At some point in your life, you might find yourself in need of a Utah or Arizona home mortgage. Loans are primarily of time types: secured and unsecured. Unsecured loans don’t require you to have any collateral, but they are associated with high-interest rates. Secured loans, on the other hand, require collateral.
Mortgage loans are one of the most common types of secured loans, in which you use a real estate property as collateral in exchange for loan amounts. But lately, the cases of predatory mortgage lending have been on the rise.
In this blog, we discuss the basics of predatory lending and how to spot predatory mortgage lenders in your area.
Predatory lending: An overview
In predatory lending, a lender uses deceitful actions to convince a borrower to take a loan at high fees, high-interest rates, along with stripping the borrower of equity for his own benefit. Several states have laws against predatory lending, and if you are an experienced borrower of mortgage loans, you are unlikely to fall in the trap of a predatory lender. But, for those who have never taken a predatory loan before, lenders can try seeking advantage of your limited knowledge.
How to identify a predatory mortgage lender?
The best mortgage lenders in az are not predatory and will help you get the best loan as per your interest. But, predatory lending schemes are also on the rise; thus, here are a few signs you can track to identify a predatory lender.
The interest rate is unrealistic
The first signs of such schemes are the mails you get claiming to provide you a mortgage at a below-market price. Consider this as a trap and ignore it as it is a marketing bluff to generate your interest. Once you call these lenders, they will refuse the shown rates but will try to talk you through some fancy schemes anyway.
The worst, you might end up working with someone who will provide you the claimed price but will instill other charges to trap you into the wrong deal. Instead, look for the best mortgage lenders in Utah.
They will pressurize you to act quickly
If you get a call with a high-pressure sales pitch for a mortgage, ignore it. Committing to a loan means your monthly cash flow and net worth will be significantly affected. Moreover, you might be lending your house, and dealing with an unscrupulous Arizona mortgage broker can risk your place to stay and sleep. Thus, take all the time to choose the best mortgage lender.
They will pressure you to take an expensive loan
You are signing up for an ARM, or any other product other than the loan that is not straightforward and does not have fixed interest rates is one thing. But the lender pushing you to buy one of these is another. Some mortgage loans might be traditionally bad, but some might not be correct for the borrower’s situation and requirements. For instance, if you contact a mortgage broker in Utah asking for a 30-year, fixed-rate loan, and he talks you into getting an interest-only loan, you might consider running away.
They will ask you to lie on your loan application
If you encounter a lender who is displaying unethical behavior for his own benefit, it should be a huge red flag. If you lie on your loan application, you are committing a crime called mortgage fraud, and getting convicted for that is the last thing you want to experience.
There are certain lending regulations, such as high net worth borrowers or buyers with political connections, but if you do not qualify for the loan, maybe you do not have the required income or savings to repay the mortgage. If you find yourself in such a situation, it is better to wait for a few years until you have the required down payment and income instead of lying in the application form and getting evicted in the future.
The fees are high or mercurial
When buying a TV or a cell phone, you browse around various stores and shops to get the best deal. Then why not do the same with something that can make or break your financial future. Talk to several mortgage brokers in Arizona to get a clear idea of the interest rate, and you will be easily able to identify if a lender is predatory or not.
Similarly, the best mortgage companies in Utah are legally bound to keep a hundred percent transparency in the estimated rates you have to pay throughout the repayment of your loan if you sense anything fishy at the time of closing, back off and look for other mortgage lenders.
Conclusion
There are a plethora of genuine mortgage companies in AZ and Utah that will help you with getting the best loan as per your requirements. Make sure not to fall in the trap of predatory mortgage lenders, and invest your time and efforts in finding the best mortgage lenders to have your best interest in mind.
