Will My Student Loans Hurt My Chance of Getting A Home Mortgage?

What Mortgage Lenders Are Looking At

When you apply for a mortgage, lenders don’t just look at how much you owe, your income is also a large factor. A couple’s and individual’s debt, including the new house payment, should not be more than 35% of the gross income.

Also, what is very important is the money you put down on the home. The more you put down the lender feels the less risk he takes on and the more likely you are to get the mortgage. Especially in today’s market, lenders are looking for very clean borrowers.

Next, lenders look at your credit score and the debt that is owed. Lenders divide debt into two categories; installment loans and revolving loans. Student loans, mortgages and car loans, which require you to pay a fixed amount each month, are considered on the installment side.

Your student loans do have an effect, but not necessarily negative. When credit scores are calculated, student loan debt is viewed more favorably than credit card debt. Owing a lot of money in installment debt is not going to hurt your credit score as much as maxing out your credit cards.

Many young adults often get themselves into trouble by blowing off their student loans. In 2006 the default rate of federally sponsored loans was more than 12%. That might not
Seem like much, but when you realize that even in the current mortgage “crisis” only 5.1% of mortgage payments were late in the second quarter of this year.

New graduates usually build their credit history based on credit cards and student loans. That is why it is so important to make all of your payments on time. Before you take on a mortgage, eliminate as many other financial commitments as you can. Pay down or even pay off car loans and any other debts possible.

When Your Student Loans Do Hurt Your Chance Of Getting A Mortgage

Not paying your student loans will adversely affect your lives and credit for many years. You have entered into a contract with a company and if you do not fulfill your part of the contract the financial nightmare can follow you for a long time.

Students have been given several options to aid them when they need help in the repayment process. We’ll start from the top and move on down. First is the standard repayment, which is the normal schedule on a monthly payment basis.

Next is the extended repayment program, which stretches the payments to 25 years. This however, increases the total amount of interest over the life of the loan.

The graduated repayment program is designed for borrowers who anticipate making increasing financial progress over time. It begins with interest-only payments up to four years then payments gradually increase. This also increases the total amount of interest the borrower pays over the life of the loan.

Income-Sensitive repayment program is for borrowers who do not earn enough to cover their loan payment. An arrangement is made for payment between 4% and 25% for the gross monthly income up to five years and once again the interest increases over the life of the loan.

The last and I believe is the smartest and most popular program is the consolidation repayment option. It allows borrowers to combine multiple loans into one, extend the repayment term, and, in some cases, lower the monthly payment.

There are ways to help you out when you are in trouble with repaying your student loan, however, these do not help you when it comes to applying for a mortgage.