Personal Finance, Loans & Insurance

Sub-prime lenders now offer financing packages with zero down. Interest rates are higher on these types of loans, but they make purchasing a house easier. And unlike a conventional loan, there is no private mortgage insurance required. There are two types of zero-down mortgage packages, each with their own requirements.

Types Of Zero-Down Loans

100% financing, as it names implies, offers complete financing of your property. The other option, 80/20, finances your mortgage with two loans. Both loans may be carried by your lender, but sometimes the seller or a second lender is required to carry the 20% mortgage.

100% financing is easier to deal with, but not all lenders will offer this type of home loan. 80/20 financing is more common, but takes some negotiation if the seller is involved.

Qualifications For Zero-Down

Each lender has their own criteria for determining who will qualify for a zero-down loan. Most sub-prime lenders require any bankruptcies or foreclosures to have been at least twelve months ago. A conventional loan requires these to be discharged two to four years ago.

While a credit score of 600 or higher is best, large cash reserves can also qualify you. Six to twelve month’s worth of cash reserves in the form of savings, money market, or other liquid assets are considered ideal.

If you choose 80/20 financing with the seller carrying the second mortgage, you can qualify with sub-prime lenders with a score of 560.

Zero-Down Sub-prime Lenders

You can find zero-down sub-prime mortgages with both conventional and niche sub-prime lenders. Make sure that you request quotes from as many mortgage lenders has possible to be sure you find the lowest rate and best terms.

You will also want to decide what type of mortgage you want. An ARM is easier to qualify for and has lower rates. A fixed rate mortgage offers the security of a constant interest rate over the life of your loan.

Typically an ARM will be a better deal if you plan to refinance within a couple of years. After you have improved your credit history, you can refinance for a conventional mortgage with low interest rates.

People usually apply for a second mortgage or home equity loan when they need money for debt consolidation, to pay large expenses or for home remodeling and home improvement. Second mortgages are generally categorized as fixed interest rate home equity installment loans (HELOANS) and adjustable mortgage rate home equity lines of credit (HELOCs). Which you choose depends on your needs, but the application and approval process is similar for both. These nine tips will help your loan process be as hitch-free as possible:

1. Compare options like mortgage refinancing and other loan options to determine if a second mortgage is the best choice.

2. Make sure you can tell lender what the purpose of the loan is. Your answer will help determine whether or not you are approved.

3. Check your credit report for errors and get your FICO scores (myfico.com/12) because lenders will review your FICO score to determine your loan rates. Check “How to Improve Your Credit Score” for more information on cleaning up your credit.

4. Compare several home equity loan options. Discuss the loan programs with your broker or lender and find the best loan for your situation. Getting a good interest rates isn’t a bad idea either.

5. When applying for a loan, you will get a mortgage checklist from your lender containing the list of paperwork you need to close the loan, including:
• Copy of deed to property.
• Recent tax appraisal.
• Last two years’ W-2’s, tax returns and current pay stub, or two years’ tax returns if self-employed. Be sure to include all schedules.
• Proof of income from alimony, child support, disability payments, lawsuit settlement, inheritance or other income source.
• Copies of your last 3-6 bank statements.
• List of all open credit accounts (account numbers, payment amounts, and balances).
• Your current mortgage statement.
• Homeowners insurance information (name, account number and phone number of agent).

6. Faxing documentation from the checklist will expedite the loan process more than mailing it.

7. Fill out your loan application thoroughly, or it may delay approval and loan closing.

8. Beware of bad loans. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that you may be signing into trouble if the lender encourages you to falsify your application to get the loan, urges you to borrow more than you need, pushes you into unrealistic payment terms, shows up at closing with a different loan product than you agreed to, asks you to sign blank forms, or denies you copies of documents you signed.

9. Has your mortgage application been rejected by a lender? Ask why it was rejected to find out what you need to do to secure mortgage loan approval in the future. Sometimes paying down some credit cards can increase your credit score just enough to qualify.