first time home buyer – owner loan

March 17, 2011

Obama’s First Time Home Buyer Stimulus

Suzan Smith asked:




Obama’s first time home buyer stimulus is for those people who had postponed buying a house due to the sudden outbreak of recession in late months of 2008. The US President Barack Obama and his team of administrators have planned and signed 2009 economic stimulus package and there are many sections and programs under this mega stimulus package. The first time homeowners are in fact the tenderest section of borrowers and they have lot of fear in their mind before and after possessing the loan.

However first time homeowners need to be very careful while seeking loan and believe the reliable sources only. The financial crisis has left everyone with postponed dreams, shopping and spending even on useful accessories. There are people who have postponed the renovation or modification in their house, or if they had previously planned to buy a house, they have postponed that too. But the government wants to help the first time homebuyers to come forward and buy their dream house. And for this they are offered very fewer rates of interest and the tenure for repayment is also increased.

Obama’s first time home buyer stimulus has much more to offer than just lower rate of interest to the first time homebuyers. This policy aims to give tax credits to the first time homebuyers who purchased their house between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009. The tax credit has $8,000 at its upper limit and is 10% of the present value of your house. This will help the homeowner save a lot as tax benefits and they will have considerable amount of money left to spend on other liabilities, responsibilities or mere luxuries.

The people when relieved of the financial tension and with some money left in their pocket every month, will go out and spend them in the sectors of their needs and interests, boosting up the country’s economy in return. So the main intension of the Obama government was to allow people have surplus money in their hands, which will directly affect the customer-spending percentage. This will help money stimulate in different areas of the market and society, which ultimately will increase employment opportunities in various sections and departments too.

The first time home buyers stimulus has fixed the income limitations of the buyer which is a very good sign so the less privileged class will get the benefit of the stimulus plan.

Glen

December 31, 2010

First time home buyer, I don’t have good credit. Can I still buy a house?

mul4912 asked:


I would like to buy a house and I don’t have good credit, can I still attempt to buy a house. This would be my first time buying a house?

Suzanne

October 18, 2010

First Time Home Buyer Mortgage Benefits; What are They? Can You Use Them?

MortgagesInVancouver asked:


leahcoss.ca Many people get very hung up on retaining or using their first time home buyer status. When I ask them why, they are often unsure of what the savings exactly are and if they even qualify based on the home they are buying. Really, when it comes down to it, there are just 2 main benefits to being a first time home buyer and it really depends on you and where you are buying to see if this will effect you at all. 1. As a First time Home Buyer you are allowed to pull out up to $25000 of RRSPs Tax Free. If you pull out any more than $25000 then you will be taxed on that money but for the most part $25000 will be a big help. Now, if you do not have any RRSPs then obviously this is not much of a benefit for you. If you plan to save up RRSPs in the future but will be buying a house in the meantime then unfortunately you will not be able to take advantage of this benefit. Once you buy a home that you are on title to you lose your first time home buyer status. 2. You are able to save on your property transfer tax when you buy your first home up to a purchase price of $425000. (with a sliding scale up to $450000 but that is a long complicated story). So what does this mean? Well, if you buy a home for $400000 you will save the $6000 property transfer tax. If, however, you live in an expensive area like Vancouver and are looking to buy a 2 bedroom condo or any kind of a detached home then chances are you can’t find ANYTHING for under $425000 and this benefit does not help

Cindy

October 12, 2010

First Time Home Buyer’s Guide, Part 2 – 4 Things To Do Before You Go And Look For A Home

Thomas Van asked:




Before Looking for a Home

Buying a house can be a new and exciting process; it can also be very confusing and stressful. Becoming educated about the house buying process and being prepared can reduce a lot of this stress and confusion. Anyone buying a home should take the following steps before they even step out to look at a house.

Check your Credit History

The moment you decide that you are ready to buy a house is the moment you need to get a credit report. When pulling your credit report, be sure to use a service that provides you with copies of your credit history and score from all three credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Not all credit information is reported to each bureau, and lenders do not all check the same credit bureaus to determine your credit score so it is important that you get a copy from each bureau.

