December 2020 - Monument Home Loans

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Buying a second house using a home equity loan

Posted on December 19, 2020March 26, 2021 by Mann Mortgage

Purchasing a second or a vacation home is a dream for many people. But saving enough for a down payment may be a considerable barrier. A home equity loan could be the solution.

If you own a home and you’ve built equity in it, it may make sense to use that equity as the down payment to purchase a new or investment home. This could be done in the form of either a home-equity line of credit (HELOC) or home equity loan.

Your home’s appraised value, your equity in it, and your financial profile will all be used by your lending institution to determine whether you’re eligible for additional financing.

Can you have more than one home equity loan?

You can have as many mortgages and equity lines or loans as you can qualify for. As long as you aren’t overburdened or own more than your property is worth, there are no limits on the number of loans you can have at one time.

Your lender may be less willing to extend further lines of credit to you if you already have one outstanding with them. Rather than taking out two of the same type of loans (two HELOCs or two home equity loans), you may have better luck getting one of each instead. This is because each is looked at as a different type of credit – a HELOC with a revolving credit and a home equity loan with a fixed rate.

Finance for a down payment?

Usually, you can borrow up to 80% of the current value of your home less what you owe for your mortgage. As example, if you have a $500,000 home and owe $300,000 on the mortgage, you’d have $100,000 available for a down payment (80% of $500,000 is $400,000. $400,000 – the $300,000 mortgage = $100,000).

If you’re able to take out a loan for more than 80% of your home equity, you will likely have to pay PMI on your original home loan until you have 22% equity in it again.

Benefits to financing a second home with equity

Home equity credit offers some of the lowest consumer rates on the market because they’re secured by high-quality collateral – your home. The terms your lender can offer you are often far better than anything you could secure on a similar personal loan.

Talk to your local Mann Mortgage branch to see whether using the equity in your home is an option for you when considering a new or investment home.

Buying a Home with Challenged Credit

Posted on December 14, 2020February 23, 2021 by Mann Mortgage

Buying a home with poor credit can be a challenge, but it’s not impossible. Your credit score – whether it’s good or bad – is just one of the factors your home lender will use to decide whether you’re eligible for a loan.

What is a Bad Credit?

Bad or “low credit” typically means your FICO score is under 600. FICO credit scores range from 300 to 850 and represent how likely you are to pay back a loan. Your score is calculated based on your payment history, amount owed, length of your credit history, new credit, and the mix of credit you have. Your score is using by lending agencies to determine whether you’ll be eligible for a loan and at what interest rate. The closer your score is to 800, the more loan options and lower interest rates you’ll have access to. Lenders tend to define the scores as:

Exceptional: 800+
Very good: 740 – 799
Good: 670 -739
Fair: 580 – 669
Very poor: 300 – 579

To check your credit report annually, you can visit annualcreditreport.com to see what your current FICO score is. It’s free to use once a year and it won’t impact your credit rating.

Minimum Credit Score Needed for a Home Loan?

There isn’t a universal minimum credit score needed to get a home loan. Instead, each mortgage lender decides the minimum credit score they’ll accept. But when a score is under 600 it’s classified as “subprime” and your loan options drop significantly. A score under 550 is going to have very limited loan options with very high interest rates.

Other Factors Lenders Consider

Besides your FICO score, a lender will evaluate how much money you have for a down-payment, how much debt you already have, your credit history, and your income. To increases your chances at getting a loan with bad credit, the best option is to have as large a down payment as you can afford to minimize your risk to the lender.

A potential borrower with a low credit score but a sizeable down payment and a decent credit history is more likely to be approved for a loan than someone with low credit, a small down payment, and no credit history.

Long-Term Cost of Low Credit Scores

Since early 2020, interest rate on mortgages have dropped. Lower mortgage rates mean smaller monthly payments for principal and interest – and a lower cost for the loan over its life. That said, there’s still a big difference between how much someone with good credit will pay compared to someone with a bad credit score.

