Buying a House
Buying a house is exciting, especially if it is your first time. The mortgage pre-approval is just the first step in the loan process. Throughout the period that your loan is going through underwriting, the lender is going to keep a keen eye on your finances to make sure you are a risk worth taking. So if you are buying a house, here are 8 things you should NOT do when you are in the process of buying a home.
#1 – Quit your job and get a new job.
When a lender pre-approves you as a buyer the pre-approval is conditional. During the loan underwriting period the lender goes through your paperwork with a fine-toothed comb. One thing they look for is job stability. Right before they issue the clear to close a person working on behalf of the lender will call to verify your current employment. If they discover you have up and quit your job for a new one, you could potentially ruin your chances of gaining final approval for the loan.
#2 – Fall behind on your bills.
A lender will monitor your credit so make sure to keep up on your bills. Falling behind on your bills will taint your image as viable loan candidate.
#3 – Apply for a new credit card.
One measure a lender uses to determine your worthiness as a borrower is your debt to income (DTI) ratio. If you take out another credit card it can make them question whether or not your DTI is going to go up past acceptable limits.
#4 – Max out existing credit cards.
If you max out your existing credit cards your DTI will definitely go up. Avoid this at all costs.
#5 – Make big purchases.
If you have always dreamed of owning a boat or a motorcycle or something of the like going out and buying it during loan approval is not the right time. Wait until you have purchased the house to make that purchase.
#6 – Buy a car.
A car is one of the biggest liabilities on a person’s credit report. If you have been itching for new wheels, itch a little longer. Whatever you do, don’t buy the car during the loan approval process.
#7 – Make undocumented deposits into your bank account.
The lender looks at deposits made into your account. While you may have earned your cash honestly enough and just kept it hidden for some time, large deposits of cash with no trail are questionable.
#8 – Transfer large sums of money between accounts.
Lots of movement between bank accounts may make a lender question what you are doing. Keep the money where it is and wait until you have closed to make any big transfers.
If you are a looking to buy a house and there is anything in the world I can do for you, all you have to do is let me know how I can help.
Happy Buying!
Désirée Ávila
Désirée is a licensed Florida Realtor and Real Estate Influencer committed to a high-level of professionalism and to helping others with their real estate endeavors through education. Désirée Ávila was an award winning teacher for 10 years and has a doctoral level education in Educational Technology. Désirée is a lifetime local resident of South Florida and is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, French and Italian.
