Low Credit Scores Can Still Get Loans

Do you have a low credit score because of financial problems you have had in the past?

Perhaps you went through a bad divorce or you owned a small business that went bankrupt or a consumer proposal. You might have lost your job and defaulted on your loans and credit cards.

There are many circumstances that could have caused you to have poor credit. This does not necessarily mean that obtaining a mortgage to purchase a home is out of the question and regardless of the circumstances speaking with a mortgage broker could help you with a course of action toward owning a home.

Does this mean your only option is a hard money loan?  What about non-prime loans?  What are they and how can they help me? Ensuring that you take the right steps whether you have bad credit or even no credit is very important. There may be some options available to you but they will come with a cost.

A 7-Step Guide for a Loans with a Low Credit Score

Check your credit score

You can do this yourself at either www.equifax.ca or www.transunion.ca or if you contact a mortgage broker, they can check it for free. Your credit score will be somewhere between 300 and 900. If you have a credit score below 600 most of the major bank lenders in Canada will not consider you for mortgage financing and you will be looking at an alternative mortgage lender. If you have gone through a bankruptcy or consumer proposal recently, the options available may include private lenders.

Save for a larger down payment

If you have good credit, then you can purchase a home with as little as a five percent down payment, but with credit issues, you need to be prepared to provide more equity. Lenders are going to require somewhere between 20-25 percent down payment.

There will be fees

Be prepared to pay some fees to arrange a mortgage with either an alternative or private lender on top of the standard closing costs.

Rates

You will not qualify for the best rates that are currently being advertised, but if you make all of your payments on time and work on repairing your credit, then most likely you will qualify for better rates at renewal time.

Income and employment

A lender is going to review your history of employment and income to ensure that you are able to make your payments. Is your income confirmable? (Declared on your tax returns with your taxes paid up-to-date). This is particularly important for the self-employed applicant. Do you have employment stability?

Current debts

Carrying high balances on unsecured credit cards or having a high car payment could also affect a mortgage decision. Alternative lenders will want to ensure that you can afford your current obligations to prevent the potential of future default on a mortgage payment.

The property you are purchasing

This is a very important factor for private lenders lending to clients with bad credit. They will want to have a full appraisal completed on the property to ensure that it is marketable and worth the investment they are making in the mortgage.