When
you’re a first time buyer on the property market, or a seasoned veteran,
choosing the best mortgage for your financial situation is often a tough task,
and always decided by the banking institution of your choice; based on your
current financial standing and credit history. There will always be a number of mortgage products available in the
financial marketplace, for every applicant, at various interest rates, but, income, debt load, property taxes and condo fees
are the variables that will dictate interest rate and mortgage approval by the
lender. Is there any way to help solidify your
chances of approval? What if you’re
struggling with debt repayments? The
easiest solution to these questions is to keep close eye on your current debt
load to adopt a debt elimination strategy to lower your
debt repayment obligation and plan for your future using personal financial management software
that will allow you to;
- manage savings,
income, and expenditures
- create financial goals
- compare and track your
financial situation
Personal Financial
Management Software
Using
personal financial management software when controlling debt load and having a
healthy repayment history will help enable you to get the mortgage rate that
best suits your current financial situation is an easy way to keep track of all
your financial issues. Using an easy to
navigate financial software application such as Money Coach Client Application,
will allow you to simply manage your finances and keep track of income,
expenses, savings, debt, balanced budget, financial plans and long term
financial goals such as mortgage payments. Mortgage repayments can be simply planned while taking into account debt
repayments, irregular income or unforeseen expenses. Having a clear and considered plan with
manageable goals, while stabilising your finances, will always be a plus when
preparing and submitting for your chosen mortgage application. The management software will also allow the
user to compare and track your finances on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis,
allowing you to best examine your financial goals and if necessary make
adjustments to better suit your situation going forward.
Mortgage Planning Tips
Here are
just a few things to take note of when choosing the best mortgage for your
current financial situation;
- When choosing a mortgage,
consider a less expensive property rather than the maximum you can
afford. Circumstances can always
change and unplanned expenses in your budget can complicate future
repayments. There are two
calculations to consider when applying for a mortgage; Gross Debt Service
Ratio and Total Debt Service ratio. Gross Debt Service Ratio assumes your monthly housing costs (utilities, taxes, etc.) is not
more than 32% of gross monthly income. Total Debt Service Ratio addresses your total debt load (car loans,
credit card bills, etc.) and should be no more than 40% of your gross
monthly income. Personal financial
software management can help pay down your high balances by half and help
you avoid going over the limit on your credit card.
- Keep track of interest
rates and their impact on your monthly repayments. Subtle percentage
increases can take a toll on your finances, evaluating the impact of
increasing interest rates on your monthly payment today may help you to
avoid financial problems in the future. If you have fixed rate mortgage none of this
apply, if you have a variable rate mortgage this is true
- Plan to be mortgage
free faster and try to be prepared for unforeseen financial
difficulties. This can be accomplished by taking a shorter
amortization period, or leveraging prepayment privileges.