Do You Understand the Impact of Your Debt on Your Home Loan?
Sunday, September 6th, 2009An borrowers debt ratio is one of the main things that a mortgage lender looks at when deciding whether or not to give a loan approval. This is essentially the ratio of the applicants personal debt to his net income. Debt ratio is also one of the things that the applicant can change before applying for a mortgage, and as such is something that any potential home buyer should take into consideration.
Each lender has fairly precise formulas for calculating an applicants debt ratio, but it is fairly common for a lender to require that net income outweigh the outstanding debt by 30% or more. The ideal applicant should have no more than thirty to forty percent of their income tied up in debt. It would be a bad idea to add a mortgage payment if the debt to income ratio is too high. Lenders also use the debt ratio to decide how much they are willing to loan and how much the monthly payment will be.
The basic formula for determining an applicants debt ratio is to take his net income, divide it by three, and then subtract the amount of outstanding debt. For example, if the applicant has a monthly income of $6,000 and no debt, then $2,000 a month is available for monthly mortgage payments ($6,000 3 = $2,000 – $0 debt = $2,000). However, if the same person has outstanding debt of $2,000 then as far as the mortgage lender is concerned there is no money available for a mortgage ($6,000 3 = $2,000 – $2,000 debt = $0). At first glance, having a net income of $6,000 a month and $2,000 in outstanding debt does not seem too bad, but a mortgage lender would view this negatively. (Of course, keep in mind that every lender has unique qualifications.)
The debt ratio is not the only factor taken into account when determining an applicants ability to make mortgage payments or what those payments should be each month. Making a large equity investment, or down payment, usually has a direct bearing on what ones monthly payments will be. The same is true if the borrower has significant semi-liquid assets besides his regular monthly income, such as a large stock portfolio or retirement plan. These and other factors can offset a less than ideal debt ratio. Nevertheless, the applicants debt ratio is one of the key factors that most mortgage lenders will look at.
Adjusting the debt to income ratio before applying for a mortgage is an advantageous step that potential homebuyers can do to put themselves in a better position. A borrower can increase the odds of approval by paying off debt before they apply for a mortgage loan.
Wendy Polisi is the founder of Credit Repair College and Finance the Dream. Credit Repair College empowers people to take control of their financial future by learning everything they need to know to repair credit on their own. For more information on credit repair secret please visit them on the web. Finance the Dream offers rent to own homes throughout the United States.