestyle changes while growing your savings.

Lenders consider Debt-to-income (DTI) ratios during the Phoenix home buying pre-qualification process

The above budget is mainly for your purposes so you can determine during the Phoenix home buying process your comfort level with the money in and money out every month and also help identify spending habits that can be modified to help strengthen your overall financials. Lenders will take your debt such as current mortgage/rent, credit cards, car payments and compare it to your income (aka DTI ratio). The qualifying ratio will vary by loan program and fico score but for our example we will use FHA which is 41%.

Lets consider a quick scenario in determining DTI for a Phoenix home buying loan applicant;

Your Monthly payment on mortgage/rent = 1200
Minimum Monthly Credit Card Payments = 300
Monthly Car Loan Payments = 450
Other Loan payment = 300

Thus, your total monthly debt payment = $2250

Now, let’s consider your Gross Annual Salary = $75000
So, gross monthly salary = $6250
Other monthly income = $1000
Thus, your gross monthly income = $7250

So, mortgage debt to income ratio = (monthly debt payment)/(gross monthly income)
= ($2250/$7250) = .310 or 31% which is well within the standard DTI ratio.

Hopefully now you have a good idea of how much you can comfortable afford every month, what changes to you budget need to be made if any and if your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio is in-line with qualifying. If not you may have to pay off some debt to get your ratio where it needs to be as part of the Phoenix home buying process.

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11 Steps to Buying a Phoenix Home Series-Repairing Credit

Joe Martin — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 20:04:54 +0000

Table of contents for 11 Steps to Buying a Phoenix Home Series

Repairing credit to buy a Phoenix home takes time…

If you read the previous post in this 11 Steps to Buying a Phoenix Home Series regarding establishing credit we are back to the same notion of maintaining a good credit history. So it will take time. Repairing credit is all about correcting the negative references on your report and keeping the items in good standing …in good standing! There are many reasons one might have bad credit. For the purpose of this post and buying a Phoenix home we will address general misuse or overuse, etc. We will not touch on bankruptcy issues, short sales, or foreclosures in this post as they are different in terms of recovery.

Nowadays, you will most likely need a 620 credit score or higher to buy a Phoenix home with traditional financing

Some things to consider when you review your credit report;

When you look at your report there are some things you should keep in mind. If you have too many credit lines this could be hurting your score. You would need to pay off and cancel or at least cancel all but a preferred three cards. The cards that you should keep should be the ones you have had the longest. Longer histories with a creditor helps your score. Try to negotiate lower rates on the three that you keep.
Pay down balances on all three remaining cards to 30% or less of the credit limit (10% is better).
Put together a budget to pay down any outstanding/delinquent payments or satisfy any debt/judgments. Many times these balances can be settled and negotiated for less than the full amount.

Keep in mind that to buy a Phoenix home is not a given right but a reward and responsibility

Once your credit is in check make sure you take the necessary steps to keep it that way. Set up automatic payments whenever possible. Don’t wait until the last minute to mail a payment to your creditors. Make sure you don’t overspend or have to high of limits. Report any unauthorized use of your credit. Once you implement these strategies it is just a matter of time and history until you have good credit to buy a Phoenix home. Your preferred mortgage finance specialist can give you a ball park estimate based on your current credit scenario just how long until your credit should be good enough to qualify for the best rates available to buy a Phoenix home.

If you have questions or comments on credit issues that are stopping you from qualifying to buy a Phoenix home please post them below, we would love to hear from you!

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11 Steps to Buying a Phoenix Home Series-No Credit

Joe Martin — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 18:29:19 +0000

Table of contents for 11 Steps to Buying a Phoenix Home Series

Buying a Phoenix home requires good credit history

No credit is not good credit. No credit will stop you from buying a Phoenix home. Some people assume they have good credit just because they have not used it or damaged it yet. This is not the case. The good news is there are easy ways to establish credit. I spoke with a client that asked, “Why do I need credit cards in order to buy a home?,” as she had no debt and did not want to get a credit card. The answer is you don’t. You can always save up and pay cash for a Phoenix home which many people sometimes do, however, if you are going to require a loan to finance your purchase you may have to consider the scenario from the lenders POV. If you were going to loan money to someone you will probably want to see that they have a history or managing debt responsibly prior to doing so in order to analyze the risk, i.e. the likelihood they will pay you back.

