The house has been on the market for atleast a year. We had planned on waiting a few more months to buy but the house has been reduced again and I'm afraid someone else will buy it. The real estate agent who showed us the house said that it is a foreclosed property and that he is handling the sale for a mortgage company in California (the house is in Alabama). The listing price of the house is roughly 2/3 of what the real estate agent claims the house has been appraised for, so it seems like a really good deal.
The problem: my credit sucks...about 530 and my husband's is around 520...and we can only come up with around 5% for a down payment. We are first time home buyers, have good jobs with the same company for 2 years, and can easily afford the mortgage payments.
Would it be possible to pay less down because the value of the house is so much more than the amount we want to borrow?
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
2007-09-06 02:20:59 · 14 answers · asked by dubbyaisanass 2 in Business & Finance ➔ Renting & Real Estate
My family has majorly outgrown the house we presently live in so staying put is not an option. We either have to buy or rent a bigger house. The rent would be atleast as much as the mortgage payments on this house.
We do not have any credit card debt. The only major debt we have is student loans which are in good standing. The reason our credit is so bad is mostly old medical bills. Also, we just haven't had very many credit accounts.
2007-09-06 02:37:00 · update #1
Just keep in mind that the agent represents the "seller". Try Counrtywide. A good agent L/O will help you repair your credit which will help bring your scores up. They also have some really great programs that might get you into your house. DTI is also a big factor. Ask about gift of equity. But at this point, getting those scores up is the most important. It will help you get a better rate and keep you out of B or C loans.
Edit... If it is old medical bills, pay them off and send that proof to the credit bureaus. That will help alot.
2007-09-06 02:37:59 · answer #1 · answered by Meemaw's Pride & Joy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Although you may be able to afford the mortgage the likelihood of you actually obtaining a mortgage with such poor credit is minimal. Despite being able to obtain a mortgage with such credit and low down payment was possible a year ago or even months ago that is probably not going to happen now. I think even subprime lenders are looking for at 580 scores and to get a good interest rate you need over 680. The lender looks at the risk involved with lending money and sadly with poor credit and a very small down payment you are a very risky borrower and at this time lenders are trying to stay far away from risky loans.
2007-09-06 04:54:25 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would talk to the realtor about finding a mortgage broker who can get you an 80/20 mortgage. An 80/20 is actually two mortgages, a first for 80% of the loan and the second for 20% of the loan. You end up with two payments, and you will probably have to pay a high interest rate, and the mortgages will most likely to adjustable instead of fixed rate, but if you can get past all that, you will be buying a house without spending your original down payment. It is how a lot of people without good credit and/or money down buy houses. It's not a fly-by-night thing...Washington Mutual is one of the banks I know of that funds 80/20 loans. It can be a risk...if interest rates go very high, so will an adjustable mortgage payment go way up. If your realtor is worth a grain of salt he/she can get you in that house....it all depends upon how much risk you are willing to take and how much in monthly payments you are able to make.
2007-09-06 02:32:09 · answer #3 · answered by claudiacake 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
1. Don't believe anything a real estate agent tells you, they are snake oil sales man, similar like politicians and used car dealers. They tell you anything.
2. Find out about, how long the house is on the market for real. It could be re-listed several times in the MLS, a trick they do, to make it look better. Ask you agent straight out, he is suppose to tell you the truth, if not go to his broker. The Broker is the agents boss, who has to tell you the Truth, or he losses his license.
3. Take your news paper, there is usually a list of mortgage companies somewhere near the advertisement sections. Call systematically every mortgage broker and go to banks to get an estimate for a mortgage, based on you numbers.
Like all good opportunities, they come to you, if you put a lot of effort in, to create them. Don't believe face value anything in the real estate industrie.
2007-09-06 02:34:45 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
sorry to say, but in this current time with the subprime mortgages and all the defaults on loans, you're screwed. Paying less down just because the value is more than what the purchase price to get it out of foreclosure probably isn't an option to the bank or institution that owns it. They want more down to recoup the losses on the property due to it foreclosing. and it doesn't help that it has been sitting there pretty much losing money in their eyes. but you might luck out, big MIGHT. Best bet is to take that down payment your talking about at putting it toward your highest %APR credit cards and getting rid of those, in turn raising your credit score.
2007-09-06 02:28:22 · answer #5 · answered by ron197192064 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not looking too good I am afraid. Your credit is brutal and you don't really have a down payment. How much are you talking in medical bills and what is "old." Any chance of settling these up?
Right now - ye you may qualify for FHA, but does not look great. Good jobs is good. had them for a while? Good work history? Any reserve assets? What other bills do you have? Do you know what your DTI ratio is? How much are the bills divided by how much you gross per month? Waht is "easily afford"?
Lastly, no - higher appraised value will not help. Value on a purch is absed on purch price, NOT appr value.
2007-09-06 03:09:43 · answer #6 · answered by Patrick H 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I worked in the mortage business for awhile and if your credit was less than a 580 there was no lender that would work with you, and these days the mortgage market is having a very rough time which will make it even harder for people with lower credit scores to get a loan. So from what I know I don't think your chances are very good. I would recommend working hard to pay off your loans or credit cards and try hard to pay things on time and don't open any new credit and pump up that credit score. good luck
2007-09-06 02:27:00 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Have you checked out FHA loans. They're government loans for first time home buyers. They're done thru mortgage companies but are regulated by government. Lower down payments and lower closing costs. The down payment is closer to 3-5% rather than the average 10%.
2007-09-06 02:26:55 · answer #8 · answered by ? 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
What you need to do is get with a mortgage broker right away. Tell them the situation, be up-front about your credit score. They are being very cautious about who they lend to right now, for the reason that the house is on the market. Foreclosures are everywhere! Remember, the agent won't get paid unless this house sells. Tell him the situation and ask if the seller is willing to hold off on closing for a few months. Also, ask to see the appraisal, just to verify what the agent is telling you. There are really bad agents out there, but there are good ones as well.
2007-09-06 02:27:33 · answer #9 · answered by jdecorse25 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋
I can't really promise you much luck with a score like that.
Don't even THINK of contacting the scam artists who spam the forums here! Most if not all of them are scammers based in Nigeria or Lithuania or some other far-flung location. They will rip you off blind, and you'll never see a loan.
2007-09-06 04:43:29 · answer #10 · answered by Bostonian In MO 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