Investors who get into the housing market can find that there is more than one method used to acquire a home for sale. Because financing can be out of the question for some buyers, finding properties on the market through other sources is possible. Some investors asking what are assumable mortgages can have a lot of questions about this special process to acquire a pre-existing loan.
Guide to Assumable Home Loans
When a seller of a home still owes on the mortgage, the home might be available for sale to a buyer who will assume the payment responsibilities. This is known as an assumed mortgage and these remain one popular choice for real estate investors. Real estate agents and brokers who have the ability to list homes on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) often deal with assumable home loans.
Resources to find mortgage sellers:
The terms and conditions that are in each mortgage document can dictate whether a home loan can be sold to a new borrower. Not every loan that is available can be acquired, transferred or assumed by a third party. There are requirements that must be met in each individual scenario that can be hard to obtain.
Acquiring Investment Property Loans
Some FHA, VA and other loan types can be assumed if a third party buyer meets all qualifications that are approved by a lender. One advantage of buying into real estate using this manner is the possible lower interest rates. Because assumed loans are often three to six years of age, a lower interest rate could be tied to the original loan documentation. This would provide an immediate cost savings to a potential buyer.
The lowest possible credit score that most lenders will approve upon assuming a mortgage is now 640. A buyer will be expected to prove that he or she is financially responsible. This includes making a down payment of 3 to 20 percent in most cases. An employment verification and traditional review of finances is most often required before mortgages are approved for acquisition.
Alternatives to Assumable Loans
When a home or investment property cannot be purchased under mortgage transfers, other options can exist through some companies to make it easier for investors to own a property. The JWB group offers self-directed IRA purchases of real estate in the U.S. using a guiding program. This is offered as one solution and others can be found when obtaining the investment guide on this page.
The high cap rate with investment property and the ease of purchase are two reasons why investors buy into the rental market each year. Someone who cannot qualify through a regular bank loan or lending request does have multiple options to explore of which many are offered through this JWB website.