購屋與取得房貸 ·33課
From Loan Estimate to Closing Day (and Keeping Your Home)
Compare loan offers line by line, understand rate locks and the Closing Disclosure, protect your closing money from wire fraud, and get help early if you fall behind.
完成於此裝置
本課程部分內容尚未翻譯成您的語言，因此以英文呈現。
在本課中
你將學到的
- Compare two Loan Estimates line by line, including rate, points, APR, and closing costs.
- Explain rate locks and the Closing Disclosure you must receive three business days before closing.
- Protect your closing money from wire fraud.
- Take the right first steps if you fall behind on your mortgage, and avoid foreclosure rescue scams.
這與我們的課程有何關聯： Our class practices comparing Loan Estimates and covers the steps to closing. This lesson adds a side-by-side example with points, a closing-week checklist, wire fraud protection, and local help if you ever fall behind on payments.
要知道的話
- 貸款估算 (Loan Estimate)
- 貸款機構必須在申請後三個工作天內提供一份三頁的表格。表格上會顯示預估利率、每月還款額及交屋費用。
- 結案揭露 (Closing Disclosure)
- 一份五頁的表格，包含您的最終貸款條款與費用。您必須在交屋前至少三個工作天收到。
- 折扣點數 (Discount points)
- 你付的前期費用是為了降低利率。一點費用是貸款金額的1%。
- 年利率（APR） (APR (annual percentage rate))
- 貸款的年度成本，包括利率加上某些費用和點數。它幫助你比較各種報價。
- 速率鎖定 (Rate lock)
- 貸款機構承諾在你完成購屋期間，將維持你的利率固定在一段時間內，例如30天、45天或60天。
- 房貸服務商 (Mortgage servicer)
- 就是收你每月還款並在交割後處理貸款的公司。不一定是貸款人。
- 損失緩解 (Loss mitigation)
- 服務商可能提供協助你避免法拍的選項，例如還款計畫、寬限期或貸款修改。
範例
Worked example: two Loan Estimates side by side
Binh and Thao are buying a townhouse in Falls Church, Virginia. They will borrow $300,000 with a 30-year fixed-rate loan. A fixed-rate loan keeps the same interest rate for the whole loan. An adjustable-rate loan (ARM) can change its rate after a set time, so the payment can go up. Two lenders sent them Loan Estimates. (These rates are only examples, not today's rates.)
| Item | Offer A | Offer B |
|---|---|---|
| Interest rate | 6.50% | 6.25% |
| Discount points | 0 ($0) | 1 ($3,000) |
| Other lender fees | $1,200 | $1,200 |
| APR (with these fees) | about 6.54% | about 6.38% |
| Monthly principal and interest | $1,896 | $1,847 |
| Paid in the first 5 years (payments, points, and fees) | $114,972 | $115,029 |
$3,000 for the point ÷ $49 saved each month = about 61 months, or about 5 years
Offer B costs $3,000 more at closing but saves $49 a month. It takes about five years to earn back the cost of the point. After five years, the two offers have cost about the same. If Binh and Thao plan to keep this loan longer than that, Offer B saves money. If they might sell or refinance sooner, Offer A is the better choice, and it leaves them more cash for emergencies.
Also compare the APR. It includes points and fees, so it helps you compare offers that have different costs. Page 3 of every Loan Estimate also shows how much you will have paid in the first five years.
至少比較三個報價
- 請至少向三家貸款機構索取貸款估算，例如銀行、信用合作社和房貸公司。貸款機構必須在申請後三個工作天內寄出貸款。
- 請在短時間內申請，例如兩週。信用分數會將多次房貸貸款機構的信用調查合併為單一查詢。根據分數不同，該期間為14至45天。
- 確保每個估價金額相同，且貸款金額和頭期款相同，這樣你才能公平比較。
- 比較利率、點數、年利率、每月還款額、過戶費用以及成交現金。
- 請每位貸款機構解釋你不理解的費用。你可以問：「你能降低這個費用或匹配另一個方案嗎？」
- 在第一頁，檢查是否有 提前還款罰款 （提前還款的費用）或 氣球還款 （年底需支付的龐大款項）。大多數買家都應該避免使用。
利率鎖定：還有哪些可能改變
房貸利率每天都會變動。利率鎖定會讓你的利率維持一段時間，通常是30、45或60天，只要你能準時交屋且申請內容沒有變動。請以書面形式要求鎖定。
即使有鎖，您的費率或費用也可能在以下情況下變動：
- 你改變貸款類型或頭期款金額，
- 估價（專業估價）會比預期高或低，
- 您的信用分數會變動，或
- 貸款機構無法記錄部分收入，例如加班費或獎金。
問你的貸款機構：「我的鎖有多長？如果交屋延遲，延長鎖的費用會是多少？」延長可能會很昂貴。
The Closing Disclosure: check it three days before closing
The lender must give you the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before closing. (In the DC area, closing is often called settlement.) Use those days to compare it with your latest Loan Estimate, line by line.
Which costs can change
- Cannot go up (unless something in your application or loan changed, or your rate was not locked yet): fees paid to the lender or mortgage broker, such as points and origination fees, fees for required services you were not allowed to shop for, and transfer taxes.
- Can go up, but by no more than 10% in total: recording fees, and fees for required services when you chose a provider from the lender's list.
- Can change by any amount: prepaid interest, homeowners insurance, escrow deposits, and services the lender does not require.
