In general, all lenders use the same four basic standards to approve applicants. A short description of these are below.

Income

Do you have steady and sufficient income to make the monthly payments? This income can come from a primary, second, or part-time job(s), overtime and bonuses, commissions, self-employment, retirement benefits, pensions and annuities, public assistance, child support, alimony or maintenance payments, veterans benefits, or disability payments. In most cases, you need to provide documentation regarding your income. Alimony and child support need not be noted unless you want to have them included as the basis for repayment of the debt.

Credit History

Have you paid back money you borrowed in the past? Have you been late in making your payments? Have you filed for bankruptcy? Do you have a record of judgments and collection accounts filed? All of these items may hinder an applicant from getting approved.

Savings

The savings can be money in a savings account, certificate of deposit, retirement [401(k)] account, or a gift from a relative or friend. A lender wants to see that you have the capital to fulfill your current obligations as well as your new mortgage. Ideally, you should have enough savings to act as a source of funds for your down payment and several months of reserve funds to cover your anticipated monthly mortgage payments should anything happen to you or your job.

Property

Your lender will require an appraisal on your home to determine its market value in comparison to similar houses that sold recently in the neighborhood. Your lender will also look at the type of the property and whether there are additional fees such as homeowner’s association dues. If you’d like to be preapproved for a mortgage loan, you do not need to have a property in mind. Before you begin looking for homes it is always wise to be pre-approved.

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