From the chart below, you can see a borrower with a credit score of 639 will end up paying $93,638 more in interest over the lifetime of the loan than a borrower with a credit score of 760.

MyFICO Loan Savings Calculator for $300,000 mortgage
FICO score	APR	Monthly payment	Total interest paid
760 – 850	2.377%	$1,166	$119,856
700 – 759	2.577%	$1,201	$132,310
680 – 699	2.776%	$1,229	$142.389
660 – 679	2.99%	$1,263	$154,750
640 – 659	3.42%	$1,334	$180,158
620 – 639	3.966%	$1,426	$213,494

Home Loan Options for Someone with Bad Credit

FHA loans are insured by the Federal Housing Administration and are designed specifically for borrowers with low credit and lower-to-middle income. You’ll need a down payment to qualify for FHA loans, but your mortgage lender may be able to secure a loan through them even if you have a FICO score as low as 500.

The best way to evaluate your loan options is to speak with a local mortgage expert. Based on your financial goals, loan eligibility, and local real estate conditions, they’ll be able to help you find the right loan for your needs.

Getting a mortgage for a tiny home?

Posted on December 14, 2020March 26, 2021 by Mann Mortgage

What counts as a tiny home?

What defines a tiny house (also called tiny homes) is, of course, their size. A tiny house is considered a home under 400 square feet (the average traditional home was 2,301 square feet in 2019). Some are built on permanent foundations with a septic tank and solar panels, but most often they’re built on trailers so they can be hauled from one location to another. This has led to some municipalities labeling tiny homes as “recreation vehicles” unsuitable for a primary dwelling.

Why would you want a tiny home?

They’re affordable, they consume less energy, and (if they’re on wheels) you can pick up and move where the wind blows you. They cost about the same per square foot as a standard home, but because there’s less square footage, they can be a great option for people who don’t want or can’t afford a large mortgage. In the last few years, they’ve been very popular with 25-40 year-olds that use them as a step towards buying a traditional home. But they’re equally popular with people over the age of 55 who use them as a way of downsizing, a mobile home for visiting family, or as a second home on their property for visitors.

Can you build a tiny home anywhere??

Despite the growing enthusiasm with tiny houses, it’s still hard to find a place to build one for full-time use. Zoning laws and building codes have minimum size restrictions that most tiny homes won’t meet. Some cities have begun to create tiny house-friendly zones, but they’re rare. Your best bet? Keep your tiny home on wheels or don’t use it as your full-time residence. If that’s not an option, be sure to talk to your local mortgage originator or other housing expert that understands your local building codes and zoning restrictions to see if you can live in a tiny home or not.

Home loans for tiny homes?

Maybe. If your tiny house is on wheels (and most are) it’s almost always classified as a recreational vehicle (RV). You can’t get a home loan for an RV even if you plan to live it in full-time – you’ll need an RV loan. But, if you build your tiny home on a permanent foundation, you may be able to get a home loan for it. Home loan originators (your bank, mortgage company, or credit union) will likely have a minimum amount they can loan for a home, usually around $50,000. So long as you meet their minimum requirements, you may be able to get a mortgage for the tiny home of your dreams. Your best bet is to reach out to your loan originator directly to see whether you would qualify for a tiny house home loan.

Other options for purchasing a tiny home

If you already own a home and want to add a tiny home to the property it’s on, consider getting a home equity line of credit to finance it. To talk to a loan officer at Mann Mortgage on options and potential alternatives, please get in touch.

The future of tiny homes

Job losses due to Covid, stagnant wages, and increased property prices all make it more difficult for first time homeowners to break into the market. There will certainly be a market for tiny affordable houses, but the real hurdle is the lack of legal places to live in one. The American Tiny House Association and the Tiny Home Industry Association are both working hard to promote best practices in home construction and recognize them as a safe and permanent housing option.

If you have any question about tiny homes in your community or whether you’d be eligible for a home loan for your tiny home, contact your local mortgage expert at Mann Mortgage today.

Month: December 2020