Lender Not Required to Provide GFE until Borrower Under Contract

The new regulations do not require the lender to generate a GFE or hold the lender to their fees until the borrower is under contract with a property.  This means that you can’t realistically shop between lenders until you are under the time constraints of a purchase contract. Waiting until you are under contract to stop start shopping for your loan and then beginning the loan approval process is going to make it very difficult to close your transaction in a timely manner.

What Happens if I Don’t Have Loan Approval?

problem new GFE for San Mateo home buyersWorst case if you don’t have loan approval before your financing contingency is up (typically 14 to 17 days after you go into contract) you could very well lose the home of your dreams and could also lose your earnest money in the process.

How Can You Avoid Problems with Financing?

To avoid all of this hassle, my advice is to work with somebody you can trust, have confidence in and is there to be a true advocate to you.  Even before the new regulations were in place, I have always provided my clients with an accurate estimate of closing costs and the funds needed to close their transactions at the very beginning of the loan process.  I do not wait until you are under contract, as I think you need to have a clear understanding of how much it is going to take to close the transaction before you start submitting offers.  If it is important to understand how much it is going to cost you to buy a home, ask your Mortgage Advisor to provide you with the breakdown of the costs before you start looking for a San Mateo home.

Want a Second Opinion?

I’d be happy to take a second look at your loan or Good Faith Estimate issued by another lender, free of charge.  I can help you determine whether this is the best loan program for you and if you are getting the best mortgage interest rate.

If you’re in good hands…we’ll tell you!  If there’s something you should be concerned about, we’ll tell you that too!  Then, you decide what the best course of action is.  Call me at (650) 520-0915 or email me at info@SanMateoMortgageBlog.com to schedule a no obligation consultation.

Will Big Banks Stop Issuing Pre-Approvals?

The new regulations have definitely turned the loan process upside down for most lenders.  So much so that I’ve heard some big time lenders may to stop issuing genuine pre-approvals to borrowers before they look for a home!  Tune in next time to learn the importance of getting a pre-approval before you start shopping for a home and why some lenders may stop issuing this service.

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How to Read the New Good Faith Estimate

February 5, 2010

In my previous post, I touched on some new lending regulations and the standardized Good Faith Estimate for San Mateo home buyers from HUD to help minimize the confusion of different forms.  HUD’s goal was to ensure lenders quote realistic fees, help avoid last minute closing cost surprises and help the home buyer make an [...]

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New Good Faith Estimate Misses the Mark

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At the beginning of 2010 new lending guidelines went into effect regarding how loan originators handle the loan process and how closing costs must be disclosed to the buyer.  One of the new rules included a nationwide standard Good Faith Estimate (GFE).  The purpose of the new Good Faith Estimate is to hold lenders to [...]

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How to Claim the Home Buyer Tax Credit

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Now that you’ve received all of your W-2s and 1099’s, home buyers who purchased a San Mateo home in 2009 are starting to think about their taxes so they can (hopefully) get some money back from the IRS with the home buyer tax credit. Several clients have asked how to claim the home buyer [...]

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First Time Home Buyer Class – How to Buy Foreclosures

February 1, 2010

Date/Time: Tues Feb 16, 2010 at 7pm
San Mateo First Time Home Buyer Class
Lately there has been a lot of buzz surrounding pre-foreclosures and foreclosures in San Mateo. Can a San Mateo home buyer really get a good deal on a distressed property or is all the hype just for headlines?
What Will You Learn?
We’ll spell [...]

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