Questions First Home Buyers Should Ask

Knowing when to think about buying a home can be challenging. You may not know what to consider when making the decision and it can be hard to think long-term. Here are some Questions First Home Buyers Should Ask themselves to determine if now is the right time to begin the home-buying process.

Am I staying here for a long time? If you are planning on living in the same place for the next five to ten years, you might be better off buying a home. You recoup the costs associated with buying a new home by living in it and building equity. Talk to your tax advisor about the tax benefits of owning a home too. And when you sell your house in years to come, the more equity you’ll have, the better off you’ll be.

Is my rent higher than a mortgage payment? Rent can add up, and you are essentially paying off somebody else’s mortgage. If the cost of your rent is more than the cost of owning and maintaining a home, you might want to consider your buying potential now.

Do I have enough money for a down payment? If you can determine the cost of a down payment and the cost of a monthly mortgage payment, and still have a small cushion for any life emergency, it would be worth the investment to look at purchasing a home. Talking to a mortgage professional can help you determine how much house you can afford.

Is my credit good? A high credit score helps you get the best deal on a loan. The higher your score, the lower your interest rate should be. Reviewing a copy of your credit will help you determine where you need to be in order to afford the house you want.

If you answered these questions truthfully and feel buying a home is in your best interest, then getting Mortgage Pre-Approval is the next step. Every First Home Buyer has different things to consider and different options available to them.  Speaking with a mortgage professional is the best place to start.

Most First Home Buyers come to me for Mortgage Pre-Approval with big dreams, high hopes and a lot of questions. Too often folks want to buy a home in a price range they cannot afford. It is my job as a Mortgage Consultant to help First home Buyers set realistic expectations and help them see how big a house they can afford and how large a mortgage they qualify for. Getting prospective home buyers Pre-Approved for mortgage is an exercise to insure that “families live comfortably and financially secure in their own home.”

Vive La Liberation! Happy Bastille Day!

Bastille Day, the French National Holiday, commemorates the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. It marked the beginning of the French Revolution.

The Bastille was a prison and a symbol of the absolute and arbitrary power of King Louis XVI. By capturing this symbol, the people signaled that that the king’s power was no longer absolute; power should be based on the Nation and be limited by a separation of powers.

My Mother was born in France and experienced the absolute and arbitrary power of the Nazis during WWll. During the French liberation, she met and married a handsome GI Lieutenant in Marseille and followed him to the USA. It was a great adventure and a great love story.
As kids, Mom made sure we celebrated her love of family and the blessings of her new country on July 4^th.  And on July 14, we celebrated her love for her home country. This time the colors of the cake and ice cream were Blue, White and Red; the French tri-color.

Vive Les Etas Unis! Vive La France! Happy Bastille Day!

Your Credit Score and Your Mortgage Application

Your Credit Score is the most obvious factor in your ability to getting your Mortgage Application approved. The higher your score, typically the less risk you pose to lenders and the lower your mortgage interest rate. So how is your credit score determined? And how can you improve it?

Your Credit Score is based on the following 5 factors:
1. Your Payment History. (35% of your score)
♦ Your payment history shows whether you make your monthly payments on time, how often you might miss making your payments, how many days past due the due date you eventually make your payments, and how recently your payments have been delinquent.
♦ How To Improve It: Make all your monthly payments on time. The more payments you pay     promptly, the higher your score. Each time you miss a payment, you risk losing valuable points on your score.

2. Amount Owed on Loans and Credit Cards.(30% of your score)
♦  Your score is also based on the entire amount you owe, the number and types of credit accounts you have, and the proportion of money owed compared to how much credit you have available.
♦  How To Improve It: Smaller balances on your credit cards can raise your score – if you pay on time. High balances and maxed out credit lines will lower your score. Keep your credit card balance to less than 30-50% of your credit line.
New loans with little payment history may drop your score temporarily because your report will show the recent inquiry into your report to obtain the new debt.
Loans that are closer to being paid off can increase your score because you have a longer track record of paying the installments on time.

