Lansing, MI Mortgage

Successful Home Ownership I – “Qualify” vs. “Afford”

In my many appointments with hopeful homeowners to be and with those hoping to make a transition to another home or purchase a second home, I often draw a simple distinction between two words—qualify and afford.

The word qualify is my word. As the lender I need to make sure that I can “qualify” the borrower for the loan and ultimately the home that she wants.

The word afford is the customer’s word and is often ignored in the lending office. This is the process whereby the potential borrower determines what she is able to pay each month based on her income and other bills and lifestyle habits.

Let me give you an example of the conflict…

Making Homes Affordable (MHA) FAQs

Since March of this year, qualified homeowners have been able to renegotiate the terms of their mortgages through the Making Homes Affordable plan (MHA), a federally-subsidized program designed to check the foreclosure freefall by…