As with many tasks in life, preparation and hard work go a long way to securing success. If you intend to apply for financing for a home, preparation is definitely the key and it does not require much work.
Getting Approved for a Loan – Preparation is the Key
Assume you are going to sit for your college entrance exams. Obviously, getting the best score possible on them is crucial. You want to go the best possible institution of higher learning. Given this fact, are you just going to waltz in and take the exam or are you going to prepare yourself as much as possible? Unless you are Stephan Hawking, you are probably going to put a lot of time and effort into preparing yourself for the big test.
Applying for a home loan is a test of sorts. A lender is evaluating a number of factors to see if you “pass” the basic requirements for approval. These factors can include everything from your employment history to credit score. Buying a house is an important moment in your life. Are you going to apply for the lender test without preparing for it? You are taking a huge risk if you do. Just like college entrance exams, preparing for your home loan application will help you get approved with the best rates.
The first thing you should do before applying for a loan is order your credit report from the credit agencies. The big three are Equifax, Trans Union and Experian. Given their important role, you might be surprised to find out they offer incredibly poor service. It is estimated that up to 50 percent of all credit reports may contain incorrect information. The agencies cannot even get their act together on basic things. For instance, they were fined a total of 2.5 million dollars in 2000 for failing to provide phone numbers where the public could reach them.
Once you get the credit reports, read them closely. You will probably find all types of listings that are not yours. Challenge these immediately per the information provided on the reports. Your credit score is a significant part of the evaluation process for your application. Upgrading your credit by challenging errors can move your credit score enough to get you better interest rates and save you tens of thousands of dollars.
Beyond your credit score, you should look at your overall assets. Make sure you identify where all of your assets are [stocks, bank accounts, mutual funds, etc.] and get documentation to support the fact they exist and for how much. Also, get copies of all your tax returns, state and federal, for the last three years. If you are self-employed, you should also gather all tax returns for any business entity you work under.
When you make the decision to apply for a home loan, don’t just run out and apply. Take the time to get your credit report in good shape and get together the documentation you will need. Once you are prepared, go take the test.
