Closing costs

those involved with the home sale (such as your lender for processing the loan, the title company for handling the paperwork, a surveyor, local government offices for recording the deed, etc.). The amount varies, but could be, say, $6000 on a $130,000 house. The range is all over the map -- from 1 to 8% of the price of the home, though more typically 2-3%. These costs are significant -- especially after you've already had to come up with a lot of cash for the down payment.

Your lender will give you a more accurate estimate of closing costs on the purchase of a particular house you've selected.  This is called a "Good Faith Estimate". If they don't give it to you, ask for it.

Tip: Make sure to get the Good Faith Estimate (GFE) from your Lender. Review it and compare it to the typical closing costs listed at Yahoo. Direct any questions about it to your lender and your realtor.

Tip: Roll in the closing costs into the mortgage. If you don't have enough cash to pay the closing costs, you can often get the closing costs added to the amount of the loan. For example, if the loan amount is for $150,000, and the closing costs are $4500, you'd add the closing costs to the loan amount so you'd actually be borrowing $154,500 total. This is handy if you're short on cash after making your down payment.

You need two things to be able to roll in your closing costs like this. First, you have to qualify for the bigger loan. If the bank will only loan you $150,000 from our earlier example and not a penny more, then you've already hit the maximum they're willing to loan. But don't get discouraged, because it's usually not a problem to get the bank to loan you a few thousand extra dollars extra.

The second thing is that the new loan amount can't exceed what's called the Loan-To-Value ratio (LTV), which is the amount of the loan compared to the to the value of the house, based on the appraisal. In simple terms, let's say the house is worth $100,000, and the bank will loan up to a 95% LTV, meaning they'll loan you up to $95,000. If your credit isn't so good then the bank might only loan up to an 80% LTV, meaning they'll loan you only $80,000.

Don't confuse the price of the house with the value of the house. The bank gets the value of the house -- what they think the house is worth -- from the appraisal, which is a report prepared by a professional which estimates the value of the house. The selling price could be higher or lower than the appraised value.

Okay, so the point of all this is, if you roll the closing costs into the mortgage, the new loan amount can't exceed your LTV. If the LTV amount was $120,000, and the $4000 closing costs would push the loan amount from $118,000 to $122,000, then the bank won't let you roll in the closing costs. You could get around this by making a larger down payment, so you don't have to borrow as much money from the bank, but if you have the extra money for the bigger down payment then you also have the extra money to just pay that money towards the closing costs instead of rolling them into the mortgage in the first place.

One way of rolling the closing costs into the mortgage is to have a seller concession. It's a little complicated so I recommend you just ask the lender if you can roll the closing costs into the mortgage the easy way. The lender might require that you use the seller concession method, though. If you have to go that route, the way it works is that you and the seller say that the sale price will be about 6% more than the price you agreed on, and then the seller "gives" you that extra 6% that you paid. For example, let's say the price was $100,000 and you're putting 10% down, or $10,000, so you're getting a loan for $90,000. You and the seller decide to go the seller concession route, so you agree that the price should be 6% more, or $106,000. That means you'll now put $10,600 down and get a loan for $95,400. See what happened? You got a loan for $5,400 more than the original loan. That's what you use to pay the closing costs. The seller doesn't keep the extra money because part of the deal is that (s)he gives that extra money back to you at closing.

Tip: Ask the seller to pay some of the closing costs. If you're short on cash for the closing costs and can't roll the closing costs into the mortgage, ask the seller if they're willing to pay part of the closing costs. It's not unusual for buyers to ask for this. Usually the worst that can happen is that they say no.

Tip: Get the lender to pay the closing costs. If you're short on cash for the closing costs and can't roll the closing costs into the mortgage, some lenders will pay part or all of the closing costs, but in exchange you'll have to pay a higher interest rate on the loan, perhaps 0.25% or 0.50% higher. Ask your lender if this is an option if you need it.

What to Know About Credit

There is nothing more important than your credit when it comes to buying a home. The first thing a lender will do is review your credit report. This is a history of money you have borrowed in the past and how you have repaid those debts. It contains a list of debts such as credit cards, car loans, and other loans. It shows any bills that have been referred to a collection agency. It lists other public record information such as liens or bankruptcies. And, it documents inquiries about your creditworthiness and whether you were extended credit or not. Your credit report is constantly updated and most information is deleted after 7 years (10 years for bankruptcies). This credit information then helps generate a computer-derived number that indicates your risk as a payer of debts. This is called your credit score. Your credit history and/or your credit score is used to decide whether your loan is approved and it could be used to determine your interest rate.

