People normally take a loan keeping in mind their income and monthly budget. A foreclosure happens when one faces some sort of surprises in life after taking the loan. It could be the loss of one’s job, reduced income, health issues, family issues and so on. As many of us know the future is unpredictable. Many try their best to avoid the state of foreclosure of their home because a home is one of the most basic of all necessities. In such a financial situation you will not be able to even think about buying another home.
A good location is very important while selecting a home to live in. It must be a place of choice and one which is well within the financial resources. It is deemed one of the wisest decisions to be made in life. A foreclosure can be avoided to a great extent by spending some time and money while making this decision.
One of the best ways to avoid falling into loan and interest traps is to be pre-qualified in financial matters. It is usually a good idea to consult a lender before making a final decision on the source. The lender reviews your financial status and current credit situation and then judges how much you can truly afford. You can get an insight on the fee and costs involved in taking a loan and the variation of interest rates while using variable rates v/s fixed rates of interest. These discussions will boost confidence levels considerably and the final decision will thus be much closer to the perfect one.
A buyer should first decide on the location and the type of home he can afford. It needs to satisfy his particular needs and must meet the estimated price. It is at this is the stage the buyer needs to be very careful. Detailed inspection of each and every feature of the home is to be done. One should not end up in a situation where there is a need to pay the mortgage and make payments for repairs to the home as well.
Many of the home owners who bought home in the last two to five years have ended up in foreclosure due to ‘liar loans’ available at that time. The buyer has no clue to what is hidden the loan agreement he signed. Each loan had traps hidden which were impossible for the borrower to identify. It is the responsibility of the borrower to have extreme clarity on the agreement he is signing especially on the adjustments offered on the interest rates.
Preparing a budget before the actual search for a home is of utmost importance; it will be really good if the estimated price of the home is less than what is actually affordable. Home loans are not only about principal and interest but it is also about understanding the PITI (principal, interest, taxes and insurance). Other than the principal and interest, expenses come in form of homeowner’s insurance demanded by the lender and also the property tax imposed by the county. After making the basic budget for the home, one must also include the additional repairs that are to follow along with expense on cars, household expenses and maintenance cost. The buyer will then get a real idea on whether or not he can afford the home. These steps can help avoid a lot of foreclosure on homes.