Establish credit as early as possible prior to when you plan on buying a Phoenix home

Establishing credit takes time. Having no credit does not illustrate you a.) know how to manage it or that b.) you will not abuse it. You may have credit card offers come in the mail or when you go to your bank. It is ideal that you open three credit lines but no more with either your bank, department store, mail offer, etc. Most will come with a low or zero APR for the first year or so and of course you want the best rate and perks. Instead of paying cash for things like groceries, gas, medicine, etc. just set your cash aside and use your card. Then when the bill comes pay it off with the cash you stashed. If you are going to carry a small balance vs. paying it off completely each month carry no more than 10% of the credit line for an optimal credit rating although paying it off each month in full is ideal. If you only carry a small balance and only buy things you would normally have to buy regardless, then you should be fine with managing your credit. In three to six months you should be on your way to having great credit to buy a Phoenix home.

Remember these 5 things when building your credit for buying a Phoenix home or any other purpose

Make your payments on time every time or it will lower your credit score
Always keep your credit card balance at 30% or less of your total credit line in the event you don’t pay it off in full each month
Once you have a history request a credit line increase from at least one of your cards to be at 5K or more
Don’t have more than 3 credit lines at any one time
Don’t buy things you don’t need on credit, just buy the things you would buy anyway

Also it is important to note that it is a good idea to keep your cards for the duration. Don’t cancel one and hop to another just because they offer you a short term introductory rate. Try to negotiate the rates with the cards you have. Overall the length that you hold each credit line open will impact your score, i.e. the longer the better. This will in turn possibly get you better home loan rate when buying a Phoenix home and possibly a quicker approval process.

Many cards offer a cash back option. This means for every dollar you spend with the card (even when you pay the balance off in full each month) you will receive typically 1% or 2% cash back. So lets say you spend $2,000/month on groceries, food, gas, medicine, clothing, etc. you would have earned $40 cash back which is $40 more than you would have made if you bought the exact same items but just paid cash for them.

This post is not intended to be in any way a form or financial and/or credit counseling and it is advised you see a professional finance/credit specialist for further insight or questions regarding your credit prior to buying a Phoenix home. We have plenty of wonderful referrals!

I hope so far you are finding this 11 Steps to Buying a Phoenix Home Series helpful and I welcome any comments you may have below as we move through the series.

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Realizing How Buying A New House – Advantages For Homeowners

Adriana Noton — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 15:23:47 +0000

Buying a home can be a fun and exciting time period. There may be lots of shopping and looking involved as well as different house options. A couple may be torn between a recent model home and an older resale property. To better decide, it is a good idea to know that buying a new house – advantages for homeowners is real. There are many good aspects to making the plunge into the new real estate market.

One of the advantages to buying a recent property, is that the home may take several months or years to create. That can give someone the time they may need to make financial plans and save the down payment. With an older home, the down payment has to be made at the time of sale. With most resale homes offering quick closings that doesn’t give someone much time to save. A new home can provide people with the time they need to put a large down payment down on the listing.

Picking a model home, can also allow a couple to pick how the house will look. They can pick everything from the brick color, to the floor type and accessories in the kitchen and bathroom. Choosing the materials and colors can be a fun and exciting experience for anyone to engage in.

When a new buyer walks into a resale home, they may see many areas for improvement. Things like the paint may be of older dated colors, the floor may be old and dated as well. The kitchen and bathroom areas may also feature older cabinets and color choices, leaving a new owner with expensive bills to get it into shape.

A new house also means that things will not need to be replaced as quickly. Newer homes come with new windows, roofs and furnaces. When a resale house is bought, these major things could go and need to be replaced. They are all expensive items that could add to the stress of owning a house and paying a mortgage.

