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116 Firestone Ct
Waller, TX 77484
Phone: 713-480-5560
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Which Mortgage Should I Choose?
Key Questions to Ask Yourself and Lenders When Shopping for a Mortgage!
Traditional Fixed Rate Mortgage? Graduated-Payment Mortgage? Adjustable Rate Mortgage? FHA Mortgage? Two-Step Mortgage?
You are wondering which kind of mortgage is best. The answer: There is no one correct answer. Deciding which type of mortgage will best fulfill your needs can be difficult. There are so many types of loans and different term lengths. Your choice is extremely important and can take some time and effort to research. While often neglected by homebuyers, a little research before choosing your mortgage can save you thousands of dollars in the long run.
There are several elements of a loan that should be analyzed. While one of these elements may suggest one type of loan, another may call for a different type. You must weigh each ingredient separately and collectively. You will find that your answers to the questions below will ultimately determine the type of mortgage that best fits your needs.
How long do you plan to stay in this home?
Five years? Ten years? Thirty years? The length of time you will be in the home will certainly play a part in determining which loan to apply for. If you only plan to be in the home for 5-7 years or less, you should seriously consider an adjustable rate loan. If you intend on staying 20-30 years, a fixed rate mortgage may be right for you.
How much risk are you willing to accept?
If you are the type of buyer that needs to know exactly what you will be paying each month for the term of the mortgage, a fixed rate mortgage will fulfill this need. The fixed rate loan, however, will also net a higher interest rate. If you are willing to take some risk of fluctuations in the interest rate, you may be able to receive a lower interest rate.
What are your income expectations?
Plan for the future. Do you anticipate a gradual or dramatic increase in your income in the next few years? If you expect a big increase, a graduated payment mortgage may be best for you.
How much cash do you have available for upfront costs?
If you have the resources, you may want to make a larger down payment to lower your monthly payment. By keeping a higher monthly payment however, you might be able to shorten the term of the loan to a 15-year loan in order to pay it off quicker.
Keep in mind that you'll have closing costs and fees to pay in addition to your down payment. If you don't have much cash saved for your upfront costs, don't despair. You may be need to accept a higher monthly payment or even lower your monthly obligation by choosing an adjustable rate mortgage.
In addition to choosing a type of loan, you must also consider which lender to use. Once again, several factors will influence your decision.
Annual Percentage Rate (APR)
This is most likely the best way to make an "apples-to-apples" comparison of lenders. The APR reflects the cost of credit on a yearly rate and includes any points and fees in addition to the interest rate.
Interest Rate
Find out the rate the lender will commit and how long the lender will guarantee it. Get any commitments in writing. As with any transaction, if it isn't in writing it doesn't exist.
Points and fees
These factors will vary greatly. Look out for hidden fees. Make sure the lenders disclose all fees; ask what they charge and what is included and what is not.
Loan Approval
Both approval and funding time should be considered. You don't want to lose a prospective home because your lender takes weeks to fund your loan. A lender should be able to fund the loan within ten days.
Lender Reputation
Don't rely on solely someone else's recommendation. You, not your friend, must feel comfortable with your lender. If you do feel good about your lender and trust him , it will be much easier to trust his advice on what kind of mortgage will best suit your needs.
Beacon Hill Highlights:
- HOA Annual Dues: $665
- Total Tax Rate: 3.06%
- Waller School District
- Highly Ranked for Quality Builder by J.D. Power & Associates in 2010
- Minutes from shopping and restaurants
- Easy access to Hwy 290, Grand Parkway
MORTGAGE CENTER
How Much Income do I Need in Order to Qualify?
Do you need to know how much money you must earn to purchase the house of your dreams? This calculator will help you figure it out.
Savings: When you finance through our Preferred Lenders, Long Lakes Homes will pay your 1st year Home Owner Insurance, your owner’s title policy, and $500 in closing costs –
(these incentive valued from $3000 to $5000 determined by your loan amount)
Preferred Lenders:
1 . Texas Capital Lending
Gerald Boudreaux.
