Being able to move into your new house is a great day. Knowing that you got the right construction loan to do it will help you sleep at night after you move in. With so many choices available today, it could be difficult to know where you should start looking and what features are the best. Here are a few tips for you to enable you to find a good deal on your construction loan.
The first thing you will need to do is to find out from a lender exactly how much you are able to obtain for your financing. After you know that figure, then you will understand how much you have to spend toward the whole project. You should also have a real good idea what additional costs there will be such as closing costs and other expenses needed to provide the house with all utilities, too.
After that, it comes time to select a home design. After choosing a general plan, you need then to talk to an architect and contractor. The architect will charge a rather hefty fee to adopt the general plan to your specific design, so you should know what it is and how many revisions it will give you. After talking with them and getting your plans drawn up, this will give you a near accurate representation of what it will cost to build your dream house. After you have your figure, you will need to go back to the drawing board and redesign your house - especially if it costs more than your budget allows.
After your plans are finalized, then you can approach your lender for the construction loan. He (or she) will require these plans before you are given any money. Keep in mind that a preapproval (which is often free) is not the same thing as having the construction loan.
You should learn all you can about the construction loan options available to you. It is easier if you have a construction loan that is convertible to a permanent loan. This will enable you to save some money and will be easier to obtain because it will be from the same lender. Be sure you have this feature in your contract.
Construction loans will usually require a Downpayment of 10% in order to qualify. A Downpayment of 20% will be required in order for you to not have to pay private mortgage insurance. Another way to avoid PMI, is to piggyback your loans. This means getting a first mortgage for 75 to 80%, and then taking out a second mortgage for the balance of 20 to 25%.
When it comes time to change from your construction loan to a permanent loan be sure that you are aware of the trends in interest rates so that you will understand whether it would be better to get an adjustable rate mortgage or a fixed rate mortgage. It is also possible to have a small cash flow on some mortgages that will allow you to make some additions to your new home.
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