The Home Equity Loan Zone

Often, when your lender scrutinizes your loan application for a new home or piece of property so finely that it is finally turned down, it can be very distressing. If this happens, you should be able to understand just why such a decision was taken and do what you can to remedy the situation. The cause for rejection given below will help you understand just why it happens to some people.

Causes for rejection:

The appraised value is far too low: Your lender perhaps found the ratio of the loan amount to the sale price or the appraised value of the property to be substantially lower than the purchase price or loan-to-value (LTV) ratio. Or perhaps the LTV is higher than your lender is allowed to approve. Then, perhaps you have applied for 90-95% of the purchase price as the loan amount. A low appraisal will then make your loan request far too large.

If the seller”??s price of the property far outstrips the prevailing rates in your locality, you would be best advised to renegotiate the price with him so that it conforms to the prices in the area. It should also be one which your lender would not refuse in order to pass your loan request. If this can”??t be done, it might be a better idea to accept a smaller loan amount, and pay the balance from your personal funds.

Insufficient funds: When your lender goes through your financial information and you”??re verification of deposit, he will find that you do not have enough funds to make the necessary down payment and cover closing costs. Even if these funds do not come from a loan, a gift could go a long way. Alternatively, you could ask the seller to take back a second mortgage on the property. This would help lower your down payment or get the seller to pay some of the closing costs, perhaps the origination fees. After all this, you could ameliorate the situation by just waiting in the wings, while you begin a savings scheme.

Do you have insufficient income? Lenders will refuse your loan application if they find that the mortgage payment on your property exceeds 28 percent of your monthly gross income. In addition, if your total debt including mortgage payments and other installments exceed 36 per cent, you stand to be refused. The figures are higher for FHA loans. But the situation can improve for you if your credit card record is good and you can prove that you already are carrying a huge household expense including rent or mortgage payments, perhaps your lender will swing his decision in your favor. This is just why you need to make a clean breast of your income and expenses while making an application.

Up to your eyes in debt: Often, lenders don”??t reject applications solely because of the amount of debt they carry on their heads. It is also the many credit cards they possess and revolving credit accounts with proof of rising account balances that come close to the limit prescribed. Such information is detrimental if you are out to prove your creditworthiness. To remedy the situation, you will need to pay off as many of your debts as possible and then reapply for a loan.

Poor credit history: What can be more devastating than to have your loan request turned down due to a history of poor debt repayment habits? If your lender sees that you have a history of making late charges often, owing amounts to the bank or insolvency, he”??s hardly likely to pass a loan application for purchase of property. Your lender is surely not going to be tolerant of a bad credit record. Even if you have had a low loan-to-value ratios and debt ratios, you cannot wipe out a history of poor credit.

Rejection is not the end of the world: Just because a lender rejects your loan application doesn”??t mean you can never own property in all your life. You can take corrective steps to improve your chances of acceptance. But if you work steadfastly at it, you can work a way round your problems. Find out why your loan application was rejected and work towards loan acceptance.

Scam Tactic Two – Forgery

Forgery is a key part of many scams. In the Detroit case cited above, the lender requested the title company to prepare two checks payable to the homeowner: one for $61,000 which the homeowner received and a second one for $42,000 which the corrupt lender endorsed with a forged signature and deposited into his own account.

In one California case, two con artists – one working as a financial advisor the other a handyman - convinced an elderly homeowner to take out a reverse mortgage to pay for home repairs. The financial advisor opened an account for the proceeds of the loan and forged the victim’s name to gain access to funds.

Another California case reported in the Santa Cruz Sentinel shows how dangerous it can be to sign “unfinished” documents:

Mrs. Sally Scott is 66 years old. While she receives Social Security and pension checks, she still can’t make ends meet. She saw an ad for a “reverse” mortgage — a loan that allows seniors age 62 or older to receive cash by borrowing against their homes and does not require repayment as long as they live there. Seeking a little financial cushion, she spoke to a mortgage broker about a $10,000 reverse mortgage.

When she received the loan papers, she noticed that the loan amount was $200,000. The broker promised that he’d change the figure, but insisted that she sign the paperwork first. Trusting the broker, Mrs. Scott signed.

A week later, she received a check for $200,000. She immediately notified the broker, who apologized for the mistake and instructed her to wire the money back. As it turned out, the account that Mrs. Scott returned the money to belonged to the broker. He disappeared, leaving her with a mortgage in default and no way to repay the loan.

Precaution: Never sign documents with blanks to be filled in or corrections to be made later. Carefully protect access to your checking and other accounts. Review and reconcile checking account and loan statements regularly. If you find something awry, contact your financial institution immediately.

In the Detroit case cited above, the victim caught on to the scam when she received a loan statement indicating the balance of her reverse mortgage (including interest) totaled $131,000.

Also, take advantage of the free credit reports available to you under federal law. Reviewing your credit report each year is also a good way to catch unauthorized financial activities under your name.

Part 3 Coming Soon

Mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures are increasing all across the country, especially in the highly volatile California housing market. Low income families that took out higher interest mortgage loans specifically designed for subprime borrowers are at the greatest risk.

As the mortgage industry became more competitive over the last ten years of rising home prices and record low interest rates, loans made to subprime borrowers – people with weaker credit ratings – suddenly became a billion dollar industry. In 1994, less than 5% of mortgages were at the subprime level. But by 2005, these loans accounted for over 20% of the market.

But the housing market is cooling off. Interest rates recently inched up and home prices are experiencing record breaking depreciation. The result? Many industry experts are concerned that too many borrowers are at risk for default. And they’ve got good reason.

Too many people took out loans with adjustable rates, interest only payments, balloon payments and other nontraditional mortgages. As interest rates and energy costs have risen, many of these borrowers are now facing serious challenges making their monthly payments.

Some experts are even concerned that an increase in foreclosures could threaten the country’s banking system. William Longbrake, a senior policy advisor to the Financial Services Roundtable, believes, “The worst is yet to come…. The bottom is probably still many months ahead.”

If you are or think you are going to have trouble making your monthly mortgage payments, don’t despair. There are things you can do to prevent foreclosure, but you must act immediately. Don’t wait.

Contact your lender right away and have an open, honest, conversation about the details of your situation. Lenders are not in the foreclosure business. They are willing to work with you and do what they can to help you keep your home. But the longer you wait, the more difficult the conversation will be.

In other future blogs, we’ll take a look at what you and your lender can specifically do to help prevent foreclosure.