New Jersey Mortgage and Home Loan Information

Zero Down Mortgage Options for New Jersey May Soon End

by Steve Kappre, NJ Loan Officer

One of the strongest loan options for buyers these days is the USDA Mortgage Loan, which has some great features such as 100% financing (zero $$ down) and NO MONTHLY mortgage insurance. It also allows home sellers to pay for most or all of a buyers closing costs.

Some may think this loan is too risky to even consider, but there are checks in place. In fact, this program has common sense guidelines such as debt ratios that can't be "out-of-whack" and some minimum credit score requirements. It also requires full documentation of income, assets, job history, etc.

Here is the bad news ...

When a USDA loan is written for a home buyer, there is a guarantee for the mortgage that is "locked in" once the loan is approved. The issue right now is that USDA estimates that it will be out of money around late April of 2010, which means that this great financing option will no longer be available, at least until the government decides to allocate more money to this program.

What to do now?

If you require this type of financing, than you need to get under contract ASAP on a home. Let us look at an example time-line; If USDA is out of funds by the end of April ... and it takes 2-3 weeks to fully approve a USDA loan ... and it takes one week to negotiate a contract for a home and have it signed by all parties ...

That puts us at the middle-to-end of March ... or RIGHT NOW.

Some buyers will be counting on the USDA loan and the first time buyer tax credit, and with even just a little delay or hiccup can miss out on everything.

Steve Kappre is a mortgage loan officer in New Jersey. For more info or questions feel free to contact Steve.

• NJ First Time Home Buyer
• Purchase, refinance, rehab loans
• Conventional, FHA, USDA, VA, HMFA, First Time Home Buyer, Police and Fire, Live Where You Work, and more

Call direct @ 856-419-3561 | Subscribe to Steve's blog via e-mail | NJ Loan Officer .com

Don't Blame the Underwriter - Blame the Loan Officer!

Steve are you out of your mind? Aren't you a loan officer?

There has been recent conversation about underwriting and underwriters and how grossly depraved and wicked they are - denying loans, taking a shotgun to files, stripping them of all their dignity ...

But as a loan officer that is experienced with both the broker side and the banking side of mortgage lending, I am here to say more times than not ...

BLAME THE LOAN OFFICER

We loan officers are on the front lines. It can be wickedly brutal out there. We work our brains and hands to the core to obtain business, and when we finally get the business in the door do you think we would ever admit that we made a mistake? (We all know what the answer should be, as well as the factual answer).

Enter the mythical creature known as the underwriter!!!

(Excerpt from an unknown work of Plato)

"The underwriter was born in the underworld, the offspring of Barney Frank and Michael Moore. (The one pictured above is actually a quite beautiful one). Underwriters are so mean because they never see light, they are fed LOTS OF CRAP, and people want them to be God and approve horrendously looking files that were DOA. "

The reality is as mentioned above. Loan officers more times than not are to blame when "files go wild". But as typical (oh that hurts) salespeople, loan officers think they are never wrong, always right, and you shouldn't question their authority. HOWEVER the mythical underwriter to blame is a wretched, depraved being that lives only to deny potential home owners from ever living the American Dream. After all, if the underwriter is damned to the underworld, he/she is not letting anyone else experience happiness.

WHAT REALITY SHOULD BE

LOAN OFFICERS SHOULD

• Set the right expectations from day one
• Write REAL pre-approvals
• Be in constant communications
• Be human
• Under promise and over deliver
• Take off the "Sales Hat" and be more professional
• Be able to admit a mistake
• Allow direct contact with underwriters so the truth can be told (yeah right)

 REALTORS SHOULD

• Proactively provide sales contract and anything else important to the loan officer as fast as possible. (I've had agents send over contracts 2 weeks after being fully executed).
• Listen to the loan officers regarding time lines, stipulations, potential pitfalls (assuming the LO does his/her homework)
• Attempt to work with the same lenders and get a really good feel and working relationship under their belt (wonderful long term success)
• Take initiative for their buyers and sellers and be in constant communication with the loan officer (agents on both sides of the transaction)

We could go on forever with tips and ideas. The fact is that a knowledgeable experienced loan officer is the most important part of the financing wheel ... more important than the underwriter, the lender itself, the appraiser, the rate, the closing costs ... (you get the point). Some of us have learned the hard way ...

Garbage in = Garbage out

Steve Kappre is a mortgage loan officer in New Jersey. For more info or questions feel free to contact Steve.

