Tips on getting that home loan with which you can buy your own home

Even though property prices have soared in recent years, you can probably still obtain a home loan to buy your own home if you are earning a regular salary. Here are some ways that you can get that home loan you need to become a home owner without needing an excessively high income.

You do not have to take your home loan over a 20-year period but you could stretch it over a 30-year period. This will cause your monthly repayments on the home loan to be lower which will allow you to afford a higher loan amount. On the negative side this kind of home loan will cost you more over the long run in the form of the interest you will pay. You can use our Bond Calculator to calculate and compare the home loan amounts you can afford over a 20-year period and a 30-year period.

If you cant afford a home loan on your own salary consider buying a home with a partner. Instead of looking at your personal income as a measure for calculating an amount you can afford on a home loan, banks will look at the joint gross income of the two partners buying property together. If your gross income is R4000 and that of the partner is R8000 the bank will calculate the amount that you jointly qualify for on the combined R12000 income. The bank usually will not give a home loan on more than 30% of the gross income so jointly you should be able to get a loan for R400000. If you decide to take this option make sure that you sign a legal agreement with the partner on the amount each will pay on the repayments of the home loan and how the proceeds should be spilt when the home is sold in the future.

A common mistake prospective home buyers make, especially first time buyers, are that of aiming to high. Only for a hand full of people will their first home be their dream home. It helps to get into the property market first with a lower value home and after a few years, with the increase in value of your property and promotions in your job, you will be able to afford a better home.

Keep an eye out for special deals offered on home loans by the various banks in South Africa. There are good home loan products specially designed for first time home buyers who do not have huge incomes or cash on hand to pay deposits on the home loans. Always try and negotiate with the bank on a better interest rate as even a small decrease on your interest rate can make quite a large difference on your monthly repayments. For a family on a tight budget even a R100 less per month spend on your bond can make a big difference.

You can often bargain with a home seller to get the price down to something that you are more able to afford so do not just accept the first offer as something you cannot afford. Also keep in mind that many of the cheaper properties are not always advertised so drive around in your area and look out for the “For Sale” signs in front of houses. Do this especially on sundays as this is the day most sellers choose to place their homes on show.

INTRODUCTION:
A first-time home buyer is someone, looking to purchase their first property or home. But before you’re able to purchase your first home you’ll need to secure a home loan.

In many cases a monthly installment on a home loan is more or less the same as a rental payment on a lease contract. The only exception is the transfer duty fees which is payable upon registration of your bond “ although this may even be included in your bond amount.

So, you’ve decided to purchase your first home and all you need now is the finance.

You’ll want to remember that as a first time home buyer there are a number of special criteria which you’ll need to fulfill if you wish to qualify for home loan finance.

One of the most important factors to consider is what size bond you can qualify for.
Often this is about 25-30% of your joint salary, meaning that if you and your partner apply for the home loan jointly you could be approved for a larger loan.

KEY FACTORS for your home loan application:
The minimum home loan amounts offered by most banks in South Africa usually vary between R100 000 and R150 000.

Upon the application for your home loan the bank will consider the Loan-to-Value ratio (LTV) , which is the ratio between the home loan amount you’re applying for and the value of your property.

For example, Mrs. A. has R100 000 available as a deposit for a property which is valued at R500 000, she therefore only needs to apply for a R400 000 loan, the LTV is therefore 80%.

The reason this is so important when applying for a home loan is because the LTV percentage forms part of the interest rate calculation on your loan amount.

The lower the LTV percentage – the lower the interest rate will be on your mortgage.

Remember that as a first time home buyer you might not have a deposit available for your new home, therefore many banks provide LTV percentages of up to 108%. Meaning you can get a loan which covers the full value of the home and all costs included.

The maximum loan term offered by all banks is twenty years, and some banks require a life policy to be ceded to them. It is important to clarify this with your bank immediately.

REQUIREMENTS:
The general requirements of applying for your first home loan are the basic details of your monthly salary, your credit history and the offer to purchase.

The following criteria will need to be passed to qualify for a home loan

1) You’ll have to be 21 years or older
2) Six months permanently employed or at least self-employed for two years
3) The minimum salary requirements can vary between R8,000 and R10,000/pm joint or single income.
4) You’ll need to have a credit clear history, i.e no judgments or defaults.
5) Some banks may require SA citizenship.

Make sure you have all the following documents available.

1) Copy of ID,
2) If you’re full-time employed, 3 months bank statements.
3) Offer to purchase, which is the written agreement between the seller and the buyer on the purchase price of the property.
Sectional Titles must submit most recent body corporation financials.
4) Most recent payslip, although commission earners will need to submit 6months payslips.
5) If you’re a self employed business owner,
- 6 months business accounts statements
- 6 months personal bank statements
- a letter from auditor or accountant stating monthly income.

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or call us on 011 327 4489