Mortgage Loans

FAQs

• Should I pre-qualify for a loan before I find a property to purchase? Why?With a mortgage loan pre-qualification, we’ll review your finances and estimate the maximum amount of loan for which you would qualify. Knowing how much home you can afford to buy upfront saves time when you start house hunting. It’s also beneficial to your real estate agent and the seller to know you actually qualify for a mortgage loan and are serious about purchasing the home.
• What can I expect when I apply for a mortgage?

  First, you'll complete our on-line application.

  The application will ask you questions about the home and your finances and takes less than 20 minutes to complete. As soon as you've finished the application, we'll review your request for instant approval. If your application is approved on-line, we can begin to process your request immediately.

  After completing your application, a Loan Officer will contact you to introduce himself or herself and to answer any questions you may have. If your request wasn't approved on-line, he or she will ask you for any information required to make a decision about your loan.

  If you are purchasing a new home, the Loan Officer will also contact the Real Estate Broker.

  We'll send you an application package by mail or secure email.

  The application package will contain papers for you to sign and a list of items we'll need to verify the information you provided about your finances during the on-line application.

  We'll order the appraisal from a licensed appraiser who is familiar with home values in your area.

  Title insurance will be necessary. We'll use the title insurance to confirm the legal status of your property and to prepare the closing documents.

  After we receive the application packet back from you and the appraisal, the Closing Agent will contact you to schedule your loan closing. If you are purchasing a home, they will also schedule the closing with the real estate broker and the seller.

  The closing will take place at the office of a title company or attorney in your area who will act as our agent.

  That's all there is to it! You're on your way to the most convenient home loan ever!

• Is there a fee charged or any other obligation if I complete the online application?There’s no cost at all for completing our application. After your loan is approved, you can decide whether you wish to lock in an interest rate and we can begin to process your request.
• What is a credit score and how will my credit score affect my application?

  A credit score is one of the pieces of information that we'll use to evaluate your application.

  Credit scores are based on information collected by credit bureaus and information reported each month by your creditors about the balances you owe and the timing of your payments. A credit score is a compilation of all this information converted into a number that helps a lender to determine the likelihood that you will repay the loan on schedule. The credit score is calculated by the credit bureau, not by lenders. Credit scores are calculated by comparing your credit history with millions of other consumers. They have proven to be a very effective way of determining credit worthiness.

  Some of the things that affect your credit score include your payment history, your outstanding obligations, the length of time you have had outstanding credit, the types of credit you use, and the number of inquiries that have been made about your credit history in the recent past.

  Credit scores used for mortgage loan decisions range from approximately 300 to 900. Generally, the higher your credit score, the lower the risk that your payments won't be paid as agreed.

  Using credit scores to evaluate your credit history allows us to quickly and objectively evaluate your credit history when reviewing your loan application. However, there are many other factors when making a loan decision and we never evaluate an application without looking at the total financial picture of a member.