• NJ First Time Home Buyer
• Purchase, refinance, rehab loans
• Conventional, FHA, USDA, VA, HMFA, First Time Home Buyer, Police and Fire, Live Where You Work, and more

Call direct @ 856-419-3561 | Subscribe to Steve's blog via e-mail

Rates - APR - Points - Fees: How the Playing Field is Still "Crooked"

I talked to a client today who was shopping me against some other lenders. I don't blame people, and frankly if I think someone else has a better offer and they are legit, I advise "my client" so and have no hard feelings.

In the scenario today, said client was offered 4.5% with no points. I told him it wasn't possible, but lest I be ignorant, I dropped by this other lender's website. Indeed, the lenders website quoted 4.5% with no points and an APR of 4.878%. The website gave the assumed loan amount and purchase price. So I went and did the math. What did I find out?  To make the rate and APR accurate, I had to add 2.25% in points ON TOP OF all of the regular fees (title, appraisal, etc.).

In other words, even though the quote was 4.5% with zero points, the TRUE cost was 4.5%, plus typical closing costs, PLUS 2.25% in additional fees/costs.

Please send me your Goofy Good Fake Faith Estimate!

There are several issues with this scenario

1. APR is supposed to HELP consumers, not confuse them. Clearly this bank (a large bank at that) is charging hefty fees instead of points. This brings us to our next point ...
2. Points are tax deductible costs - most other fees are not. Charging high fees in lieu of points is an injustice to the consumer. We see rates quoted with NO POINTS to make them look better to consumers. However the total cost is ultimately higher than a lender that is straight forward, charging the same dollar amount but in the form of points. A loan with the same cost in points (versus fees) is a far better deal, saving a consumer hundreds or thousands in tax deductible costs.
3. APR is "pliable" - Certain fees are calculated into the APR calculation, others are not. Do not assume lenders don't play with the "names" of fees to artificially lower their APR's. That doesn't seem to be the case in the above example, nonetheless keep this in mind.
4. Lastly, said bank WOULD NOT give the buyer a good faith estimate without having him apply for a mortgage. OK, not so crazy, but the good faith estimate would not be given for 3 days. And if the bank charged an application fee? That would just be another deceptive way to lure a consumer in and tie them to the bank.

Any lender should be able to offer you a good faith estimate (GFE) in a fairly short amount of time, 24 hours or less, allowing some time for when a lender is very busy. Assuming the lender is honest and accurate with their fees, you should be able to see the true cost of their offered rate. You should be able to see, as in the above scenario, that their rate of 4.5% with no points really has a lender fee of $4,119 (Actual additional cost based on their APR). This same week I had another rate shopper send me a goof good faith estimate with 1% in points and $2,100 in application fees. THIS IS NOT NORMAL or fair to you as a consumer, especially on a purchase loan.

I am not angry for losing business. I am however angry because of the lenders and loan officers that mislead and decieve consumers who are just looking out for themselves by rate shopping. What we often see, is that many consumers that search the world over for the lowest rate, actually end up paying much higher costs via deceptive lenders. Consumers can be blinded by a low rate, not allowing them to see the true cost.

Steve Kappre is a Mortgage Planner with Treasury Mortgage. Steve specializes in;

• All areas concerning NJ First-Time Home Buyer Mortgages, grants, down payment assistance, tax credits, and more.

• Reverse Mortgages

• Equity Management strategies for high-end homes and high net worth individuals.

Contact Steve Kappre directly at 856-419-3561 or at www.stevekappre.com

      

Treasury Mortgage - 550 Bridgeton Pike, Mantua, NJ 08051 - 1810 Springdale Road, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003

Licensed by the NJ Department of Banking and Insurance

Having the seller pay some or all of your closing costs is common. Some buyers and their real estate agents have a hard time structuring these type of transactions. Below are FAQ's to help you understand the structuring needed for a purchase with seller concessions.

Clarifying Terms

When talking about this topic there will be many phrases thrown around that basically mean the same thing; seller concessions, seller paid closing costs, seller assistance, seller contributions, and more. For our purposes we will use the term seller concessions.

How much can I ask for in seller concessions?

Typically on conventional loans the most a buyer receives in seller concessions is 3% (On a $100,000 purchase, $3,000). Making a larger down payment can raise the amount of concessions allowed from 3% to 6% or even 9%. However you rarely see these high concession amounts because if a buyer is putting, for instance, 25% down on a home, they don't have the seller pay concessions for them. Not only that, but if you need 9% in concessions, something is usually wrong with your financing.

