What Is A Rate Lock?

Mortgage rates change constantly through an unpredictable combination of government policies and economic conditions. This video explains the common term ‘rate lock.’ A “Rate Lock” is a guarantee that a lender will honor a specific combination...

What Is A Qualified Mortgage?

As this video explains,  Federal laws put into effect in 2014 and  supervised by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau define lending practices and loan terms for a new category called “Qualified Mortgages.” They provide stable loan...

What Does Ability To Repay Mean?

What are the “Ability to repay” rules about? In a nutshell, as this video shows, new laws require lenders to make a good-faith assessment of a borrower’s capacity to pay back their loan over time. It’s a longer-term view that goes...

What Is The Debt-To-Income Ratio (DTI)?

Measuring your existing debts against your existing income is one part of a lender’s required assessment of your ability to repay a loan. Like the video says:  debts are existing financial commitments; a car payment is a debt a grocery bill is...

When Do I Get My Loan Closing Disclosure?

If an eligible loan proceeds from Estimate to closing, creditors must provide a Closing Disclosure form documenting the actual transaction terms and costs THREE business days before consummation. It must be in writing, whether paper or digital, and disclose ONLY the...

Understanding Your Loan: Closing Disclosure Page 1

The first page of your Closing Disclosure documents: The Loan Amount – the total you will actually borrow The Interest Rate – which does NOT include the fees factored into the APR on Page 5 If this loan has a penalty for pre-payment or includes a balloon...

Understanding Your Loan: Cash And Transaction Summaries

Page 3 of your Closing Disclosure will compare cash requirements from your Loan Estimate to your actual final charges. If “Did this change?” is “YES” notes for changed sections should be provided. The bottom line final “Cash to Close” is the money you will need...

Understanding Your Loan: Closing Cost Details

Page 2 of your Closing Disclosure details specific closing costs. Section A includes: Origination charges collected by the lender Origination fees paid to brokers, loan officers or other parties and Discount Points – prepaid interest. These figures should match...

Your Rights And Rules For Closing Disclosures

The Closing Disclosure documents the actual terms of your loan transaction. You should receive it no later than 3 business days before consummation. It must be in writing – paper or digital. If the loan terms or costs change prior to consummation, your lender...