Shortcut Navigation:

Applying for a mortgage

With all of the paperwork and questions that you need to answer, applying for a mortgage can be stressful. But knowing what's involved in the process can make things a lot easier. Here's some information to get you started.

Before you apply


What you'll need when you apply


  • Investment statements for the past three months
  • Balance sheets and tax returns, if you're self-employed
  • Information on consumer debt (account numbers and amounts due)
  • Divorce settlement papers, if applicable


Prequalification and preapproval

In many cases, you'll want to know how much mortgage you can get before you look at homes so you won't waste time drooling over places that you can't afford. Your potential lender can either prequalify you or preapprove you for a mortgage.

Lenders use several standard ratios to determine how much mortgage you're eligible for. Generally, if you're applying for a conventional mortgage, your monthly housing expenses (mortgage principal and interest, real estate taxes, and homeowners insurance) should not exceed 28 percent of your gross monthly income. In addition, your total long-term debt (monthly housing expenses plus other debt payments that won't be repaid within a year) should be no more than 36 percent of your gross monthly income. Government mortgage programs, such as FHA and VA mortgages, have higher qualifying ratios.

Keep in mind that qualifying ratios vary among lenders, and you may still qualify for a mortgage even if you exceed the ratios listed above. For example, some lenders will allow higher ratios if you have excellent credit, a large down payment, or substantial savings, or meet other conditions.

Prequalifying for a mortgage is simply a matter of a lender crunching these numbers to tell you how large a mortgage you'll qualify for based on those ratios. Remember, what you qualify for may not be what you can afford--only you can determine that after examining your own budget and lifestyle. Because the lender has not verified your income or examined your credit report, prequalification promises you nothing; it simply tells you how much mortgage you might get.


Finalizing the application

