What are the Requirements to Qualify for a Home Loan Today?

What are the Requirements to Qualify 

for a Home Loan Today?    

     Frequently I hear the question ...  

     "What are the requirements to qualify for a home loan today"?

     To answer that, I'm first going to list what are considered as foundation requirements for current mortgage loans.  When I say "foundation", I mean that they are the basic requirements that must typically be met by those seeking financing.  

     The most basic and frequently seen requirements (the foundation of most mortgage approvals) are as follows:

•  Credit:  Middle FICO Scores are used to determine eligibility.  

       MOST standards are:

       Conventional:  620 FICO Score or higher
       FHA:  640 FICO Score or higher.  In some cases, the scores utilized can be as low as 580 to 640 
       VA:  620 FICO Score or higher.  Again, in some cases, I have options from 580 to 620 FICO Score available for Veterans
       USDA:  620 FICO Score or higher

• Employment/Income: *  

       Stable, sustainable employment needed.  Usually a minimum of a 2-Year job history required unless applicant took their (first) job out of college.  Then education can count towards job history.

       *  Other types of income can also qualify, such as proven Child Support, Social Security, Pensions, Disability, Income from investments, Self-Employment, and etc.

• Down Payment:  

       *  Your Down Payment does NOT have to be 20%.  Let me stress this important point again ...  

      You do NOT have to put 20% down on your home purchase.  Financing options exist for those making lower down payments!
 
       *  No Money Down options (0% Down) still DO exist.  VA and USDA-RD loans are examples of this fact
       *  3.5% Down Payment - FHA Loans feature this down payment requirement
       *  3% or More - Conventional Loans are available for these levels of Down Payment
      *  Mortgage Insurance Programs - These loan programs allow for transactions with 3% to 19.99% Down Payment 

• Debt-to-Income Ratios: 

      "Ability to Repay" Guidelines, effective 1/10/2014, require all recurring debt (Mortgage, Car Loans, Student Loans, Credit Cards) to be at or under 43% of Gross Monthly Income.    
       
       Note:  Exceptions can be made regarding this requirement.  The Debt-To-Income Ratios can be greater than 43% for those qualifying Borrowers with: 

• Good credit 
• Additional assets (Reserves) 
• Good job histories
• and for those that receive approval in Automated Underwriting Systems for that scenario 

     Knowing and working with the requirements shown above should take much of the guesswork out of the question ... "What are the requirements to qualify for a home loan today"?

     But as always, to discover and clearly define what requirements are specific to your personal financial scenario, you need to contact me and talk in-depth.  You should also remember that programs (and their requirements) change quickly and constantly.  Check with me periodically to see what new changes may have been put into place. 

     Only through a thorough examination of all the facts, can we answer the questions you have and ultimately reach a conclusion regarding your financing and abilities to buy.

 

     
     *  To start investigating your current mortgage options, contact me.   I'll be happy to answer your questions and assist you with your Chicagoland/IL/WI financing needs.

Gene Mundt

Mortgage Originator  -  NMLS #216987  -  IL Lic. #031.0006220  -  WI Licensed

American Portfolio Mortgage Corp.

NMLS #175656

Direct:  815.524.2280

Cell or Text:  708.921.6331

eFax:  815.524.2281

gmundt@goapmc.com

www.genemundt.com

             

        

Gene Mundt, Mortgage Originator, an Originator with 40+ years of 
mortgage experience, will offer you exemplary mortgage service and
 advice when seeking:  Conventional, FHA, VA,  Jumbo, USDA, and Portfolio 
Loans in Chicago and the greater Chicagoland region, including:  
The Lincoln-Way Area, Will County, (New Lenox, Frankfort, Mokena, Manhattan, Joliet, Shorewood, Crest Hill, Plainfield, Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Naperville, etc.), DuPage County, the City of Chicago, Cook County, and elsewhere within IL & WI. 

Your Referrals are Welcomed and Appreciated!