NMLS # 1130687
Cell: 832-693-0991
Efax: 281-754-4699
gboudreaux@txcapital.net
2 .BenchMark
WILL NEVOTTI
214-733-9620 Cell
will.nevotti@benchmark.us
Mark Prague
832-205-1595
(Spanish Speaking)
mark.sprague@benchmark.us
3. Network Funding
Robert Tinh
C: : 713-992-7100
robert.tinh@nflp.com
4. CORNERSTONE
BRANDON POLKA
NMLS# 200915
Direct: 281-296-1892
BPOLKA@houseloan.com
Finance Your New Home with Your Homebuilder’s Preferred Lender
Buying a newly-constructed home? Fun! Financing your newly-constructed home? Not so much.
Homebuilders feel you on this. When it comes time to find a mortgage, they have ways of making the process a little less of a hassle. They will have partnered with “preferred lenders” who work closely with them and know the builder’s paperwork, their schedules, deadlines, and their procedures. This may make the transaction come together more quickly, more smoothly, and with less effort on the part of the buyer.
What Are the Advantages of Preferred Lenders?
Under federal law, homebuilders can’t charge less for homes that are financed by preferred lenders. They also can’t require buyers to use their preferred lenders. But they can (and do) offer certain benefits for borrowing from them.
Buyers who use preferred lenders may get credits on their closing costs. The builder might promise an appliance upgrade, a more premium type of flooring or countertops, or other enhancements to the home.
Purchasers of newly-built homes may be able to meet with the preferred lender outside of “banker’s hours” in the development’s model home. This can make scheduling mortgage meetings much easier for busy people.
Most significantly, the close working relationship between builder and banker may help make the whole application, approval, and closing process easier and faster for everyone. As mentioned, preferred lenders know the builder’s timeline, terminology, and processes. They know the milestone dates and construction schedules. This enables them to coordinate the completion of the required home loan paperwork more quickly and accurately. There is simply less chance of miscommunication between the finance and construction companies.
Of course, the most important things for most people in choosing a mortgage are getting the best mortgage rates and getting the most favorable loan terms. Preferred finance companies usually offer very competitive interest rates and closing costs--though it’s still a good idea to shop around to make sure you’re getting the best deal.
How to Work with a Preferred Lender
The first step toward doing business with a preferred lender is to learn all you can about the relationship between it and the builder. The builder/seller is required by law to inform you about how it is affiliated with the lender. That’s valuable information. Ask questions about the relationship between the two entities if you’re not clear on it.
Once you’ve decided to go with the preferred lender, the transaction should move along like any other real estate transaction. The lender will request your financial information, so it’s a good idea to have that organized early in the process. It makes sense to review your credit history and to clear up any errors it may contain.
It’s also a good idea to be represented by an attorney in the transaction—and this is true regardless of who is financing your purchase. Ideally, you should retain a lawyer early in the process so that all legal issues can be resolved before closing.
Preferred Lenders and Your New Home
As anyone who’s ever purchased a newly-constructed home can tell you, the process is a little different than buying an existing home. Many people find it fulfilling—and even fun—to be involved in the design and outfitting of their new residence from the ground up. Using a preferred lender to finance the new home of your dreams often makes the buying process smoother, faster, and easier. Having fewer financing details to worry about gives you more time and energy to focus on the more engaging parts of the transaction—such as choosing your appliances, flooring, and custom features. That’s the best possible reason for using a preferred lender.
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8 Questions to Ask When Buying New Home Construction
Not sure exactly what you need to be asking about? These 10 questions to ask when buying a new construction home will help get you started.
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Is the lot cost included?
When you’re exploring new construction options, you’ll see that each plan comes with a base cost. This is the cost of the structure itself, as well as base interior and exterior features (we’ll get into those in a little bit). What may not be included is the cost of the land, so be sure to ask if the lot cost is figured into the base.
