Securing Mortgage Loans with Bad Credit: How to Improve Your Chances

Oct 15
08:18

2012

Devora Witts

Devora Witts

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Homes are expensive, but that does not mean a mortgage loan with bad credit is out of the question. With some careful planning, the chances of getting the mortgage required is greatly improved.

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Buying a home is an expensive business,Securing Mortgage Loans with Bad Credit: How to Improve Your Chances Articles but that does not mean that getting a mortgage loan with bad credit is either impossible or a bad move. In fact, such a move can be worthwhile, especially when some simple measures are taken in advance to secure the best possible terms.Bad credit is something that can prove to be the difference between affordable and expensive, but it is possible to improve on this aspect of an application to increase the chances of both getting loan approval and getting the most affordable terms. The only question is what strategy to take, and how to improve your position.The effort is well worth it. Remember, that a mortgage loan is repaid over 25 or 30 years, so the commitment is huge. And, when savings of $100 per month translates to total savings of $36,000 over 30 years, the real value is clear to see.Why Restore Your Credit Reputation?Often, because applying for mortgage loans with bad credit can be fraught with uncertainty, the best move to make is to restore your credit before setting out to apply for the mortgage at all. This will greatly reduce loan costs, but it is important to bear in mind that some time and effort is needed to make it work.While a credit score is never the actual factor that decides on the success or failure of an application, it does have a definite influence on the affordability of the loan.  Online lenders usually offer more competitive loan packages than traditional lenders, and so getting loan approval is usually more straightforward.Bad credit has a definite effect on the interest charged and the size of the late fees charged. And depending on the terms of the mortgage loan, any failure to pay or late payment made could result in the interest rate increased further.Improving Your ScoreA simple way to improve your credit score is to clear some of your existing debt, like outstanding credit card balances etc. This effectively reduces the current monthly obligations, so when applying for mortgage loans with bad credit there is greater room to maneuver to meet the repayments that might be set.  This can be done by taking out either one consolidation loan to clear debts in one go, or to take out a series of small personal loans to deal with specific debts one at a time.  Getting loan approval to consolidate debts is fine, but be sure that the monthly repayments from the loan are less than the combined repayments on the debts cleared.Of course, there are different levels of bad credit, and it is unlikely that terrible scores (around 500) will be improved sufficiently to raise the score to an excellent 700. But an impact can be made, allowing the mortgage loan applicant to meet the terms half-way, so to speak - perhaps, to a more respectable 650.Securing the Best MortgageBuying a home is no small investment, so it is important to get things right from the start. This is especially true when seeking a mortgage loan with bad credit, where the influence of bad credit can ruin chances of getting the loan needed to buy the home desired. Knowing your options is essential.Your options improve dramatically after improving your credit score, which is why taking the time to sort out that aspect of your financial situation is worth it. But it is also important to find the right mortgage provider, as it can also make your chances of getting loan approval better too.Online lenders often offer the best terms, but specialist mortgage providers, like sub-prime lenders, can ensure the mortgage loan needed is secured, even if the terms are not perfect. So, be sure your budget is accurate before diving in.