Buying a new home is one important event in a person’s life. It is also a complex business when one considers the variety of choices to be made. Among the many considerations included are style, amenities, proximity to school and the general location.
Included in the complex business are the complicated aspects of the buying process. This is most true for those without past experience. This is where the services of a mortgage broker are badly needed for a would-be home buyer.
Mortgage broker duties
The mortgage broker serves as the go-between the lender and the borrower while handling the time-consuming process of securing the loan and gathering the considerable paperwork involved.
Mortgage brokers will compile all these needed paperwork that includes credit reports, bank statements, and the employment history for borrowers who wants to buy a house or refinancing an older loan.
Loan amount
The broker actually determines an appropriate loan amount, loan-to-value (LTV) ratio, and the borrower’s ideal loan type, then submits the loan to a lender for approval. The broker communicates with the borrower and the lender during the entire transaction through closing.
Once everything had been agreed upon, the mortgage funds are loaned in the name of the mortgage lender, and the mortgage broker collects his commission from the lender as compensation for his services.
The borrower may also be responsible for paying all or part of that fee in the closing statement. The broker only gets paid when the loan transaction is completed.
Time and effort
A mortgage broker can help a borrower save a huge amount of time and effort. Some borrowers tend to call several lenders individually and try to work over complicated loan offers.
A mortgage broker who works with multiple lenders can help borrowers identify the best loans and rates from a broad range of loan programs. In all these, a borrower simply works with the broker to determine how much loan the borrower is likely to qualify for.
Anticipation
A broker is expected to anticipate problems that may arise during the whole process of application. He is also expected to be able to determine which issues might create difficulties with one lender versus another.
Mortgage brokers are expected to be versatile to work with lawyers, underwriters, title companies, and even including the seller’s real estate agent.
Fees
Mortgage brokers are paid in two basic ways: through fees paid by borrowers or by way of commissions paid by lenders. The amount of fees and commissions are variable, but brokers can earn up to 2.75% of the total loan amount, depending on who is paying.
Borrower fees are those paid by the borrower typically range from 1% to 2% of the total loan amount. They can be paid as a lump sum at closing. However, they are sometimes rolled into the total loan amount or they are otherwise incorporated into loan fees.
Commissions
Lender
commissions, ranging from 0.50% to 2.75% of the total loan amount, are paid by
the lender after closing. Not many people know that when lenders pay
commissions to the brokers, they typically pass these costs on to borrowers by
building them into the cost of the loan.