Wise Observer

If you’re thinking about buying a home but have declared bankruptcy in the past, don’t give up hope. There are still ways for you to be able to find a loan, even if your credit history is less than sterling.

Lenders make various kinds of home loans, normally graded from “A” all the way down to “D.” The more problems that show up on your credit report–slow pays, late pays, or even bankruptcy–the lower the grade of loan you’ll be able to qualify for. If you’re employed and have a relatively good income, you’ll get better terms, even though you won’t qualify for a “Grade A” loan. The longer you’ve been at your current job, the better, because it shows stability.

Here are some general rules about the qualifications lenders look for before giving consumers the various grades of home loans:

To qualify for an AA loan, lenders must see no late payments or any other difficulties when they look at your credit history for the past two years. First, we’ll look at the top of the line loans, all in the A grade category.

To qualify for an A+ loan, you can only have one late payment in that two-year time period. An A- loan is available to borrowers whose credit report shows two or three late payments, and have at least two credit cards. Borrowers in the A category will normally be qualified for all the various perks that lenders offer, such as low interest loans and low down payments.

But if you’ve had a bankruptcy in the past, you’re choices are more limited, and you’ll generally need a larger down payment.

For instance, a grade B loan can be obtained by borrowers who’ve been at their jobs for a reasonable length of time in as little as 18 months after declaring bankruptcy, assuming that they’ve been able to reopen at least one line of credit during that time and kept it current. Usually the lender will require 15% down, and the best interest rate the borrower can generally get is 6-7%.

A grade C loan will require good, steady employment, and may be available within a similar time frame as a B grade loan. The interest rate is generally higher, currently at about 8.5%, and the down payment requirements are considerably higher. For instance, a lender will normally require 20% down on $300,000 house or 40% down on a $500,000 home.

You’ll need a significant amount of down payment to qualify for a grade D home loan, as well, and the interest rate will normally run between 9.95-10.7%, depending on your overall credit score. If you’re employed and your credit score is above 500, you can put down as little as 30% on a $300,000 home or 45% on a $450,000 house. If you’re self-employed, however, you’ll need 45% down just to buy a $250,000 home.

If you’re hoping to purchase a home, talk to your local lender to see what their criteria are for their various grades of loans. Even if you’ve had a bankruptcy in your past, that doesn’t mean you can’t buy a home. It just means it may take some time, you’ll need to establish a strong employment history, and you’ll need to save more money for a down payment than if the bankruptcy hadn’t occurred.

(c) Copyright 2004, Jeanette J. Fisher. All rights reserved.

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Second mortgages are important real estate tools that have been used for many years. A particular type of second mortgage is called a commercial second mortgage. These are used in combination with a first loan and as a main difference a second commercial mortgage will have a term much less than the first one (usually this new one is a 5 year loan).

In many situations, such a second mortgage is required, but the possibility to repay it must be taken into account and assessed properly. Borrowers must be sure that the money acquired will make a good investment for their commercial business or that they can pay their first loan and second loans at the same time.

Several qualified people are able to help borrowers find a good second mortgage. Also, whenever people apply for a commercial second mortgage a free assessment of their financials will be done. This is routine and is very helpful, as the borrower will then know exactly what they can afford, and their picture about their business and financial power will be up to date. With this information in hand, borrowers can then decide if taking the loan is a good solution or not.

People who are not approved will at least know their exact financial state and can risk it by applying somewhere else where they will be approved. The risks are higher but the rewards can be high if the borrower is careful in choosing the amount borrowed and the terms of the loan.

Taking a commercial second mortgage is a very big step and should be very well thought out. The repayment rates are higher than with a first loan and they must be paid on a shorter term. It is advisable to consult a financial professional before taking a commercial second mortgage in order to fully know and understand all of the available options.

Second Mortgages provides detailed information about second mortgages, second home mortgages, second mortgage brokers and more. Second Mortgages is affiliated with Mortgage Loans Dallas.

For the last five years, owners of California real estate have been hitting the ball out of the appreciation ballpark. Yes, a real estate market on steroids.

California

California is heavily populated from north to south along the coastline, but they state offers significantly different ecologies. In Northern California, one is much more likely to see signs of the four seasons, get cold temperatures and more historic feel in locations such as San Francisco. Southern California, on the other hand, has an extremely moderate climate with temperatures rarely dipping below 60 degrees even in the winter. Rainfall is also scant with San Diego receiving roughly 11 inches a year. If you are considering moving to California, there are two constants throughout the state.

Traffic

So many people have moved to the state that traffic can be a real issue even on weekends. Los Angles traffic is legendary, but San Francisco and San Diego have their own congestion problems.

Earthquakes

Earthquakes are a constant throughout the state as the San Andres Fault bisects much of the state. Earthquakes happen all of the time, but they are typically very small. If you live in California for more than a month, you won’t even notice them.

Beaches, Sun and Culture

There are serious benefits to living in California. Foremost, of course, are the beaches. If the thought of spending weekends and evenings on the beach appeals to you, this is the place. You’ll pay a premium for it, but there is nothing like it. For example, the temperature in San Diego on October 5, 2005, the day I am writing this, is 79 degrees!

California Real Estate

California is an incredible place to live and real estate prices reflect it. Single-family home prices average as follows for the three major metropolitan areas - $620,000 for San Diego, $1,300,000 for central San Francisco and $750,000 for central Los Angeles. As a general rule, the closer the home is to the ocean, the more it will cost.

As shocking as the prices are, the rate of appreciation is downright impossible to believe. In the last 12 months, California real estate has appreciated over 25 percent. For a 500,000 home, that is a gain of $125,000 in 12 months. Steroids indeed!

Real estate is all about location, location, location. While this is certainly a clich©, there is no doubt it is true in California.

Raynor James is with www.fsboamerica.org - FSBO homes for sale by owner. Visit our “sell my home” page at www.fsboamerica.org/seller.cfm to sell your home yourself with a free 1 month listing.