Some people find that looking for homes is challenging. There are many neighborhoods, models to choose from and interior decorations. However, a new builder will actually let the new owner pick out what they want in their home. That can make the search a one stop shop for success.

Moving into a new residence, can give people peace of mind. They don’t have to worry about the expensive of unexpected repairs, and they also do not need to think about paying thousands to upgrade certain aspects of the house. They can just move in and enjoy living there.

Finding out about buying new homes – advantages for homeowners, will give a person the right information that they need. Before a person begins their home search, they may want to decide if they want a used home or one that has not yet been built yet.

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15K Down Payment Assistance for Phoenix Area First-Time Home Buyers

Joe Martin — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 01:03:51 +0000

15K down payment assistance is available for Phoenix area first-time home buyers via a second Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP2) awarded by HUD to Chicanos Por La Causa, a statewide community development corporation (CDC) whose goal has been to promote the well being of Arizona’s socially and economically deprived communities.

Other perks of the program include buyers can receive a free home warranty and security system as well as the homes in many cases are already rehabbed and move-in ready as well as energy efficient.

The program is available to every ethnicity and in qualifying areas. There are some eligibility requirements for borrowers that must be met such as an income verification and borrowers must still come up with the required FHA down payment amount of 3.5% of the purchase price.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igU97cIaarg

Fill out the form below to receive information on how to receive 15K down payment assistance on the purchase of your first Phoenix area home.

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Tips For Hiring A Land Surveyor SC

Adele Bolton — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 17:39:54 +0000

There are many things that you should remember when you need to hire a land surveyor SC. One of the things that you should take into consideration is cost but this should not be the main deciding factor. You will want to make sure that you are hiring someone who is a well trained professional.

Land surveyors take information and measurements in order to be able to create maps that are accurate. There are a lot of things that have to be done for this to be correct. This type of science is specific and something that has to be done correctly.

You must make sure that you hire someone who is legitimate and there are some tips to help make sure that this happens. One of these to check out the licensure before you hire someone. The maps and information gained will not be considered valid if the surveyor is not licensed.

Another thing that can really protect you when hiring a surveyor is the insurance that they carry. If the property and maps are not covered by the insurance in the right way then you are going to be in trouble because you will be responsible if something is wrong. So this is one of the most important issues asides from licensing standards.

Experience is something else that can help you to know that you are choosing the right surveyor. You will find that you can easily ask about past jobs and references can be given to you. Plus you need to make sure that you are hiring the right type of surveyor for your specific job or needs.

This is because different surveyors specialize in different jobs. One of these could be choosing to make maps while others work on construction projects and still more work on making sure that home owners are able to discern their property lines. Basically you could end up with the wrong information if you hire the wrong surveyor.

It is important to choose a surveyor who will do a job well. It is also important that he be as professional as possible. You can easily tell if this is case as you talk to him because professionals will carry themselves in a certain way and will have references for you from former jobs.

These simple tips will help to make sure that the right land surveyor SC for the job is hired. There is going to be a need for a contract. The contract should specify the job, all details, and all information on payment.

Land Surveyor SC

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Mortgage Rates: Informative Tools

Quincy Marks — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 17:28:16 +0000

The factors that affect the growth and amount of mortgage rates are extremely compound, and lead many people to suppositions that are not correct. As someone who does business with mortgage brokers and has through a lot of in-depth investigation on this matter, I am stunned to see the various wild theories affecting mortgage rates. Surprisingly some mortgage brokers create mistaken assumptions too.

Here, I give standard justifications on how mortgage rates are actually dictated, and put down the allegory that they are set straight by the Federal Reserve.

Mortgage rates are supported by one fact: the mortgage backed securities marketplace. This activity is possessed by the banks and the mortgage dealers. These entities arrange their mortgage loans as one and trade it as investments titled mortgage backed securities (MBS). These MBS are eventually sold by investors as bonds, and the fee of these bonds is directly opposite with mortgage rates. That is, the higher the fee of mortgage hardbound securities, the smaller mortgage rates set off.

