Wednesday, 30 July 2008

Discover how to Buy a Home with a Zero Down Mortgage

By Rob Kosberg


Many people today would love to purchase a Home in this incredible Buyers Market but they think they need tens of thousands of dollars for a down payment. This is simply not true. A littel known government program allows any buyer to own their dream home with absolutely Zero Down Payment.

The following will walk you through how to buy a home with no money down and no money out of pocket using a government program (FHA) and a DPA.

Your first step is to get in contact with an Mortgage Planner that specializes in FHA and works with a DPA. DPA is short for down payment assistance program. One of the longest running and most used DPA's is the Nehemiah program. Nehemiah has assisted over 275,000 buyers and sellers since 1998. They are government approved and HUD compliant.

Now you will need to get pre-qualifed for a DPA with a certified DPA specialist. Most people are concerned about credit with a no money down program but credit does not need to be perfect. Credit scores can be as low as 550 to qualify. FHA is primarily concerned with the borrowers ability to repay. So they will be focused on the income verification and will look at your last 2 years of income verification. Any owner occupant is eligible for this program.

Now it's time to start looking for your home. FHA limits have increased recently so you may be surprised how high you can go. In some areas (Los Angeles) FHA limits go up to $729,000. In most other areas the limit is $423,000. With values down all over the country this is an ideal time to buy.

Now it's time to negotiate with the seller. The seller will be contributing the entire down payment to you through Nehemiah (or other DPA) and give you a credit for closing costs as well. This will require their cooperation. You will be asking for a contribution of between 7-12% so your offer should be closer to the listing price of the house. Due to market conditions sellers are more flexible than ever. They are primarily concerned with how much they are going to net (or walk away with) so negotiate with that in mind.

Apply for a mortgage with a Certified Nehemiah specialist. Choosing the right specialist is an important step due to the complexity of Nehemiah and the FHA. An inexperienced "Broker" can cost you time and money and perhaps even cause you to lose your contract.

The items that you will be required to have on hand are as follows. You will have to provide your last 2 years of W-2's or your tax returns if you are self-employed. Have available your most recent pay stub and the last 3 months of bank statements. If you are currently a tenant renting a property you will also need your last 12 months of cancelled checks or a verification from the property management company.

Last but not least is your closing. Many people worry and sweat over this part but if everyone has done their job then it is smooth and seamless. By now all your questions have been answered and there should be no surprises. You know what you rate is, what the term is and how much money is required - ZERO! It's such a pleasure to see new homeowners walk away from closing with a low 6.0% fixed rate and their new home - wow! You can do it - don't let this opportunity pass you by.

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