The Mortgage Files

Nationally syndicated mortgage news and advice from Senior Loan Officer Scott Sheldon.

How Long after a short sale can I get a mortgage?

By Scott Sheldon / February 28, 2013

In order to get a mortgage despite having a short sale, you’ll have to provide some things to the mortgage lender including the final closing statement and/or copy of the deed on the note that was short saled previously. This is probably in the documents you receive from the title company when you did the…

How long after a bankruptcy can I buy a house?

By Scott Sheldon / February 27, 2013

This depends on whether or not the bankruptcy was a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13. A Chapter 13 bankruptcy is typically 12 months with court approval for the purposes of getting a mortgage with at least a 620 credit score or better. Lets assume for our purposes it was a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the full…

$72,000 Income: How Much House Payment Can I Qualify For?

By Scott Sheldon / February 22, 2013

This it depends on all four factors of creating a mortgage, credit, debt, income and assets. Assuming you have the necessary assets for down payment and/or reserves in the bank and your credit score is considered good, let’s look at the meat and potatoes, is there enough income to offset all monthly liabilities? How the…

My credit score is 620, what type of mortgage can I qualify for?

By Scott Sheldon / February 20, 2013

You are in luck! A middle 620 credit score or higher is needed for a conventional loan with at least 20% down. This could be your own funds or the funds can come in the form of a gift from family or close friends. This would typically be a non-mortgage insurance loan such as a…

Do I really need to get a second pre-approval when buying a house?

By Scott Sheldon / January 22, 2013

In short sometimes. Here’s what happens, the bank that owns the property is typically trying to control the transaction both on the listing side as well as on the buying side. Example-a bank such as Bank of America owns a house, in order for them to even consider looking at your purchase offer, they will…

What's The Maximum Debt To Income Ratio For Harp 2 Refinance Loans?

By Scott Sheldon / January 22, 2013

The Harp 2 Refinance Program allows homeowners to refinance without any loan-to-value restriction. The program is slated to expire December 31, 2013, so if you qualify, start the process now. Despite what your current mortgage lender will tell you or what you might hear in the media, the program does have debt to income requirements…

What credit score do I need for a VA home loan?

By Scott Sheldon / December 18, 2012

While HUD, does not have a minimal credit score requirement for VA loans, or even FHA loans, most lenders have a credit score requirement of at least 640 or higher in order to successfully fund and close a VA home loan. If your credit score is 640 or better, you meet them credit score eligibility…

What's the minimum credit score for getting an FHA mortgage?

By Scott Sheldon / December 17, 2012

You will need to have a middle credit score of 620 or better for an FHA mortgage. Additionally, this is for single-family residences and you have to have two months of mortgage payments saved/liquid in the bank. 620 FHA credit scores are good I’m purchase transactions on loans to $417,000.