3. Length of Credit History. (15% of your score)
♦  The longer you can show a history of meeting your obligations in a timely manner, the higher your score will be.
♦  How To Improve It: This simply takes time. No credit or no no recent credit is not necessarily a good thing. It may seem wise to avoid using credit, or to avoid applying for credit, but it can actually hurt your score if mortgage lenders have no credit history to review.

4. Types of Credit Accounts.(10% of your score)
♦  A mix of credit accounts is best.
♦  How To Improve It: If you only have one type of credit account, add another type when it makes financial sense to do so. A mix of car loans, personal loans, retail store accounts and major credit cards will improve your score – if you manage them wisely and make the payments on time.

5. Recent Credit Activity. (10% of your score)
♦  Steady credit activity is best.
♦  How To Improve It: If you’ve opened a lot of accounts recently, or applied to open new accounts, it suggests potential financial trouble and can lower your score. The lender will see the inquiry on your report and require a letter of explanation as to why you opened these accounts and whether there are balances  that haven’t shown up on your report yet.
However, if you’ve had the same accounts for some time and you repay them on time – even after some payment troubles – your score will eventually go up.

Review Your Credit Report Annually
It’s smart to stay on top of your credit report, and to kow what potential mortgage lenders will see. You can request a FREE Annual Credit Report from each of the 3 major credit reporting agencies – Equifax, TransUnion & Experian once a year at www.AnnualCreditReport.com

Review your reports carefully, as each one may contain inconsistent information or inaccuracies. You have the right to dispute any error by contacting the agency with in 30 days of receiving your report.

About Rick Cignoli

“When You Work With a Professional, You Get Professional Results”

Rick Cignoli is a seasoned Mortgage Professional who brings 40 years of banking, credit union and financial planning expertise to the home buying experience. He is committed to helping his clients live comfortably and financially secure in their home with the Right Mortgage at the Best Rate.

Understanding his clients’ needs with a focus on providing honest answers to their concerns has earned Rick a reputation as a Mortgage Officer you can trust.

Rick particularly likes drawing on his teaching background to educate First Home Buyers on the complicated mortgage process. He can solve your puzzle with his expertise in:

♦  Conventional Mortgages
♦  FHA and the FHA 203K “Fixer Upper Rehab Loan
♦  USDA Guaranteed Rural Housing Development Loan
♦  Hone Possible Loans for Millennial Buyers
♦  FNMA Home Style Rehabilitation Loan
♦  Jumbo Mortgages
♦  And Much More!

Rick is a licensed Connecticut Mortgage Loan Officer and registered with the National Mortgage Licensing Service #76681.
He attended the University of Connecticut and is an alumnus of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the University of Delaware.

Rick’s experience and broad knowledge of the financial markets enables him to  help his clients with Courtesy, Competency and Concern with the right mortgage at the right rate.

To be sure you have all the right information to make the right financial decision for your family contact Rick at:

Rick Cignoli
Sr. Mortgage Loan Officer
NMLS# 76681
Norcom Mortgage NMLS# 71655
Direct:  860.945.9284
Cell:  203.525.0259
rick.cignoli@norcom-usa.com
https://rickcignoli.norcommortgage.com/

Equal Housing Lender

No Jobs Slows Housing Recovery

“While rising interest rates, inventory shortages and dwindling investor purchases have all weighed on home sales, “fundamentally … the slow pace of the single-family housing recovery reflects steady but unspectacular job growth” according to a recent Harvard University study.

The lack of jobs, coupled with large student loan debt caused the U.S. home ownership rate to drop again in 2013, thanks in no small part to the fact that 18 million 25 to 34 year old adults were found to be still living with their parents last year helping bring the home ownership rate down to 65.1 percent

It may take 10 years before those 30-somethings and Millennials make their presence known in the owner-occupied market. Until then, continue to expect rents to increase and property values creep up. The market will have changed by then and it will be more expensive to fulfill the American Dream of home ownership.

Now Is the Time to Buy .. if you can.
Call Me @ 860.945.9284 to discuss the right mortgage option for your family and to take advantage of my FREE Mortgage Pre-Approval service. We’re licensed in all 6 New England states; NY & FL too. I’m here to help.