Obtaining a credit report early on in the home buying process is important because if there are discrepancies on your reports you must write to the bureaus and request that they are corrected. Depending upon how busy the bureaus are, this process can take up to months. Fixing errors on your credit history can result in a higher credit score and improvements in your credit score may qualify you for a lower interest rate. A loan with even a .25% lower interest rate can save you thousands of dollars over the course of your loan.

It is also important to note that pulling your own credit report will not lower your credit score in any way, this only happens when companies, like banks pull your history in attempt to approve you for items such as loans and credit cards.

Research Potential Loan Programs and Lenders

A house loan is often the largest and longest term of a loan that many individuals will ever receive in their lifetimes. Therefore, time should be taken to review potential lenders and loan programs that you may qualify for. For example, if you have a not so perfect credit history or need a low down payment you might want to see if you qualify for a FHA loan. If you are a veteran you may qualify for a Veteran’s Administration loan, which among other things allows individuals to put no money down without having to pay Private Mortgage Insurance. Some lenders offer special rebates, promotions, and programs for home buyers that ease the expenses involved with buying a home. Individual lenders vary in the interest rate they charge and the fees involved in the loan process. Even the nonrefundable application fee for some banks is upwards to $500, so it is important to research a bank and become satisfied with the loan programs they offer before you apply.

Get Prequalified/Preapproved

There is a big difference between getting prequalified and preapproved for a loan. When you get prequalified for a loan there are generally no fees involved and the bank gives you a rough estimate as to what they would give you for a loan based on the information you’ve provided them. It is not completely accurate and many sellers will not accept offers from buyers who are only prequalified. When you get preapproved for a loan you will have to provide more documentation and pay an application fee. When you are preapproved the bank generally states that you are eligible for the exact amount of your preapproved amount, granted that all the information you have provided to them is accurate.

If you’ve decided that you are ready to buy a house one of the very first steps you should take is to get prequalified for a loan. Before going out to look at houses that may potentially be out of your price range, get prequalified for a loan so you know what houses you should be looking at. If after getting prequalified you find that you qualify for a lot less than you anticipated for, ask the lender what you could do to qualify for a larger loan. You may discover that your debt to income ratio is too high or that the length of your credit history is too short. You may then decide to reduce some of your debt or if you are satisfied with the amount you may decide to get preapproved for a loan.

Determine How Much you Can and Want to Spend

Now that you have checked your credit history, and have gotten prequalified or preapproved for a loan you must determine how much you can really afford to spend. Do not blindly assume that you will be able to afford the payments your lender says you can. Keep in mind that lenders often push the limits of your loan to the outer boundaries, in order to get you the biggest loan possible and to make more money. If the mortgage payment you qualify for is a lot more than your current mortgage or rent payments look at the new value realistically. Can you REALLY afford that payment? Can you live comfortably with that much less money per month? If you are used to renting, keep in mind that you will now be responsible for repairs, yard work, insurance, and taxes. Do not tell yourself that you will give up certain activities or change your lifestyle in order to afford your new payment.

House buying should be an exciting and stress free process. If you educate yourself about lending processes and take the steps above you will be more prepared than many other home buyers.

Larry

October 6, 2010

Helpful Hints for First-Time Home Buyers

Rachel Greenberg asked:




Buying a house can be a daunting task, even for someone who has
owned several homes. My husband and I recently purchased our first home together, and it was hard to find good advice that we truly found useful. We had to learn a lot on our own, but at least now we feel comfortable and knowledgeable about the whole process. Here are some helpful hints we picked up along the way:

1. Use your online resources.

Almost every state and local government has a website where you can research real estate information. The data on home sales, taxes, and neighborhoods is invaluable when you are shopping for a home. We were able to find out the most recent sale prices in the neighborhood we selected, and we didn’t have to rely on a real estate agent to get the data for us. Doing the research yourself will make you more knowledgeable about the market, which is key to making a good purchase.