The amount of dealing in these MBS is the only real reason that manipulates mortgage rates. Similar to any bonds prices, mortgage backed security growth is affected by concerns around the economy, trading, and aspects that investors consider regarding long-term business prospects in the U.S.

This takes us to the primary myth regarding mortgage rates–that they are directed by the Federal Reserve. This is just not factual. The Federal Reserve has a modest effect on mortgage rates that is indirectly and slow. The fed can at times indirectly influence mortgage rates by declaring alteration to interest rates. Changes in interest rates manipulate rates on home loans, interest rates on credit cards, money market industry, and on certificates of deposits. In part, when interest rates are adjusted by feds, investors trade money markets and CDs to exchange cash to bonds and stocks. Mortgage backed securities are a kind of bond too. The extra MBS investors acquire, the higher the value of the bonds goes. As a result mortgage rates get low.

The rules above deal especially to long-term mortgage rates, specified as fixed 30 year mortgage rates. Mortgages of short terms, like 5 year ARMs and also 7 year ARMs, are moved by many factors and do not necessarily grow with the aforesaid rules.

Jeff Deutsch studies and writes about personal finance matters and contributes to NjJumboMortgages.com. To read about New Jersey jumbo mortgage and jumbo mortgage rates NJ please click the preceding links.

Mortgage Guide Tips

Adam Treveille — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 16:33:51 +0000

If you are somebody who is interested in the mortgage guide, then it really make sense to stop and think about whether or not you have gotten yourself into a situation that may potentially work why are some additional guidance from an expert.

The reason why this is an important thing to take into consideration is the fact that we are living through times that are very trying for people who happen to have mortgages. In fact, many individuals are currently struggling to make ends meet.

There are a lot of financial considerations they need to think about if you’re somebody who currently has a mortgage that is underwater or that is otherwise in need of some kind of modification. It certainly makes sense to consult with a mortgage guide if this is something that you feel as if though you need some additional guidance regarding. It is never easy to have to make these types of decisions in a vacuum — the more time you can spend thinking about things rationally, the better the chance for a successful outcome.

When all is said and done, the most unfortunate thing for you to understand is that a mortgage guide can only provide you with a preliminary roadmap. To ultimately reach your destination, you will need to work with a financial professional who can locate your individual situation and provide you with the necessary guidance. Needless to say, this will be a little bit easier said than done. However, with some perseverance, you will find that whenever mortgage problems you are currently experiencing can be mitigated substantially.

Yes, you should certainly invest in a mortgage guide. This makes sense. Especially if you are planning to apply for a brand-new mortgage. In the final analysis, the money you invest will be well worth it. Go ahead and get a mortgage guide today, you’ll be so glad that you did and will not regret the decision at all.

You can get a mortgage guide that makes sense for you personally. That is your fast ticket to finding costs having a mortgage guide that will not give you nothing however the complete particulars.

Mortgage Guide – Frequently Asked Questions

Adam Treveille — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 16:27:31 +0000

When you think about the need for a mortgage guide, you need to also think about whether or not you need comprehensive financial advice.

Consulting with a mortgage guide is a great idea. The reason why may not necessarily make much sense at first, but it will once you start to realize just how much complexity there is as it relates to mortgage related situations. You truly over to yourself to stop and think about whether or not it makes sense to do this by yourself. In other words, are you potentially doing yourself more harm than good by going it alone?

In the final analysis, what will ultimately make the most sense is if you’re able to stop and think clearly and rationally about what options you have before you. If you are somebody who is stuck with a mortgage on a house that is worth less than the worth of the mortgage itself, then consulting with a mortgage guide can potentially give you some answers that you can use to help yourself get out of the situation that you currently find yourself in.

Get great charges by utilizing an on the web mortgage guide. A mortgage guide ought to assist you navigate and find the greatest charges.