On FHA loans, you can receive up to 6% in concessions. (On $100,000 purchase price, $6,000) Typically the lower the purchase price the higher percentage of seller concessions you will need. It is not typical to have a $300,000 purchase price and need $18,000 in seller concessions. It is much more typical to see, for instance, a $60,000 purchase price and have $3,600 in concessions.

On USDA loans, there is no limit to the allowable seller concessions, other then it has to make sense. A buyer would not typically need a percentage of seller contributions over about 4-5%. There are some examples below of reasons why a high percentage of concessions would be needed.

How do I calculate the seller concessions?

Simply take the purchase price, and multiply it by the percent allowed for the type of loan. For example, a $100,000 purchase price with 3% concessions is $3,000, and 6% concessions is $6,000, etc. On a calculator, you would multiply 100,000 x .03 or .06 respectively.

What can seller concessions cover?

Seller concessions can cover your closing costs which may include mortgage related fees, title company fees, the set-up of an escrow account, your home owner's insurance costs, state taxes or stamps, and more. Many, but not all, home owner's insurance companies will allow you to pay the policy premium at settlement. If that is important to you find out upfront. Seller concessions CAN NOT be used for a down payment.

What is NOT Seller Concessions?

Grants are not seller concessions. Down-payment assistance programs are not seller concessions either.

For first time home buyers, a lender and real estate agent that work together closely can structure an offer to purchase a home where you can utilize both a grant to pay for all of your required downpayment, and seller concessions to cover all of your closing costs. It is not rocket science. You simply have to work with people that know what they are doing.

It is important for your lender and your real estate agent to convey approval terms BEFORE making an offer on a home. Any real estate agent worth your time would have a buyer pre-approved before submitting offers on a home. This being said, it is important that your real estate agent not only knows how much you can afford, but also the terms and conditions of your approval. Some pre-approvals are contingent on seller concessions and/or grants. This needs to be communicated to all parties up-front.

Am I paying more for a home if I use seller concessions?

Some people may look at their purchase of a home in this way; (Using round figures) I can pay $190,000 for a home and pay my own settlement costs of $10,000 I can pay $200,000 for a home and have the seller pay $10,000 of my settlement costs. Viewed this way you are actually financing the costs. You pay interest on $10,000 more, BUT you get to keep $10,000 in your pocket, which more importantly you can keep for a safety net (and earn interest from yourself).

SIDE NOTE: This aspect can not be over-emphasized. If your lender thinks it is "OK" to put you in a home where you have literally a few hundred dollars in the bank after settlement, you both are setting up for a VERY RISKY situation and one which could go into default very quickly. It is unwise to purchase a home after which you are immediately poor! It would do all home buyers well to consider this before purchasing a home. Hopefully you will have a lender or real estate agent who would care more about you in this fashion.

Ways to utilize seller concessions for your benefit

• Have some or all of your closing costs paid by the seller.
• As a first time home buyer utilize both a grant and seller concessions to cover your closing costs and down payment requirements.
• Create a financially safe environment by keeping more money in your pocket after settlement. This aspect is overlooked too often yet is very important to you as a home owner.
• Have the seller pay points for you. This will make your monthly mortgage payment lower by giving you a lower interest rate.  In some cases this can be the deciding factor on if you qualify to buy a home. This will also lower your debt-to-income ratio, which is one of the major factors a lender looks at when approving a loan.
• Avoid private mortgage insurance (PMI). If you are a buyer that has the assets available to make a 20% down payment, but not enough assets to pay closing costs, then have the seller pay your closing costs. This will bring you to the 80% loan-to-value level and allow you to eliminate PMI. (NOTE: This is all negotiated when you make your offer on a home and agree to terms).

Conclusion

Seller concessions are an important part of home financing. Used correctly, seller concessions can save a buyer money, allow more financing options, and create a financially safe environment. Consider these important aspects prior to making an offer on a home and you will be much better off, both at settlement and in the long term.

If you have any questions about seller concessions or any other mortgage/real estate topic(s), feel free to contact Steve Kappre directly.

Steve Kappre is a Mortgage Planner with Treasury Mortgage. Steve specializes in;

• All areas concerning First-Time Home Buyer Mortgages, grants, down payment assistance, police and fire loans, rehab loans, and more.

• Reverse Mortgages

• Equity Management strategies for high-end homes and high net worth individuals.

Contact Steve Kappre directly at 856-419-3561 or at www.stevekappre.com

      

Treasury Mortgage - 550 Bridgeton Pike, Mantua, NJ 08051 - 1810 Springdale Road, Cherry Hill, NJ 08003

Licensed by the NJ Department of Banking and Insurance