Things First-Time Home Loan Borrowers Must Know 8. March 2016 Administrator Home Loans (0) Buying a home is one of the most important and biggest financial decisions that you may take in your lifetime. The process of taking a loan to buy a home may seem overwhelming, particularly for first time buyers. The paperwork, jargons and formalities may prove to be too mind-boggling if you are not prepared. Following factors will help to understand the constituents of a home loan and ease out the process if you are first time home loan borrower.Principal Amount: This is the amount that you are looking to borrow. This may not be the actual price of the home as some investment needs to be done by the buyer in the form of down payment and only the rest will be extended as loan. The amount you can afford as down payment must be carefully decided keeping your financial position in mind.Interest rates: There are two types of interest rates that you can opt from. Variable rate depends on the situation of the market and suits a borrower who can afford the volatility of the rate. Fixed rate remains the same for the entire tenure as agreed at the time of loan approval.Eligibility: It is important to review your credit history so you are aware how much loan amount you are eligible for. You can also get a co-applicant for a loan that has a steady income to improve your combined eligibility and up the amount you can take as loan.Time Period: After evaluating your current and future financial requirements, decide on the time period for which you will repay the loan amount. This may vary from 10 to 20 years and will affect your monthly payouts.Processing Fees: Ask the agent at the credit union if there is any processing fee for the loan you are applying for. In some cases, this fee is waived off for customers depending on schemes offered by the lender and in other a percentage of the loan amount is charged.Pre payment charges: Check if you will have to pay some extra charges in case you wish to pay your loan amount before the actual date. This may be a possibility if your financial condition improves and you are in a position to pay-off the loan. Check all papers: Once the application has been processed, read all documents carefully. Every minute detail must be clear to you so there are no disputes in the future. You must also save all correspondences for reference.We, at Greater Central Texas Federal Credit Union offer home loans at affordable interest rates. For more information, you can call at (254) 690 – 2274.