Predatory lending warning signs
Frequently Asked Questions
Straight answers to the questions we hear most.
The most common strategies include:
Round Up Your Payments: Rounding up your payment to the nearest $100 or $500 adds extra principal each month.
Make One Extra Payment Per Year: This is a simple and highly effective method.
Use Windfalls: Apply tax refunds, work bonuses, or inheritance money directly to your principal.
Bi-Weekly Payment Plan: This automatically results in an extra payment each year.
Before doing this, ensure your lender doesn’t charge prepayment penalties and that all extra payments are applied to the principal, not future interest.
Round Up Your Payments: Rounding up your payment to the nearest $100 or $500 adds extra principal each month.
Make One Extra Payment Per Year: This is a simple and highly effective method.
Use Windfalls: Apply tax refunds, work bonuses, or inheritance money directly to your principal.
Bi-Weekly Payment Plan: This automatically results in an extra payment each year.
Before doing this, ensure your lender doesn’t charge prepayment penalties and that all extra payments are applied to the principal, not future interest.
No, a pre-approval is a conditional commitment. The final loan approval is contingent on a satisfactory home appraisal, a clear title search, and no material changes to your financial situation (like job loss or new debt) between pre-approval and closing.
An origination fee is a charge from the lender for processing your new loan application. This fee is typically between 0.5% and 1% of the total loan amount and covers the cost of underwriting, administrative work, and document preparation.
Underwriting is the lender’s detailed evaluation of your loan application. An underwriter will verify all the information you provided, assess your creditworthiness, confirm the property’s value via the appraisal, and ensure the loan meets all guidelines. They may issue conditional approvals, asking for additional documentation before making a final decision.
A mortgage rate lock (or rate commitment) is a lender’s guarantee that your agreed-upon interest rate and points will be honored for a specified period, usually until your closing date. This protects you from market fluctuations while your loan is being processed. Lock periods are typically 30, 45, or 60 days.
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