This Article Is About The Impact Credit Scores Has On Down Payment On Home Purchase:

If you are in the market to buy or refinance a home, you know the importance of your credit score. Gustan Cho Associates are experts in all areas of mortgage lending and cannot stress the importance of credit score enough. In this blog, we will discuss how your credit score will affect your mortgage qualifications and most importantly how much down payment is required for you to buy a home. With mortgage rates as low as they are today, most buyers want to put down the smallest down payment possible.

Factors Determining The Qualification Of Borrowers

There are three main areas of concern when looking to get preapproved for a mortgage.

• Credit score
  Debt-to-income
• Down payment (and reserves).

How Mortgage Underwriters Analyze Debt To Income Ratios

Your debt-to-income ratio will dictate how much home you can afford. An underwriter must assess your ability to repay your mortgage loan. Your total qualifiable income must be approximately double your total expenses, including your future housing payment (with taxes, insurance, and any homeowners
association dues). Many lenders have overlays in regard to the debt-to-income ratio, which will limit the amount of homes you can afford. The good news is, Gustan Cho Associates do not have lender overlays on any of their mortgage programs.

Debt To Income Requirements Depends On The Individual Loan Programs

Each individual mortgage loan program has its own debt-to-income ratio requirements. In many cases, we are able to go all the way up to 56.9% back in the debt-to-income ratio for FHA mortgage lending. We are able to go even higher on some VA lending products. Conventional mortgage lending will have a stern cap of 49.99% debt to income ratio. USDA loans have a 31% front-end and 43% back-end debt to income ratio. If you are attempting to calculate your debt-to-income calculations on your own, we strongly encourage you to reach out to our team. The amount of income that can be used to qualify for a mortgage will vary dramatically based on your sources of income. The income you receive, and the amount of income allowed per mortgage guidelines can vary dramatically. Please leave it up to the experts so you know the correct price range of homes you should be shopping for.

Impact Credit Scores Has On Down Payment On Home Purchase: How Credit Scores Are Analyzed By Lenders

The next main pillar when qualifying for a mortgage is your credit score. But just because you may have a qualifying credit score, does not mean you qualify for a mortgage loan. Your credit score will be the main driving factor for the interest rate you qualify for but other factors such as payment history and seasoning
of accounts will come into play. For example, you could have a 660 credit score (which will qualify you for virtually every mortgage program) but have a collection account that is only nine months old. This may hinder your mortgage qualifications because most loan programs do not allow recent collection accounts.
Having the highest credit score possible will save you thousands of dollars of the life of your mortgage loan.

How Credit Scores Affect Your Mortgage Rates

The amount of interest you pay is determined based on your credit score and credit score only. This eliminates the possibility of discrimination. Mortgage rates are based on credit score thresholds. The
amount of interest will be broken down into 20 point buckets. Below is an example AND not factual, REACH OUT TO A LICENSED LOAN OFFICER FOR AN EXACT QUOTE.

620-639 – 5.25%
640-659 – 5%
660-679 – 4.875%
680 -699 – 4.625%
700 – 719 – 4.5%
720-739 – 4.375%
740-759 – 4.25%
760 and above – 4%

In the (fictional) example above, your rate could be 1.25% lower based on a higher credit score. Based on a loan amount of $300,000 the savings will add up quickly:

Impact Credit Scores Has On Down Payment On Home Purchase And Interest Expense Over The Term Of The Loan

Total interest paid on a 30-year fixed mortgage at 5.25% is $296,380. Total interest paid on a 30-year fixed mortgage at 4% is $215,608. A higher credit score in this example could save you $80,772! We hope you now see. the impact your credit score will have on your mortgage loan. Borrowers with higher credit scores will get lower interest rates. Lower interest means tens of thousands of dollars in savings in the course of the term of the loan.

Loan Level Pricing Adjustments On Credit Scores

LLPA:

LLPA stands for loan level pricing adjustment. This is a term used by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. These are adjustments to your interest rate based on certain eligibility factors such as credit score, loan purpose, occupancy, number of units, product type, and more. These loan level pricing adjustments are cumulative, and each adjustment will affect the interest rate you qualify for. These interest rate pricing adjustments are universal for every mortgage lender participating in conventional mortgage lending. As you can see from the chart below, the credit score is a major driving factor in the amount of the loan level
pricing adjustments added to your rate.

The third aspect of qualifying for a mortgage is down payment and/or available assets. The larger down payment you have available will increase your chances of qualifying for a mortgage. Your credit score will also dictate what mortgage products are available to you. For example, if your credit score is below 580, there are very few mortgage programs available to you. Credit scores below 620 will require VA or FHA mortgage lending. For our veterans, no down payment is required regardless of credit score. Depending on the underwriting qualifications, they may ask you to have reserves available.

Impact Credit Scores Has On Down Payment: FHA Loans Under 580 Credit Scores Versus Over 580 FICO

FHA mortgage lending requires a 10% down payment if your credit score is below 580. If your credit score is 580 or above, only a 3.5% down payment is required. Conventional mortgage lending requires a minimum of a 620 credit score and requires a minimum of 3% down. Putting down 3% is only available to first-time homebuyers. A first-time homebuyer is someone who has not owned a property in the previous three years (36 months before the application date). If you have owned a property in the past three years, your minimum down payment for a primary residence is 5% with conventional mortgage lending. The automated underwriting system for conventional mortgage lending can be tricky. With a credit score below 640, you may not get an automated conventional approval. Therefore credit score is important.

Impact Credit Scores Has On Down Payment: Importance Of Maximizing Credit Scores Prior To Applying For A Mortgage

Gustan Cho Associates cannot stress the importance of your credit score enough. Since we are experts in lower credit score mortgage lending, we have seen virtually every credit profile. We help clients with credit scores in the 800s and all the way down to the 500s. It is very easy to damage your credit score. As you may know, repairing your credit score can be difficult and time-consuming. If your credit profile is less than perfect, we encourage you to reach out to our team of mortgage experts. While we don’t recommend a credit repair agency, we may be able to point you in the right direction to raise your credit score in a reasonable timeframe. We have helped numerous clients raise their credit scores to qualify for the mortgage program that suits them best.

Starting The Mortgage Process With A Mortgage Company Licensed In Multiple States With No Lender Overlays

Gustan Cho Associates are made up of mortgage professionals who take pride in what they do. Our team is committed to offering fast and reliable service. In today’s competitive housing market, you must have a mortgage team you can trust. Our seasoned loan officers are available seven days a week to assist you with your qualifications. Any mortgage-related questions can be directed to Mike Gracz at (800) 900-8569 or send an email to mike@gustancho.com. We would love the opportunity to help you and your family realize the dream of homeownership become a reality.