Affording a Home
Can you really afford a house? If so, how much house can you afford? To determine this answer will take serious financial planning, and the best time to start is at least six months before buying the home. Although buying a new home may seem like an American Dream or romantic venture, the reality is that the house you can afford depends on your current income and debt obligations. You must be able to pay your mortgage, satisfy all your current debt, and still have money left over each month to put in the bank. When you consider all these issues, you may find you will actually be shopping for a lower-priced house than the anticipated dream home. If after careful financial evaluation, you realize you cannot afford the house of your dreams, don't feel tempted to count on expected annual raises, thinking that eventually you'll be able to afford the higher payments. Most raises are generally 4% to 7%. In bad times, you won't get a raise, while inflation overtakes you. In the worse case scenario, you may get laid off and you won't be able to afford your monthly bills. If you don't have a budget that includes a savings account worked out on a spreadsheet, you are faced with a serious debt problem waiting to happen. If you cannot recite from memory all the creditors you owe and how much you owe them, you have a credit problem. MONTHLY BUDGET SHEET At the top of your planning list, you must determine what your mortgage payments will be, while not ignoring other monthly expenses. Remember, you need this complete research, and an organized budget sheet, to guard against becoming seriously in debt. For example, besides the home loan, monthly expenditures to add to your budget sheet may include: * Homeowners insurance,
* Homeowners Association Fees,
* Flood insurance,
* Mortgage insurance,
* Utilities,
* Garbage,
* Cable TV,
* Groceries,
* Lawn service,
* Pet groomer,
* Doctor and veterinarian bills,
* Auto loan and/or unexpected auto repairs,
* Drycleaning bills,
* Savings account,
* Lunch money for spouses and kids, and many other obligations. Second on your list is to clean up your credit report. YOUR CREDIT REPORT
Your credit score is the single most important factor determining whether you'll get approved for a mortgage, car loan, refinance loan, or credit cards, and what your APR will be. If your score is low, you'll pay very high interest rates, up to 23%. Most people are also unaware that their credit score also affects how much they pay for car insurance rates too. Many insurance companies run a credit check on you before selling you insurance. CALCULATING YOUR CREDIT SCORE
You should get your credit report at least once every year to verify it for accuracy, and make certain your credit score is up to par. If your credit is clean and you have your down payment ready to go, you won't need as much time to plan for a new home. Everyone has a credit score calculated at the time your credit report is requested. It's based on over 100 different proprietary variables and algorithms developed by Fair Isaac (FICO). The range is 300 to 850. You can get your credit score from Equifax Score Power, True Credit, or Consumerinfo. Most lenders consider people above 650 to be prime borrowers, meaning they will most likely be approved at favorable rates. According to a credit report from Equifax, 71% of the people with a credit score from 500-550 will default on their credit. Another 51% of buyers with a credit score from 550-600 will default on their credit. It is for this very reason that lenders run your credit report and focus on your FICO Beacon score. FACTORS AFFECTING YOUR CREDIT SCORE
The most important factor affecting your score is the length of your credit history. College students generally have low scores, while 30-somethings have higher scores. If you have too many accounts open, they can lower your credit score also. Opening several department store credit card accounts and excessive financing accounts also lowers your beacon score. So, take an inventory of your credit cards. Do you have department store credit cards, appliance store credit cards, and computer store finance cards that are no longer used? What's worse, even if a store is defunct, your account may still appear on your credit report as open. Call all sources and close these accounts since you never use them. Just remember, it takes about 30 days for the closing transactions to appear on your credit report. Once you successfully dispute and remove negative items from your credit report, wait 30-60 days and order another copy of your report to verify that the bad debt was removed and you now have a higher score. Genesis Font is an SEO and Developer for LoansInteractive.com > Mortgage and Loan Officer Websites. We also offer Quality Web Hosting Services.
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Understanding and Controlling Your Finances
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be able to have complete control over your finances?
How to Attain Your Dreams on a Single Income
If you recently became a single parent and see your dreams being washed away because you feel all alone, you aren't alone. There are single parents that face future endeavors alone like dating again, living on one income, and buying the home they've always imagined. It is possible to do things on your own, be successful, and enjoy every bit of getting to where you want to be in life.
The Good and the Bad of Money Management
Good money management needn't be difficult. In fact, there a number of
easy steps recommended by most financial professionals to help manage
your finances better.
Accessing Funds You Never Knew You Had- Household Utilities and Mortgage Expense Reduction Plan
For most of us the process of getting out of debt and pursuing a venture that would create an income stream leading to early retirement seems just a pipe dream. It goes without saying; it takes money to make money. Most of us have had our eye on pursuing a stock, invention patent, greater education or a small business only to have our goals cut short because of lack of funds. The fact is we may have access to more funds than we realize. In this article we will discuss the three keys to having your money make more money sooner than later.
