Poor Credit? Get a Sub-Prime Mortgage Now, and Refinance to a Conventional Mortgage Later
There are great mortgage loans for people with poor credit, and yes, you can still save thousands of dollars. In order to receive preferential treatment for mortgage professionals, you'll need a credit score of 680 or better (this is considered A credit). If you have a score that is less than 600, you'll fall into a sub-prime loan category. Now, you'll need to get creative, in order to get your mortgage and not lose a fortune.
A sub prime lender will offer you virtually any type of loan that a conventional lender will offer, but you'll pay a much higher interest rate, as a risk premium. In other words, these lenders consider people with low credit scores risky borrowers, because they may have some poor payment history. Lenders like people who pay all their bills on time, even though it is not at all uncommon for people to occasionally miss a payment for one reason or another. So, the sub prime, or non-conforming, or niche, lender says, "We'll take the risk, but we want to make a lot more money, in order to do it." Don't worry. You can get it done, and improve your situation to refinance at a better rate later.
Let's assume you have poor credit, and you want to purchase a house for $100,000. You also have only five percent to put toward a down payment. You bring a twofold problem to the lender - poor credit and a very high loan-to-value, or LTV. You need to borrow $95,000 on a $100,000 home, so your LTV is 95%. As a general rule, lenders like purchasers to bring 10 to 20 percent of their own money to the table, again lowering the risk for the lender; they feel that the more money a borrower has in a deal, the less likely she is to default. So, your mortgage professional will find his best sub-prime lender, and take your application to him.
Now, if your debt-to-income ratio (amount you owe monthly vs. gross income monthly) is 50% or less, and your credit score is above 500, you'll likely get your $95,000 loan. Your interest rate, however, will be between 10% and 12%, creating a very large monthly mortgage payment. So, how are you going to win the mortgage game, in this case? You have two options.
First, you can improve the loan by reducing the LTV. In other words, instead of taking a loan at 95% loan-to-value, you apply for a first mortgage of $80,000 (80% LTV) and a second mortgage of $15,000 (15% LTV). Here's how you save money. Instead of borrowing $95,000 at, let's say, 12%, with a payment of $977, not including taxes and insurance, you have a loan for $80,000 at 8.75%, for a payment of $629. Your second mortgage is at 13%, with a monthly payment of $166. Now, your combined monthly mortgage payments with two loans are $795, saving you $182 monthly over the first mortgage at 12% and $2,184 each year.
The second option is to take an adjustable rate mortgage, which offers great savings, just like conventional loans. If you take a 2-year ARM, which sub prime lenders offer, you might be able to get a rate of 7% or 8%, instead of the 10% you'd likely get on a 30-year fixed loan. You might also talk to your mortgage professional about combining option one and two, and taking an ARM on your first mortgage at 80% LTV and still taking a second mortgage for $15,000. This could save you even more.
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Mark Barnes is an investment real estate and real estate finance expert. Get his free mortgage finance course at http://www.winningthemortgagegame.com. Mark is also the author of the new novel, The League, a shocking, sports-related conspiracy. Learn more about his suspense thriller at http://www.sportsnovels.com.
Latest News
 ABC News | A Rush Into Refinancing as Mortgage Rates Fall New York Times, United States - Mortgage rates immediately dropped, and that led to a surge in mortgage refinancing activity for the week — even with the Thanksgiving holiday. ... Treasury mulls plan to lower mortgage rates to 4.5% Homeowners' Refinancing Jumps by Record Pace Proposal could drop mortgage rates to 4.5 percent |
 Emirates Business 24/7 | Mortgage Refinance Applications Soar As Rates Fall EasyBourse.com, France - The Mortgage Bankers Association's index of refinance applications posted a record 203.3% increase over the previous week. Additionally, the US Treasury ... Fed will buy $500 billion in securitized home loans Mortgage rates fall, but many borrowers will have trouble qualifying US move cuts mortgages to lowest rate since February |
 RTT News | US MBA’s Mortgage Applications More Than Doubled Last Week Bloomberg - The Mortgage Bankers Association’s index of applications to purchase a home or refinance a loan jumped 112 percent to 857.7, the highest level since March, ... FINANCIAL STOCKS Bulls outlast bears in Wednesday grudge match Mortgage Apps On Rise As Rates Drop UPDATE 1-US mortgage applications post largest gain ever |
VA Specialty Lender Offers 100% Mortgage Refinancing PR Web (press release), WA - Salt Lake City, Utah (PRWEB) December 3, 2008 -- iFreedom Direct Corporation, a Salt Lake based mortgage company, is now offering 100% VA refinance "cash ... |
 Reuters | Bernanke Says US Must Step Up Foreclosure Efforts (Update1) Bloomberg - ... been prodding private mortgage servicers and bond investors to cooperate with government efforts to modify or refinance loans for troubled borrowers. ... Bernanke: More foreclosure help needed Op-Ed: Fed Throws Refinancing Party; No One Shows Up The Fed's Potentially Very Bad Policy |
Carmen: Time Is Right to Refinance Your Mortgage CNBC, Englewood Cliffs - Despite the doom and gloom in the economy, there's actually a glimmer of hope shining through for homeowners looking to refinance. The average interest rate ... |
Lower mortgage rates help but jobs, prices key Reuters - Applications to buy and refinance homes hurtled higher last week as the lowest rates since the summer of 2005 unleashed pent-up demand. ... |
Bally Total Fitness files for bankruptcy again San Francisco Chronicle, USA - Refinance volume more than tripled, while purchase volume increased 38 percent. Refinances accounted for 69.1 percent of applications, up from 49.3 percent. ... Thanksgiving week saw rise in mortgage activity |
Low rates breathe life into mortgage market Columbus Dispatch, OH - Spurred by average interest rates on 30-year fixed mortgages that are under 5.5 percent, many homeowners are considering refinancing. "The mortgage rates ... |
Refinancing a viable option for certain homeowners Monitor, TX - For the many locals who are still paying off subprime mortgages, refinancing is also likely not an option. But with a 30-year mortgage rate at close to 5.5 ... You can still refinance loans |
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