2. Be realistic about how much you can spend.

Try to buy a home in a price range that allows you to put down 20%. If you put down less than this, you will have to pay PMI (private mortgage insurance) to protect the lender in case you default on the loan. I know that 20% is a lot, but it’s not unrealistic. You may not be able to do it on your first home, but hopefully you can on your second home. The profits from the sale of my condo enabled my husband and me to have more than enough for the 20% down payment on our home. But we didn’t put it all down on the home – we saved some of the profits for the unexpected expenses that come with buying a home. We suggest that you do the same.

3. Shop for a home in the winter, preferably around the holidays.

Since most people just aren’t interested in buying a home when
they are trying to deal with the holidays, you can pretty much be one of the few buyers out there. We bought our home right before Christmas, and it was definitely a buyers market. We had our pick of homes and were able to underbid on the asking price, even though we live in one of the hottest real estate markets in the country.

4. Use a smaller mortgage company that can offer personal service.

People tend to go with large, well-known mortgage companies, since that’s all they know. But the smaller, regional companies provide excellent customer service, and can often give you better rates than the big companies. Since they don’t advertise and instead rely on word-of-mouth, they have to be good in order to get your service. We started off with a big-name company, but in the end, we went with a regional company because they had better rates and better customer service.

5. Always have a home inspection.

I think most people know this fact already, but it is really
important in areas with a hot real estate market. It can be easy to get caught up in bidding wars, and to want to get a house at all costs. Some friends of ours wanted a house so badly that not only did they overbid, but they also waived the home inspection. They got the house – and right along with it they got several thousand dollars worth of damage that would have been found in an inspection.

As a final note, try to remember that buying a home doesn’t have
to be scary. It’s very exciting to own your own home, so think ofall the good things that will come once you have made it through the home-buying process. If you follow the advice above, then you should be well-equipped to make it through unscathed.

Kim

August 13, 2010

What First Time Home Buyers Need to Know

Mike Clover asked:




The hard way always seems to be the better way. I have been told there are two ways to do things in life, “The hard way and the easy way.” I think most want to do things the hard way. When it comes to buying a house for the first time, there is process to follow so your buying experience is not done the hard way. The easy way may not seem the best way in the eyes of a buyer, but I assure you it’s the correct process. I have seen more problems with mortgage loans following apart because someone led the cart before the horse. Here is the easy way to buy a home.

Get approved first
The first step in the home buying process is to get your finances in order first. Get your credit reports pulled and your income verified to see where you stand. If you don’t do this first I guarantee that you will have problems. Most want to go and look at homes first and then apply for a mortgage. This is why all the nightmares you hear about happen in the lending industry.

Meet with reputable lender
After you have been approved for a mortgage meet with the lender to review what type of loan they have approved you for. You need to understand the loan and your estimated payments with your credit. It is important that you understand all aspects of your loan and monthly payments. Mortgage payment can be an issue as well, because you thought you payment might be lower. Some of the on-line calculators don’t estimate your entire payment, which causes confusion in lending. The calculators on-line usually estimate your principal and interest payment only, which does not include your taxes, MIP, and homes owners insurance with the payment. So make sure your review all of this with a reputable lender.

Meet with a seasoned realtor
After you have met with a lender and have been approved, the next step is to get a realtor to find homes in your price range. I would recommend that you find a full-time realtor, not one that is part time. The reason is if there is a problem during the day, you will have issues getting a hold of this realtor because they are at work. There are a lot of part-time realtors out there, and as far as I am concerned should not be allowed to have their license. Real Estate is a full-time career and requires someone that has experience. If you are working with a realtor that does not have experience you could have issues as well.

If this process is followed and the people you are working with are experienced, then your home buying process should be a good one. Buying a home is a big step in life and needs to be handled by experienced real estate professionals.

Jeffrey
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