If the lot cost is included, ask if there are premium costs for certain lots. It’s possible that the base cost does include the lot, but the remaining lots in the development all have added costs for certain features that you can’t opt out of, such as look-out windows in the basement or wider yards. If the lot cost is not included, ask what it is (and whether there are additional premium costs) and factor those into the base price for the house.
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How long will building take?
It’s important to know what you’re getting into timing-wise with a new construction build, particularly if you have a house to sell first or you’re going to be renting. While the building process is prone to delays and you won’t be able to get a finite schedule for how long the build will take, you’ll be able to get a general idea of what you can expect. Be sure to also ask if the build time includes the time it takes to get the permits, since those will typically take about 30-45 days to obtain.
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What warranties are provided with the house?
Just because a home is brand new doesn’t mean that no problems will arise. Fortunately, most new construction homes come with one or more warranties that protect you in the event of a mishap early on, including a short term whole-house warranty and a longer structural warranty. Ask what the warranties include and how long they last. While you can always buy your own home warranty, you should expect that the builder will cover you in some way for at least the first several years.
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What are the standard finishes?
Does a base cost look too good to be true? That might be because the builder is expecting you to spend big when it comes to finishes like flooring and countertops. Ask what types of finishes are included, and better yet, go through the model unit with the sales representative and have them point out what’s standard and what is an upgrade. You likely won’t meet with the design center until after you’ve gone under contract, so it’s important to figure out early what sorts of finishes and appliances you can expect to be included in the home’s base price.
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Is landscaping included?
Depending on the size of your yard, landscaping, including sodding and putting in trees and plants, can set you back several thousand dollars or more. Is that a cost you’ll have to factor in on top of the home purchase? Some builders include your basic yard work, while others leave you with unfinished land that becomes your responsibility to landscape (and generally must be completed in a set amount of time, per the contract). Ask whether landscaping is included, and if so, what that entails and if there is any sort of warranty on the materials so that if your newly sodded grass dies right away or some other mishap occurs you’re not responsible for fixing it.
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Does the contract include a cost escalation clause?
New builds are notorious for last minute surprises, but you don’t want to be on the hook financially if it happens. A cost escalation clause allows the builder to charge you for any unanticipated costs that arise as a result of necessary labor or materials. So if lumber prices go up before the builder has purchased the materials for your flooring, or an unexpected delay adds a few weeks onto the build, you’re on the line for those costs. If you’d rather not deal with the stress of unanticipated costs, find a builder that doesn’t include a cost escalation clause in the contract.
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Are there any homeowners rules or regulations?
Even if there is no homeowners association for the development, the builder may still set some guidelines as far as what’s allowed and what’s not on your property. For example, you may not be able to use a particular type of fencing or install a shed in your backyard. It’s better to ask this question early and know what to expect than to move in and find out that you can’t bring into fruition certain plans you had for the space.
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Are there any financial incentives for using the builder’s preferred lender?
Some builders offer discounts on closing costs if you obtain your mortgage through a company that they have a relationship with. Ask if these sorts of financial incentives are offered, but don’t make your final decision about where to get your mortgage based on the discounts alone – you may still be able to find a better deal through other lenders. It’s still good to know however if there are benefits to working with the builder’s preferred mortgage company.
If it’s your dream to build a new construction house, go in to the process with an open mind and a clear idea of what you can expect. The more questions you can ask in the beginning, the less surprises you’ll potentially face in the future.
And as with any home purchase, be sure to have an attorney read over your contract so that you can be sure everything is fair and equitable. Some buyers of new construction prefer to go in to sales meetings with a real estate agent as well, though in my own experience, I didn’t find that to be necessary. Be smart, ask the right questions, and at the end of the day (or fine, year) you’ll end up with a beautiful home built just for you.
Equal Housing Opportunity | 