An escrow account is money your servicer collects with each monthly payment to pay your property taxes and home insurance for you. At closing you usually put some money in to start it.
If a fee went up more than the rules allow and nothing changed, you are entitled to a refund of the extra amount. Some changes also give you a new three-day waiting period: the APR on a fixed-rate loan goes up by more than 1/8 of a percentage point, a prepayment penalty is added, or the loan type changes, for example from fixed to adjustable.
Closing-week checklist
- Compare the Closing Disclosure with your Loan Estimate: loan amount, rate, monthly payment, points, fees, and cash to close.
- Ask the lender about every difference before closing day.
- Set up homeowners insurance. Lenders require it.
- Confirm how to pay your cash to close by calling a phone number you already trust.
- Do a final walk-through: visit the home to check that it is in the condition you agreed to.
- Bring a photo ID. If you need an interpreter, arrange one ahead of time, or bring someone you trust.
- Do not sign anything you do not understand, and never sign blank pages. Keep copies of everything.
小心
Wire fraud: check before you send
A title company or settlement attorney runs the closing. It checks that the seller really owns the home, collects your cash to close, and pays everyone. That is why scammers pretend to be them.
Scammers break into or copy email accounts. A few days before closing, they send a message that looks like it is from your title company, settlement attorney, or agent. It says the wiring instructions have changed. If you send money to the scammer, it can be very hard to get it back.
- Early in the process, write down the names and phone numbers of your settlement agent and loan officer. Get the numbers from your contract or a meeting, not from an email.
- Before you send money, call the title company or settlement attorney at that number. Confirm the account number and amount out loud.
- Treat any message about new payment instructions as a warning sign, even if it looks real. Do not use phone numbers or links in that message.
- If you already sent money, call your bank right away and ask it to stop or recall the wire. Then report it to the FBI at ic3.gov.
If you fall behind on payments
Fewer work hours, a layoff, or a medical bill can make it hard to pay. The most important step is to act early. Foreclosure is the legal process a lender uses to take and sell your home when you stop paying the mortgage. Generally, the foreclosure process cannot start until you are more than 120 days behind. Use that time.
- Call your servicer as soon as you know you might miss a payment. The phone number is on your monthly statement.
- Ask about loss mitigation options, such as a repayment plan, a forbearance (a short pause or lower payments), or a loan modification (a lasting change to your loan terms).
- Send a complete application quickly. If your servicer gets it before the foreclosure starts, the servicer generally must review it before it can start the foreclosure.
- Call a HUD-approved housing counselor at 800-569-4287. They can help you with the application, often for free.
- Open every letter from your servicer and from the court. If you miss a deadline, you can lose some options.
Hello, my name is [your name]. My loan number is [loan number]. My income dropped on [date] because [reason]. I want to keep my home, but I may not be able to make my payment due on [due date]. What loss mitigation options do I have? Please send me an application and tell me every document you need and the deadline. May I have your name and a reference number for this call?
Local help
- DC: call the Foreclosure Prevention Hotline at (202) 265-2255. After you get a notice of default, you can use the DC Foreclosure Mediation Program, where you and your lender meet with a neutral mediator. Legal Aid DC and the DC Bar Pro Bono Center offer free legal help to people who qualify.
- Maryland: call the homeowner assistance hotline at 1-877-462-7555. Maryland also has foreclosure mediation for people who live in the home. You must ask the court for it within 25 days after you receive the court papers that start the foreclosure, and there is a fee. Maryland Legal Aid helps people who qualify.
- Virginia: call a HUD-approved counselor early. Legal Services of Northern Virginia helps people who qualify.
For more steps when income drops, see When Income Stops: Your First 30 Days.
小心
法拍救助詐騙
提示
保留家庭檔案
將你的貸款估價、交屋揭露、契約和保險單放在一起。每年，請閱讀你的托管對單。你的托管帳戶是服務機構每月收取的錢，用來支付房產稅和保險。如果稅金或保險費上漲，你的每月付款也可能增加。
重點摘要
- Get Loan Estimates from at least three lenders within about two weeks. Credit scores count mortgage credit checks made close together as one inquiry.
- Points lower your rate but cost cash now. Divide the cost by the monthly savings to see how long it takes to earn it back.
- You must get the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before closing. Compare it with your Loan Estimate.
- Before you send closing money, call your title company or settlement attorney at a phone number you already know.
- If you might miss a payment, call your servicer and a HUD-approved counselor right away. Never pay upfront fees to save your home.
檢查你的理解
回答問題後，選擇「檢查我的答案」。取得56權利完成本課程。這是練習：沒有時間限制，我們不會保留你的答案。
繼續說
值得信賴的網站，您可以在這裡了解更多資訊。這些連結會指向 Dollar Scholars 未經營的其他網站。
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貸款估價說明 （另一個網站）
你可以點擊一個貸款估價範本，了解每條線的意義以及需要檢查的事項。
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房貸紓困詐騙 （另一個網站）
法拍救助詐騙的警示徵兆、禁止預付費用的規定，以及免費協助的途徑。
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Estafas de alivio para deudores hipotecarios （另一個網站）
美國聯邦貿易委員會（FTC）房貸救濟詐騙指南的西班牙語版本。
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防範止贖 （另一個網站）
華盛頓特區防止贖熱線、止贖調解計畫，以及其他為華盛頓特區屋主提供的協助。
本課程是一般財務教育，非法律、稅務或財務建議。規則與金額會變動，因此重要數字請向官方來源查詢。