Home ownership, the American dream. One of the largest investments you will make in your life. Yet, signing the mortgage documents can look like foreign words in front of you. Although a good loan officer will explain each page to you and ask if you have any questions. Some will still find themselves too embarrassed to really ask or afraid that too many questions will make the process too long and drawn out so many people leave the table unclear of what they have just signed.
This is most definitely the worse thing a person could do. Remember this mortgage payment will be your responsibility for the next 30yrs. It is part of the loan officer’s job to answer all of your questions and make sure you understand all of the documents you will be signing before you exit the office.
Before becoming a Mortgage Broker I purchased my home. So I have been on both sides of the fence and I truly understand the mixed feeling of being happy that I qualified to purchase a home and feeling somewhat unclear of the mortgage documents that I signed.
I did use a mortgage calculator, but was still not as prepared as I should have been. Unfortunately my loan officer did not explain the documents and options to me very well. I was very young excited and anxious to be a homeowner. I ended up signing a document that took me three years to get worked out.
I cannot express enough the anger I felt not only with the loan officer for not being efficient but more over, with myself for not taking the time to read what I was signing. I began to think of how many other people went through the same or similar ordeal that I did. And I vowed to be a better loan officer than the one I had.
I don’t proclaim to be a guru but I have done very well, and I’m willing to share my knowledge with you. My incident inspired me to become a Mortgage Broker and create this information for you to understand and not make the same mistake I made.
Mortgage 101: Understanding the Basics is from Florida Home Loan Report