In the event you have steered clear from what has been going on in the mortgage industry for the last 24 months, I thought I would bring you up to speed on some of the big changes, and how they affect you.    These changes have slowed down the amount of refinances being done, but being aware these changes may make the process a little easier.

Here are 7 things you should know…

1)       A good credit score is now 740 and higher.   If you have a middle credit score between 740 and 620, you may still be able to refinance, although you may see a few adjustments to your rate for the lower score.In general, a credit score of 620 is going to be needed for a lender to qualify you.

 

2)       The value of your house has likely dropped.Although this news is not enjoyable for anyone to hear, it is a reality.The price of homes throughout the nation have dropped quite a bit in the last two years.   This simply comes down to supply and demand.   The number of homes on the market has increased due to foreclosures, short sales, unemployment, loss of value, and many other factors.   With so many houses available on the market in each neighborhood, a buyer now has more choices and leverage when purchasing.   This has a direct effect on the appraised value of your home, because appraisers use recently closed sales to determine the value of your home.    If the house across the street recently sold, and is roughly the same square footage, the same age, and has a lot of the same amenities; it is probably a great comparison for an appraiser to use.   This will give you a good indication of the value of your home.

 

3)       The refinance process takes much longer than before.Many homeowners were used to refinancing within a few days of filling out an application in the past.   This is not the case any longer.   New legislation has been put in place to protect the homeowner, and these steps have delayed the refinance process.    If you are in the process of refinancing, expect the process to take 30 to 45 days with your lender or mortgage broker.    In addition to the new regulations put into place, many lenders have decreased employees, causing additional delays.   

 

 

4)       Taking cash out of your home is not as easy as it has been in the past.You can no longer use your home like an ATM machine.Lenders will not allow you to borrow more than 85% of the value on a cash-out refinance.You will pay a slightly higher rate or more fees for a cash out refinance.   Expect to pay about 1/8 of a percent higher for a cash-out refinance if your loan amount is 60% higher than the value of your house.   This is industry wide, not on a case by case basis.  

 

5)       Stated loans do not exist.You will need to prove your income for two years in order to qualify.    You cannot use bank statements, receipts from sold goods on EBay, or any other alternative method you may have used in the past.   Underwriters now verify everything and you must be able to prove it with traditional methods such as tax returns, recent paystubs, and verifying employment over the phone.    Regardless of how good your credit, you still need to prove your income.

 

6)       A new policy has been established for appraising your home.   The new Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) was implemented to prevent loan officers from pressuring appraisers for higher values.   Now, loan officers are not permitted to speak with an appraiser or order an appraisal directly.   Instead, the new HVCC requires that appraisals be ordered through an independent third party company, and eliminates any interaction between appraisers and loan officers.   The third party acts as the middle man, receives the order from the loan officer, and places an order with an appraiser.There are many problems with the process in general, but most notable is that appraisals are being done on homes where the values are not realistic.Prior to the change, a loan officer would call an appraiser, place the order, and give an estimated value.  If that value was unrealistic, the appraiser would notify the loan officer and the appraisal would not be done, saving the borrower $300 to $500.   Now, the appraisal is being done regardless of value, the value is too low to refinance, and borrowers are out the cost of the appraisal.This is just one issue with HVCC….there are so many others.Hopefully we will see of the people responsible for this bill attempt to refinance and see how difficult it truly is.  

  

 

7)       You can get turned down for a loan.To many, this sounds crazy.   The days of everyone qualifying for a loan are over.You will need to use the three C’s in order to get a loan..Character, collateral, and capacity,.    You need to have the credit score, job history, and mortgage and employment history.   In general, your character has to qualify you for the loan.    You must also have the capacity to afford the loan as well as the equity in the home.    The three C’s were thrown out by many companies in the past, but they are back and my guess is they will be here to stay for quite some time.

 

To find out about more changes in the mortgage industry and what you can do to qualify, visit http://www.timmarose.com

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