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First Time Buyers – Getting a mortgage with your partner

Before you apply for a home loan with your partner, there are a few discussions that you need to have that go a little beyond what you may know already.

You’ve hopefully found someone you want to spend your life with (or a significant chunk of it, at least) – the hard part is over, right? Wrong. You might know each other well enough to know whether or not you each blow the budget every month, but you probably don’t know each other’s complete credit history. So, before you buy a property together, there are plenty of discussions you need to have. Here are three we think are important:

Have they defaulted on any payments?

They might be relatively debt free now, but has this always been the case? One bad mark on your credit history, such as a missed mobile phone bill or a default on a credit card, will change the approach you need to take when applying for finance.

Don’t worry, you may still be able to secure finance, but it may mean you need to apply to a specialist lender. Your Mortgage Broker can help you find the right lender and craft an application to avoid the heartbreak of continual rejection. Most mortgage brokers will also have access to cheap credit searches to help with the decision-making process.

That savings balance, where has it come from?

If your partner has savings towards a deposit, that’s fantastic. But the balance is only one part of the equation that lenders consider.

If they have managed to build up those savings over a good period of time, making regular contributions and managing their savings well, lenders will consider this a positive indication of an ability to make repayments regularly.

If, however, the savings are the result of a redundancy payout, a gift from family or the result of a good night out at Star City, they are still helpful as a deposit, but don’t indicate that ability to make repayments.

Again, this is not the end of the world. You’ll be in a better position than you would without that balance, but may need expert help to put your application in the best light.

If we did get into trouble, how would you want to handle it?

You must plan for every eventuality, even one you think is not likely. Having said that, this discussion isn’t so much about having a solid plan in place for the worst, as seeing how your partner would deal with difficulty.

If one of you lost your job, or you had unexpected bills that seemed overwhelming, would they try to struggle through, not wanting to talk about it with you or with your mortgage broker, and potentially default on the loan? Or would they tackle it head on by visiting your mortgage broker or lender with you to make a plan to get through it without defaulting?

Before you start looking for a home to share with the love of your life, an appointment with a Mortgage Broker can help you iron out the details and secure the finance that suits both of you.

Any questions? Let us help you. Call Chris today on 0490 075 039 or send an email to info@chardon.com.au

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