The three keys are:
More Money? My Cup Runneth Over...But Im Still Thirsty
Most of us, especially those of us who have debtor's disease (if you have it you know what it is!), have commented or at least thought, "If I could just win the lottery, or sweepstakes, everything would be better." Unfortunately, even if that big dream did come true things probably would get worse instead of better.
Budgeting: A Tough Love Way to Handle Your Household Budget
Developing and living by a household budget is by far the best way to get your expenses under control which, in turn, can mean a much less stressful life.
Car Donations and Used Car Donations
Car donations and used car donations are the way many people choose to recycle their older model cars without having the headache of repairing, advertising, showing, and hopefully then selling them. Being able to get rid of an older car and at the same time gaining the benefits of charitable giving and a tax deduction are all part of the allure of used car donations. Car donations are becoming more and more popular as a means of unloading used cars because of the convenience of the whole process and the ease of transfer.
Estate Planning Basics
You have probably accomplished a great deal with your life. Over the years you have worked, planned and saved. Perhaps you have even made some sacrifices to achieve your current level of success. It's a sure bet that you will want to pass along your accumulated assets rather than hand them over for court costs, taxes or attorney fees.
When do You Need a Financial Management Company on Your Side?
We live in a crazy world. Someone ought to sell tickets. It seems that people, especially those in the US, are always clamoring for products and services that they don't need and ignoring those that they do. Financial Management is a prime example. Companies that provide financial management services are often inundated with requests from potential clients that really can't benefit from their services while many people that should be using a financial manager of some kind are literally flying by the seat of their monetary pants without anyone to navigate for them.
Photo Checks ? A Great Alternative in Checking
It's the little things in life that make it interesting. Everyday life can be so boring at times. To make the ordinary extraordinary takes time to explore and to discover. Fortunately, there are some wonderful places online to personalize those ordinary items and make them the pride of you day.
Check Fraud and Verification
Before buying personal or business checks you should inform yourself of the best ways to protect yourself from check fraud. Since man has written checks check fraud has existed. Like any fraud, check fraud emerged as crafty con artists discovered they could photocopy checks or alter checks to steal money from innocent victims. Thanks to technological advances and craftier con artists, check fraud is as common as a cup of coffee.
Single Mother Resources Directs You Towards Success
As a parent you are bound to face a few challenges but as a single mother you are bound to face challenges almost everyday. Raising a child is not meant to be done alone however today it is occurring more often then traditional value holders would like to see.
Should You Borrow From Your 401(k) Account?
If you have a 401(k) account, it can be very tempting to borrow from your account especially when your balance is very high and a loan could easily pay off existing debt, fund a home purchase, or pay for college tuition. Before you make the decision to borrow money, there are several things you must keep in mind to avoid risking your funds.
Tips To Save Money At The Supermarket
Are you interested in saving money off your grocery bills? If so, then a few "Smart Shopper" tips are all you need to start saving hundreds off your grocery bills!
Check Facts and Figures
Are you a check fanatic? Don't worry, you aren't alone. Millions of consumers write checks every year. In fact in the United States most consumers use checks to handle payment transactions.
Debt Management ? Watch Out for Bank Fees!
During the last twenty years, banks have offered a number of improvements in the area of being customer-friendly. The old 9 AM ? 2 PM "banker's hours" are gone, replaced by a schedule that makes it easy for most people to visit when the bank is open. Automatic teller machines are ubiquitous, making it easier to obtain cash even when the banks are closed. And the debit card has made it easier than ever to pay for an item ? you don't even have to write a check anymore. Such conveniences come with a price, however, and banks are charging additional fees for all sorts of services. Some of them can be quite steep, and consumers should watch how they manage the money they have in the bank.
Save Money Off Your Home Utility Bills
Many don't realize that our basic utility bills provide the perfect money saving opportunity for practically every household!
Learning the Basics of Handling Money
With prices increasing all the time, saving money can be harder and harder to do. Here are some solutions for saving a little so that you can still meet your needs and still find ways to trim off a little for the future.
Financial Security
1) HOW TO LOOK FOR A JOB
Safely Save for Your Childs University Studies Using An Education IRA!
This investment retirement account (IRA) is useful to you as an investor to understand because it may be a good way for you to save for your kid's education AND save on taxes. These plans are now called Coverdell Education Savings Accounts in honor of the late U.S. Sen. Paul Coverdell. Individuals can make annual contributions of up to $2,000 per child into an account that's exclusively for helping to pay higher education costs. The money contributed to a Coverdell account doesn't count against the $3,000 ($3,500 if 50 and older) annual total individuals may contribute to their combined personal individual IRAs.
|
