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Single Female - looking to buy a home as a first time buyer and looking for advice...

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laella
Established Member

Re: Single Female - looking to buy a home as a first time buyer and looking for advice...

This is great news. Congrats to you.

I have two credit cards

One retail and one not but I am going to try and pay them off as best as I can,

May I ask (because I am not sure) once you pay them off and you limit your spending do they lessen your line of credit?

 

Message 11 of 53
kimmiller112
Frequent Contributor

Re: Single Female - looking to buy a home as a first time buyer and looking for advice...


@laella wrote:

This is great news. Congrats to you.

I have two credit cards

One retail and one not but I am going to try and pay them off as best as I can,

May I ask (because I am not sure) once you pay them off and you limit your spending do they lessen your line of credit?

 


Companies can cancel a card for non-use but it would be unlikely for them to lessen your line of credit for using the card a little less right now..  My suggestion is to buy something small on the store card every 4 months or so and pay in full.  With the regular credit card, use it for your regular expenses like groceries.  I am watching what I spend right now so that my DTI stays as low as possible.  Also, I'm only letting about 1 - 2% utilization report (normally, I don't care about it and range from 0 - 10%).  Since I am building, my credit will be pulled again 45 days prior to closing (which could be December or January).  If your DTI is low, then you don't have to worry about it so much.  

Barclays USAir World MC $8300 - DCU $7500 - USAA World MC $7000 - PayPal Extras MC (GE) $5500 - Chase Saphire Preferred $5000 - Discover It $6000 - Barclays Sallie May $2700 - Chase Freedom $1000 - Capital One $8500 (business) - store cards ranging from $500-$9500
Message 12 of 53
laella
Established Member

Re: Single Female - looking to buy a home as a first time buyer and looking for advice...

Do you think it would be smart to trade in credit cards I have for lower interest rate or if I just pay them off it should not really matter.

 

I was told also you have to have a certain percentage of funds in the bank for a period of time in order to get approved. I am saving as I go.

How far do they look back?

 

You are sooooooooo helpful with this.

Thank you all!!

Message 13 of 53
ShanetheMortgageMan
Super Contributor

Re: Single Female - looking to buy a home as a first time buyer and looking for advice...


@laella wrote:

Do you think it would be smart to trade in credit cards I have for lower interest rate or if I just pay them off it should not really matter.

 

I was told also you have to have a certain percentage of funds in the bank for a period of time in order to get approved. I am saving as I go.

How far do they look back?

 

You are sooooooooo helpful with this.

Thank you all!!


I would not recommend you close accounts just to open new ones.  That will decrease the average age of account which factors into your credit score, so your score will likely be lowered.  I'd recommend you just pay them off and keep them open.  Then after you purchase a home you can apply for lower rate credit cards, but unless the current credit cards charge you a monthly or annual fee then I would still keep them open.

 

Lenders require the past 2 months of bank statements.  The funds you'd need will be for the down payment, any closing costs the seller isn't willing to cover, and in some situations you will need an additional amount equal to 2 months of your proposed housing payment (principal, interest, taxes, insurance - PITI for short).  You can also use the vested balance in retirement accounts, money market account, stocks, etc.

Free Mortgage Advice & Pre-Approvals (FHA, VA, USDA, Fannie, Freddie, Non-Prime, Construction, Renovation/Rehab, Commercial) since 2002
Located in Southern California and lending in all 50 states
Message 14 of 53
jordanmedical
Established Contributor

Re: Single Female - looking to buy a home as a first time buyer and looking for advice...

Rubbish LOL I am a single female and closed on my first home on May 8th. Statistics actually show an increase in single female buyers recently Smiley Happy

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Message 15 of 53
kimmiller112
Frequent Contributor

Re: Single Female - looking to buy a home as a first time buyer and looking for advice...

When are you thinking about applying for a mortgage?  If it is within 6 months, you do not want to do anything that will cause a hard pull, so no new credit cards (even if they have better benefits to you) and no new requests for increases in credit.  When you apply for a mortgage, you will be asked for 2 months of bank statements, so you will want to show that you have your down payment/closing costs in your accounts.  And, like a previous poster said, you may be required to have a couple of months in reserves.

Barclays USAir World MC $8300 - DCU $7500 - USAA World MC $7000 - PayPal Extras MC (GE) $5500 - Chase Saphire Preferred $5000 - Discover It $6000 - Barclays Sallie May $2700 - Chase Freedom $1000 - Capital One $8500 (business) - store cards ranging from $500-$9500
Message 16 of 53
laella
Established Member

Re: Single Female - looking to buy a home as a first time buyer and looking for advice...


@jordanmedical wrote:

Rubbish LOL I am a single female and closed on my first home on May 8th. Statistics actually show an increase in single female buyers recently Smiley Happy


Woot I keep getting more Positve News.

I wonder if some of these people I am talking to are trying to sabotage my goals or just really dont know anything about real estate or just assume that they do.

THANK YOU

Message 17 of 53
laella
Established Member

Re: Single Female - looking to buy a home as a first time buyer and looking for advice...


@kimmiller112 wrote:

When are you thinking about applying for a mortgage?  If it is within 6 months, you do not want to do anything that will cause a hard pull, so no new credit cards (even if they have better benefits to you) and no new requests for increases in credit.  When you apply for a mortgage, you will be asked for 2 months of bank statements, so you will want to show that you have your down payment/closing costs in your accounts.  And, like a previous poster said, you may be required to have a couple of months in reserves.


I am hoping to "start" applying within 6 to 9 months but wanted to start really learning, get educated from you all Smiley Happy  , find out what is really realistic with getting approved and what I need to prepare for.

 

 

Message 18 of 53
laella
Established Member

Re: Single Female - looking to buy a home as a first time buyer and looking for advice...


@ShanetheMortgageMan wrote:

@laella wrote:

Do you think it would be smart to trade in credit cards I have for lower interest rate or if I just pay them off it should not really matter.

 

I was told also you have to have a certain percentage of funds in the bank for a period of time in order to get approved. I am saving as I go.

How far do they look back?

 

You are sooooooooo helpful with this.

Thank you all!!


I would not recommend you close accounts just to open new ones.  That will decrease the average age of account which factors into your credit score, so your score will likely be lowered.  I'd recommend you just pay them off and keep them open.  Then after you purchase a home you can apply for lower rate credit cards, but unless the current credit cards charge you a monthly or annual fee then I would still keep them open.

 

Lenders require the past 2 months of bank statements.  The funds you'd need will be for the down payment, any closing costs the seller isn't willing to cover, and in some situations you will need an additional amount equal to 2 months of your proposed housing payment (principal, interest, taxes, insurance - PITI for short).  You can also use the vested balance in retirement accounts, money market account, stocks, etc.


Thank you Shane.

I am making a "check list". I am sure there must be on the website.  I do have my vested balances in retirement accounts sitting there (hopefully for a long long time until I need it) but will keep these additional costs in mind.

 

  • down payment
  • any closing costs the seller isn't willing to cover
  • additional amount equal to 2 months of your proposed housing payment (principal, interest, taxes, insurance - PITI for short)

I am sure I have more questions. I hope you dont mind ! All of you.

 

 

Message 19 of 53
ShanetheMortgageMan
Super Contributor

Re: Single Female - looking to buy a home as a first time buyer and looking for advice...

You are welcome, and please ask as many questions as you'd like.

Free Mortgage Advice & Pre-Approvals (FHA, VA, USDA, Fannie, Freddie, Non-Prime, Construction, Renovation/Rehab, Commercial) since 2002
Located in Southern California and lending in all 50 states
Message 20 of 53
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