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Buying a house is a wonderful accomplishment, and part of buying a house is negotiating your mortgage. With the recent crash of the housing market, it’s more important than ever to make sure that you are getting the best deal on your mortgage that you can. By listening to the right people and asking the right questions, you can rest assured that your mortgage will work for you.

1. Before going to get preapproved for a mortgage, sit down and have a look at your budget. Take into account the total take-home pay you have every month and list out all your fixed expenses, minus rent. Keep in mind that your housing expenses should be no more than 30% of your take-home pay. Taking into account mortgage, homeowners insurance, interest, and property tax, figure out how much home you can comfortably afford.

2. Now that you have this number in hand, take a trip to your local mortgage broker or credit union. Which place you go to depends on the interest rates and services they can provide; credit unions often have lower interest rates, but mortgage brokers have a greater variety of different mortgage types. Bring with you a month’s worth of paystubs, your last two tax returns, and your driver’s license. The mortgage specialist can help you get preapproved. In many cases, the amount you get preapproved for is higher than the amount that you figured to fit into your budget. In this case, stick with your number—you don’t want to end up house-poor.

3. Decide with your mortgage professional what kind of mortgage you want. There’s the fixed-rate mortgage, which keeps your mortgage rate the same for thirty years. This rate is often higher, but you don’t have to worry about it changing. A variable rate is typically locked in for three to five years, but may go up after that period.

4. Once you’re house hunting and you’ve settled on a house, you may have a time in which you can lock in your mortgage. In federal programs, such as the FHA, the mortgage rate fluctuates from day to day. Locking it in on a low day will keep that rate for you for the life of your mortgage. Your mortgage professional may have insight as to the current state of the market and when it’s best to lock in your rate.

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13y ago

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