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CENTURY21
Northumberland Realty (1987) Ltd.
902.888.7237
nicolle@century21pei.com
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Most Islanders aspire to own their own PEI home. You probably do too if you are reading this, in fact if you are visiting PEI real estate websites such as this. You may find that you qualify easily for a mortgage but should that not be the case, here is some information about securing a mortgage and repairing your credit so that you qualify to make a PEI real estate purchase for your to perusal.
Most people dont know what is on their credit report and the first time they get worried is if they are turned down on a credit application. Plan your financial health the same way you would your dental health. Get a checkup and that means get your credit report. Your credit report tells who you owe what money too. It tells if there are any outstanding claims against you as well. If you know the score you can have inaccuracies corrected before you attempt to purchase PEI real estate. This part of your credit report is free. Your Credit Score, which is a number between 300-900 is not. You will have to buy this part of your report (usually just over $20) from a credit reporting agency such as Equifax or Transunion. If your score is less than 600 you will have a harder job securing PEI home financing and the interest rate on your PEI real estate purchase if you do will be higher – so start repairing your credit. The possibility of being able to get into the PEI real estate market and purchase a PEI home depends very much on your credit. Your bank or financial institution will look very carefully at your credit history when deciding if you qualify to borrow on a PEI real estate investment.
Make sure that you have a convenient method such as online banking or bill paying at your ATM to ensure that you can easily pay your bills in a timely manner. If you have to be late be sure to talk to creditors prior to the incident and get their co-operation ensuring that they don’t file a report with a credit agency. Credit reports filed for late payment will negatively affect your creditworthiness to borrow on a PEI real estate purchase and delay PEI home ownership.
Lenders like to see that you have savings. It shows financial responsibility as well as financial capability. You have been able and had the foresight to put a portion of your monthly income away so that you can make a PEI real estate investment. You will need money in the bank for closing costs, down payment and as a contingency fund should anything unforeseen happen after purchasing your PEI home, whether repairs, loss of income, sickness etc.
Make sure that you pay your rent on time, as well as any utilities. Ensure that you have made timely rent payments for at least a year. If you are in a lease, although that is less common when discussing PEI real estate rentals, make sure that if you are going to break that lease that you pay any penalties that the lease imposes. Failure to pay these could result in a negative credit report in the same manner as any other default in payment and this will also impact in a negative way on your chances for PEI home ownership and making an investment in PEI real estate.
Make sure that you have a convenient method such as online banking or bill paying at your ATM to ensure that you can easily pay your bills in a timely manner. If you have to be late be sure to talk to creditors prior to the incident and get their co-operation ensuring that they don’t file a report with a credit agency. Credit reports filed for late payment will negatively affect your creditworthiness to borrow on a PEI real estate purchase and delay PEI home ownership
Lenders like to see that you have savings. It shows financial responsibility as well as financial capability. You have been able and had the foresight to put a portion of your monthly income away so that you can make a PEI real estate investment. You will need money in the bank for closing costs, down payment and as a contingency fund should anything unforeseen happen after purchasing your PEI home, whether repairs, loss of income, sickness etc.
With an average of $2000 in credit card debt per household, lenders are seeing increased credit card reliance as a warning sign. Try to pay off as much credit card and other consumer debt as you can. Additionally, do not borrow for a new car or any major purchase before applying for a mortgage as this will change your financial debt ratios and decrease your chances for a successful PEI real estate purchase. Make sure that other major purchases are done after your mortgage is in place and your purchase has closed. Be aware that lenders may not follow through on a pre-approval if your financial situation changes and this can destroy your chances to make a smart PEI real estate investment and enter the ranks of PEI home owners.
If your credit score is substandard you may need to consider a ‘bad credit’ mortgage. These are mortgages carried by lenders willing to accept the higher risk that you represent in exchange for a higher return (interest rate) than a customer with a higher credit score would get. However you will still get better terms if you have a demonstrable long term work history (long time with same employer), a good income to debt ratio, and/or a substantial down payment. All the preceding factors can help a bad situation when buying PEI real estate.
You should choose your mortgage lender with some care and avoid lenders who charge a high fee for securing your mortgage that is added to the mortgage principal, if the lender insists that you pay for unnecessary or overly expensive insurance, or takes any action that would result in you having a higher than required loan. You do not want to add to the front end of your PEI real estate purchase.
If you are planning to re-finance your PEI real estate purchase soon as your credit becomes better you should consider the penalty for early payment and other re-mortgaging costs against the savings to be had at the lower interest rate. This should be considered when choosing a term for your mortgage as well.
While it is possible to purchase PEI real estate even with less than stellar credit or simply a lack of credit history (in the case of young people) there are certainly pitfalls to avoid when trying to enter the PEI real estate market with poorer credit. Don’t hesitate to call on Nicolle to answer your PEI real estate questions. She may be able to offer you unique solutions to your financial situation and PEI real estate ownership.