| Here's
some important advice: as soon as you have made the decision that
you want to buy a house, one of your first steps should be to make
certain that you have a clear picture of your financial situation.
At a minimum, you will most likely want to do the following: - Get a credit report to make certain that there are no discrepancies or problems in your credit history. You can do that securely online or, if you live in Ottawa-Hull, by calling the Credit Bureau of Ottawa-Hull (236-0251). - Do an analysis of what your current financial situation is: where the money comes from and where the money is presently going. - Do an analysis of how a house purchase will affect your budget. - Begin to gather items such as: last three years income tax returns, current copies of pay stubs, records of any past derogatory credit history that has since been paid off, and records of any supplemental income you may have. If you are self employed, you will need all business records and tax returns for the last three years. Having these items close at hand will save an enormous amount of time when the mortgage company or bank begins to ask for them (and ask for them they will!). - If it is possible to do so without adversely affecting your down-payment situation, pay off minor debts. The less debt you have the easier your mortgage "sailing" will be. Do not incur any new debt. Many mortgage applications have been stopped in their tracks because the applicants had decided a week before the application that a shiny new car with a big buy or lease payment would look just perfect in the driveway of their new home. Since mortgages are based on debt to income ratios (the amount you pay out monthly versus the amount you bring in) a newly acquired debt could be enough to throw the ratios off and make the mortgage unobtainable. Article: An Introduction To Mortgages Article: Six Steps To A Mortgage
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