By Bart Forcey


I want to buy a house so I better get a mortgage. That is as much thought as many people give to the single biggest amount of money they will ever borrow. Many people know more about their cable TV package than they do about their mortgage. By learning as much as you can about a mortgage before you sign up for one you will be able to make sure you are getting the loan that is right for you.

A mortgage is the name given to the loans used to buy real estate, whether it is a single family home, a duplex or even a piece of land you would still be getting a mortgage. The mortgage uses the property as security, so if you stop paying the bank or mortgage lender they can take over ownership of your house or property against which you borrowed. This is one of the reasons why you should not buy a house that is more expensive than you can really afford.

Buyers generally have a decision between an FHA or conventional loan unless they are a military veteran in which case they may qualify for a VA loan. VA loans are the only 100% loans available today. FHA loans usually involve a small down payment while conventional ones are the toughest to qualify for if you have any credit issues.

Occasionally, there are unique loan programs available to buyers, however most of these have gone away as economic and market changes have happened over the last couple of years. Gone are the days that someone can get a loan just because they can fog a mirror.

Before you even go and see your bank or mortgage lender it is wise to get all your financial information together, get your W2's, your credit card statements and any information on student loans together. This is the sort of information that you will need when you start to fill in the forms and having it all in one place makes everything much quicker.




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