The process of purchasing a house is one of the most important steps you will make throughout your lifetime. The numbers you’ll see on the paperwork will be large, and it’s important to fully understand what’s going on throughout.
Fortunately, there are federal laws in place which protect the rights of borrowers. The contracts involved in the swap of such a large sum of money should be something you understand. Take a moment to read up a bit on some mortgage laws that help protect homeowners as they embark upon the purchase of a lifetime.
Truth in the lending process
The federal government makes provisions for buyers in the way of transparency. Lenders are legally required to provide you with your annual interest rate, the amount financed, how many payments you’re responsible for paying, and what the total cost of the loan will be in the end.
The Consumer Credit Protection Act, passed in 1968, also grants homebuyers the chance to back out of their loan within three days of finalizing the paperwork. The Truth in Lending Act requires that lenders produce truthful advertisements for loans as well.
Equal Credit Opportunity Act
It’s wise to know what lies ahead when you go to get a home loan approval letter. Don’t allow lenders to push you around and set forth unrealistic stipulations. Dig into what the Equal Credit Opportunity Act offers homebuyers.
ECOA is the law that provides protection against discrimination. Your prospective lender is not legally allowed to deny you the funds based on your race, color, sex, religion, national origin, or age. Don’t ever follow through with a loan application that asks questions that are not truly relevant to your situation.
Fair Housing Act
The Fair Housing Act provides legal protection for homebuyers by stating that lenders can’t decide to change the stipulations of your contract on a whim. For instance, your bank can’t say you have to pay 10 percent interest just because you are African American.
Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act
The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act was put into place on new year’s day of 2010. RESPA provides legal protection throughout the process of buying a home.
More specifically, RESPA means that lenders have to fully disclose closing costs prior to the actual signing. This, in turn, keeps lenders from hiking up closing costs at the last minute.
New Homeowners Protection Act
The Homeowners Protection Act was created to protect homeowners from excess interest on their loan. After paying on your loan faithfully for a while, you can qualify for the cancellation of PMI. You must first pay down the loan to 80 percent at a minimum to start looking for this benefit.