There are no accidents when it comes to finding your dream home and securing a great mortgage.  The home buying process is a journey, one that can be made smoother when you take the right approach.  The tips below can ensure success in finding a mortgage and buying a home.

Budget Wisely:  As you are looking for a home and mortgage you need to take into consideration what you can afford.  This means making a budget that is realistic and allows you to not only pay your mortgage but outside expenses as well.  Create a budget using an online mortgage calculator helping to determine a ballpark monthly mortgage payment.

From there consider other monthly debts, estimate your living expenses with the new home and add your total expenses all together.  From here you can take your monthly income and subtract your monthly debts to see where you stand.  To avoid a financial crunch most advisors will tell you to avoid a mortgage payment over forty three percent of your monthly income.  You must be comfortable with the amount of money coming in as well as coming out when considering buying a home.

Find a Broker/Lender to Work With:  When finding a home loan there are two types of ways to go about it: dealing with a lender directly or through a mortgage broker who will deal with several lenders to find you the best mortgage.  Unless you are ultra familiar with how mortgages work and the ins and outs of paperwork it works better to work with a mortgage broker.  The process of finding a home loan on top of a new home can be a bit daunting especially if you have to go from lender to lender.

Check Your Credit:  Now is the time to check your credit.  Look for blemishes and correct them.  You can obtain one credit report per year for free.  It is crucial that you start fixing your credit ratings as soon as possible once you realize that you are getting serious about purchasing a home.  If something doesn’t look correct the time to fix that is before you look for a mortgage.

Get Your Paperwork Together:  Your financial situation will be under a microscope so you will need to back up your numbers, especially your incoming funds.  You will need to verify your income time and time again throughout securing a home loan.

Get Pre-Approved:  In order to get sellers to commit to offers it is important to get pre-approved.  A pre-approval basically states that you have the qualifications to obtain a loan if everything stays the same.  This also gives you an idea of how much you can afford and a price point to look within.

Once the finances are in order it is time to get a move on finding your dream loan.  The process of finding a home is made easier with the help of a qualified, local real estate agent just as a home loan is simplified using a mortgage broker.

Cross Country Mortgage in Brighton, Michigan provide mortgage services for clients including new home loans, refinancing, reversed mortgages, new purchase home mortgages and home equity loans to the entire Livingston County area including Brighton, Howell and Livingston County. Cross Country Mortgage Brighton, MI at http://brightoncrosscountry.com/.