What Determines a Borrower’s Mortgage Rate?

Here’s a follow-up to my blog What Makes Mortgage Rates Go Up and Down. Now let’s talk about What Determines a Borrower’s Mortgage Interest Rate?

As we discussed, many factors determine the interest rate on a particular mortgage. A borrower’s rate will reflect general conditions in the financial markets, the type of mortgage they chose, the lenders assessment of the risk involved in your financial situation and, of course your credit history.
That’s why a quick “rate quote” over the phone or a rate you saw online or pulled from a newspaper advertisement may not reflect the interest rate you will finally be offered once a lender has evaluated your specific circumstances as presented in your mortgage application.

Risk Matters
When lending money to finance a home purchase, lenders and their investors seriously consider the risk that these borrowers may not repay the money loaned to them. For example: the larger the down payment, the greater the investment in the property and the lower the perceived risk. Therefore, the lower the mortgage interest rate. Vice versa: The smaller the down payment, the less equity in the home and the greater the risk of default. The higher the risk, the higher the interest rate

When someone calls me inquiring about interest rates, I tell them, “I don’t sell interest rates.” I go on to explain, “There is no “one low mortgage interest rate.” Rates fluctuate daily-even hourly-with movements in the financial markets. A borrower’s final interest rate is determined on the day it is “locked” by an assessment of:
•  Mortgage type
•  Mortgage term
•  Loan amount
•  Type of property
•  Credit Score
•  Debt-to-Income Ratio
•  Amount of cash the borrower will contribute to the down payment, closing costs and points.
I might tell them, “Today, at noon on July 2, 2014, it is conceivable for a buyer want to buy a single-family home selling for up to $400,000 with a conventional 30 year fixed rate mortgage has a credit score greater than 740, is able to make a 20% down payment and is willing to pay all closing costs and about 2 points to get a rate in the 4.00% range. If any of these criteria do not fit your situation, then the rate will be higher. How does that sound to you?”

Bottom Line
In the final analysis, it is the borrower’s unique personal situation that determines his/her final mortgage interest rate. His financial position will help him decide which mortgage program right for him and what interest rate scenario is right for his family budget, how big a house he can buy and how large a mortgage he can afford to repay. My job was to guide you to that decision.

Do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns you may have about how your situation might impact your mortgage interest rate. I’m here to help.

Connecticut Attracts Millionaires, Not First Home Buyers

CNBC reports that Connecticut is the 5^th Worst State for Business with the fourth-highest cost of doing business, third-highest cost of living and the nation’s second-worst economy. What’s bad for business is bad for the housing market, and the ripple effect is bad for all citizens.

A newly-wed couple was referred to me in April by the bride’s mother who is a member of my BNI Group. They were First Home Buyers and they had done everything right. Their wedding last fall was conservative so they could save money to buy a home as soon as possible. They set a budget of how much they wanted to spend for their mortgage payment, taxes and insurance. They were Pre-Approved for a mortgage amount, but it was for more than they felt comfortable committing to. They had good credit, good income from their primary jobs, some student loan debt, but still good DTI. They saved every penny from their part-time jobs for a down payment and closing costs. Everything was going great while they narrowed the search for their dream home.
That was until … you guessed it … she got a Pink Slip. Company says it was due to “lack of work.” She never saw it coming!

Lot’s of broken dreams, lots of tears! Their plans are on hold now while she searches for a new job in an economy where quality employment is hard to find. I hope she finds one soon. If not, that little nest egg is going to get smaller as they struggle to make ends meet over the long haul. I can only wish them well and promise to be here when things are back on an even keel for them.

Take a moment to think about the ripple effect this one lay-off has on the economy. A potential seller loses out on an easy sale to qualified buyers, Realtors, attorneys, home inspectors, appraisers, appliance and furniture stores, yes…even mortgage brokers don’t get a pay check either. Just because Connecticut is able to attract millionaires, that doesn’t mean does a good job attracting the business that will attract First Home Buyers.