If You Don’t Have Credit

If you haven’t established credit, start now. Perhaps apply for a credit card or two, then use them carefully and pay them off each month. Once you’ve done this, you’ve started your credit history. Next, apply for credit on a store purchase such as an appliance, or a TV. Do this even if you have the cash to pay for it. When the first bill comes, use your cash to pay it off in total. You see, buying on credit and paying it off helps your credit better than buying something for cash.

If You Have Bad Credit

It can take awhile to improve bad credit, but it can be done. Since credit scores reflect much of your most recent activity, the first thing you should do is to start paying on time. Pay all of your bills, even if it’s just the minimum. Never pay less than what is due, and never pay late. And, don’t max out your credit cards because it indicates poor money management. One of the best things you can do is to make a budget to help with your monthly expenditures and then live by it. Also, start a savings account and make it part of your budget. You will need money for a down payment, or it will help if you lose your job or source of income.

Determining the Right Home for You

There are a number of things to consider when choosing the right home and everyone’s priority is different. Where should it be located; neighborhood preference; single or multi-level, number of bedrooms and baths; square footage; yard size; features; quality of schools; age of home; interior or exterior appeal; and most of all, price, because if it’s out of your budget, it can’t be considered.

Make a List

Make a priority list of things important to you. Start with the most important, things you have to have. Then work down the list, putting them in order of most important. After you are done, go up to the top and move down until you get to a place where you can draw a line. Above the line should be all of the items you have to have, and below the line should be all of the things that would be nice to have. This will save you a great deal of time and provide a clear focus for your house hunting.

Working with an Agent

Although the Internet can provide you with homes matching your criteria and it seems easy to drive around, take notes, and set up appointments to view homes for sale, using an agent can be more efficient. They can do the same thing for you, but by working with an agent, you benefit from their knowledge and experience also. Their advice could better help you determine the right home for you and they can assist you with the actual purchase contract.

What to Do When You Find the Right Home

Considering everything has come together, the price is within your budget, and a home has met your demands, it’s time to make an offer. Part of the offer should require a home inspection so you have reliable information about any major problems or repairs you might incur and how they will be handled. If your offer is accepted, the sale proceeds. If your offer is not accepted, the seller may counter-offer with different terms.

Figuring What You Can Afford

In addition to your monthly mortgage payments, there are many things to factor in when determining how much you can afford, or even if you can afford to buy a home at all. There is a down payment for the loan, closing costs, moving expenses, plus purchases and maintenance for the new home. Generally, your annual gross income multiplied by 2.5 will give you an approximate amount for the price of home you can afford. It could vary depending on how much you have as a down payment, your debts, financial situation, and credit history/rating. Your debts, including alimony and child support, should not be more than 30 to 40% of your gross income.

Monthly Mortgage Payment

Lenders want to make sure you have the ability to pay your loan. As a general rule of thumb, you can figure that your monthly mortgage payment should be equal to or less than 25% of your gross monthly income. This also will vary depending on circumstances.

Amount of Money Needed

You will need money for a down payment and closing costs, plus any move related expenses and maintenance or repair costs for your home.

Down Payment – Your down payment is a percentage of the property value and is usually from 3 to 20%, or more if you want a lower loan amount. This can vary by the type of mortgage you obtain. Also, if your down payment is less than 20%, you may be required to pay mortgage insurance (PMI or MI).

Closing Costs – these are settlement costs involved in purchasing your home. They range from 2 to 7% of the property value and include such things as points (a percentage paid for securing a particular interest rate), financing fees, taxes, title insurance, pre-paid and escrow items, and your down payment. You will receive an estimate of these costs prior to closing.

12476 KUMQUAT Pl CHINO CA SOLD!!!!

Beds: 3

Baths: 2

Sq. Ft.: 1,520

$/Sq. Ft.: $201

Lot Size: 7,200 Sq. Ft.

Property Type: Residential, Single Family

Style: One Level

Year Built: 1974

Community: Chino

County: San Bernardino

MLS#: T10121770

Source: MRMLS

Beautiful Single Story home in the heart of Chino. Home has remodeled kitchen with custom cabinets and granite counters. Upgraded bathrooms, with new carpet and paint. To top it off there is plenty of RV PARKING for all your toys and the backyard has room for the kids to play. Probably the cleanest home in the neighborhood and ready for you to move in. This is a standard sale, so no long waits for banks to respond and repairs to deal with. Come on down, the price is right!

Buyer's agents: David Hood & Maria Gracian AdoreRealty,Inc.

Listing Provided Courtesy of: James Brennan, Pacific Coast Realty Group Inc