House Refinance Center
Select A Broker To Speed Up Your Mortgage Approval
How To Speed Up
Your Loan
Approval

Refinancing your house is generally an easy
and simple process. It would normally take up
to three weeks. However, if there is a rush,
your lender can push the deal through in about
five days.

To help the process move along quickly there
are a few things you can do. When you go into
the office to complete an application, they are
several documents you can have ready.

  • Employment letter. Bring the original of
    your employment letter. It should be no
    more than 30 days old. Make a copy
    and keep it for your records. If your boss
    is going out of town, mention this to your
    lender so that he can call immediately. It
    would be a good idea to let you boss
    know that Mr. Jones from ABC Bank will
    be calling about the letter and your
    refinance.
  • Income verification. Bring the last 2 pay
    stubs or pay statements.
  • Tax returns. The last 2 years tax returns
    are helpful. They show your income and
    also some of your deductions. And it will
    indicate if you are likely to have a large
    outstanding tax bill
  • Bank statements. The last 3 months
    bank statements shows how you are
    handling your financial affairs. There
    should be no "bounced" checks, and
    reasonable overdraft fees. The bank
    statement also shows the mortgage
    payment every month.
  • Mortgage statement. The most recent
    mortgage statement will show your
    outstanding mortgage balance.

All that should be left is the appraisal and the
credit report. You have no control on these
two.

You should have obtained a copy of your
credit report before you made the application
for the refinance. If you know of any negative
marks on your report, mention this upfront.
Give an explanation of why this mark is on
your report. It is always wise to handle bad
news immediately, and frankly.

The appraisal has to be scheduled, so give
the lender all the possible phone numbers to
reach you. Try and be available for the
appraiser. Have the appraisal fees on hand
so that there is no waiting. And ask the
appraiser to release the report as soon as
possible. If you can't be at home when the
appraisal is scheduled, make arrangements
for a relative or a friend to be there.

Finally, return all phone calls that the lender
makes to you. If he doesn't call, make the time
to call him. Stay on top of the deal at all times.


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How To Select A
Mortgage Broker

The million dollar question is "should I use a
mortgage broker, or should I do it myself?
"

If you are busy with work, travelling out-of-town
often, and having an irregular schedule, a
mortgage broker is the way to go.  The broker
can do all the leg work and you can both keep in
touch by email, phones or faxes.

There are thousands of brokers to select from,
but which one is the right broker for you? Here is
what to look for.

  • Your mortgage broker should have lots of
    experience with refinancing. A broker could
    be great, but if he works exclusively with
    new home purchases, or first time
    homebuyers, he might not be the guy for
    you.

  • Impeccable reputation is a must. Ask for
    references. Call them and talk to them.
    Obviously you will get the best reviews from
    the "references" so learn to read between
    the lines. And look for any slip-ups in the
    stories. Check the various trade and
    professional associations the broker
    belongs to.

  • The type of client is a deal breaker. If a
    mortgage broker brags to you that he does
    a lot of sub-prime deals, and that he can
    get anyone with a heartbeat a mortgage,
    stay away and look for a different broker.
    There sure to be trouble down the road and
    you do not want to be drawn into any
    litigation or investigations.

  • The lenders that the mortgage broker
    works with says a lot about his honesty and
    integrity. Look for a broker  that represents
    major lenders and does FHA loans.

  • The mortgage broker should be a full-time
    professional broker.

  • The appraisers, lawyers and other
    contractors involved in the mortgage
    industry, that work with your broker should
    give an indication of his values. You need
    to stay with a broker that has high values.
    Sometimes in life bad news is inevitable.
    When this happens you want someone that
    can tell you upfront why the deal went sour.
    Someone who will give you an honest
    answer.

You have to trust your instinct as well. If you get
an uneasy feeling in your gut, walk away. Find
another mortgage broker. Never rush the
process of searching for a broker. If you do, you
will settle for the first broker that hands you a
business card.


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