Question 1

What is Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)?

Accepted Answer

Private mortgage insurance is required on conventional loans and may allow you to purchase a home for as little as 5% down. This coverage requires a monthly insurance fee to be paid. PMI is only required if your loan-to-value is 80% and above.

Question 2

What are Closing Costs?

Accepted Answer

Closing costs are those costs that include the loan origination fee, discount points, appraisal costs, and any other charges associated with the legal transfer of property. Typically, these costs will range between 2% and 3% of the mortgage amount.

Question 3

How will I be updated on my loan?

Accepted Answer

Fairway will contact you with anything prior to the completion of your application and we will contact you after the application has been originated. Once your loan is approved and the appraisal is in, we will contact you regarding any pertinent information. Finally you will be contacted 7-10 days prior to closing for confirmation of details and 3-5 days before closing to go over final figures.

Question 4

Where will I be closing, how much do I bring to close and can I bring a personal check?

Accepted Answer

The contract will specify where you will be closing. 3-5 days prior to closing Fairway will contact you regarding how much to bring and to bring it in the form of a cashiers check made payable to the title company. You can have a check of up to $1000.00 for any difference in the amount you are told and the actual amount needed.

Question 5

What are my origination and discount points?

Accepted Answer

These are percentages of the loan amount that you and your loan officer discuss regarding your rate and total cost of originating your mortgage loan.

Question 6

Am I committed to you because I have signed or reviewed my loan application?

Accepted Answer

No. We would love for you to do business with Fairway and if there are any problems, please consult with your loan officer or our Sr. Vice President/Branch Manager-Joel Hammond. The only commitment you have is when you have completed the signatures on the closing documents and the loan funds.

Question 7

What is a target rate?

Accepted Answer

Your target rate is the rate we will discuss to be the original optimal rate of interest for your mortgage.

Question 8

Do you sell my loans?

Accepted Answer

Yes. It is called transferring and it is done at closing. Fairway will provide all the information about your investor.

Question 9

How do rates move?

Accepted Answer

Rates can move more than daily, but on a typical day rates do not move very much. This is why it is important to employ Fairway to assist you in making the determination of when to lock your loan. Things that will affect the interest rate moving are strong swings in the equity or stock market and indications from our economic position in not only the U.S. market but the world market as well.

Question 10

What is meant when locking my interest rate and when do I lock?

Accepted Answer

It means that a commitment has been made between my company and the investor on your behalf regarding the interest rate in your mortgage loan. Your loan officer watches the market on a daily basis to make sure that when we lock your interest rate, it is in the best interest for you and your loan.

Question 11

Is it okay to use on-line bank statements?

Accepted Answer

Only if the statements have the bank logo, name and correctly reflect your account number.

Question 12

What is the difference between a pre-qualification and a pre-approval?

Accepted Answer

A pre-qualification shows you what you can afford and a pre-approval is confirming with bank statements, pay stubs and credit reports what you have provided verbally for the sake of achieving a full loan approval.

Question 13

Why must I sign the Disclosure Statement?

Accepted Answer

Lenders are required by law to provide the information on this statement to you in a timely manner. Your signature merely indicates that you have received this information, and does not obligate either you or the lender in any way.

Question 14

My statement says that if I pay the loan off early, I will not be entitled to a refund of part of the finance charge. What does this mean?

Accepted Answer

This means that you will be charged interest for the period of time in which you used the money loaned to you. Your PREPAID finance charges are not refundable. Neither is any interest which has already been paid. If you pay the loan off early, you should not have to pay the full amount of the "finance charges" shown on the disclosure. This charge represents an estimate of the full amount the loan would cost you if the minimum required payments were made each month through the life of the loan.

Question 15

What is the TOTAL OF PAYMENTS?

Accepted Answer

This figure indicates the total amount you will have paid, including principal, interest, prepaid finance charges, and mortgage insurance if you make the minimum required payments for the entire term of the loan. This figure is ESTIMATED on the Disclosure Statement and is estimated in any adjustable rate transaction.

Question 16

What is the FINANCE CHARGE?

Accepted Answer

The Finance Charge is the cost of credit. It is the total amount of interest calculated at the interest rate over the life of the loan, plus prepaid finance charges and the total amount of mortgage insurance charged over the life of the loan. This figure is ESTIMATED on the Disclosure Statement and is estimated in any adjustable rate transaction.

Question 17

How will my payments be affected by the Disclosure Statement?

Accepted Answer

The Disclosure Statement only discloses your estimated payments. The interest rate determines what your monthly principal and interest payment will be.

Question 18

What is the ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE different from the interest rate for which I applied? Why is the AMOUNT FINANCED different?

Accepted Answer

The Amount Financed is lower than the amount you applied for because it represents a NET figure. If someone applied for a mortgage of $50,000 and their prepaid finance charges total $2,000, the amount financed would be shown as $48,000, or $50,000 minus $2,000. The A.P.R. is computed from this LOWER figure, based on what your proposed payments would be. In a $50,000 loan with $2,000 in prepaid finance charges, and an interest rate of 14%, the payments would be $592.44 (principal and interest) on a loan with a thirty year loan term. Since the A.P.R. is based on the NET amount financed, rather than on the actual mortgage amount, and since the payment amount remains the same, the A.P.R. is higher than the interest rate. It would be 14.62%. If this applicants loan were approved he would still receive a $50,000 loan for thirty years with monthly payments @ 14% or $592.44

Question 19

Does this mean I will get a lower mortgage than I applied for?

Accepted Answer

No, if your loan is approved for the amount you applied for, that is how much will be credited toward your home purchase or refinance at settlement.

Question 20

What is the AMOUNT FINANCED?

Accepted Answer

The amount financed is the mortgage amount applied for MINUS prepaid finance charges and any required deposit balance. Prepaid finance charges include items such as loan origination fees, commitment or replacement fee (points), adjusted interest, and initial mortgage insurance premium. The Amount Financed represents a NET figure used to allow you to accurately assess the amount of credit actually provided.

Question 21

What is the ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE?

Accepted Answer

The Annual Percentage Rate, or A.P.R., is the cost of your credit expressed in terms of an annual rate. Because you may be paying "points" and other closing costs, the A.P.R. can be compared to other loans for which you may have applied and give you a fair method of comparing price.

Question 22

What is the NEW LOAN ESTIMATE (LE)?

Accepted Answer

The New Loan Estimate (LE) replaces the Good Faith Estimate (GFE) and the initial Truth In Lending document (TIL). The LE provides borrowers with clearer information on loan terms and estimates of loan and closing costs. This will facilitate comparison shopping. It will be provided to all borrowers within 3 business days, after they have submitted their loan applications.

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