Purchase Conventional

If you’re applying for a mortgage, one of the most important documents you’ll receive is the Loan Estimate. But for many homebuyers, it can feel confusing at first glance.

The good news: Once you understand it, the Loan Estimate becomes a powerful tool that helps you compare offers, avoid surprises, and make smarter financial decisions.

What Is a Loan Estimate?

A Loan Estimate is a standardized document that lenders are required to provide within 3 business days after you apply for a mortgage.

It outlines:

Your loan terms
Estimated monthly payment
Closing costs
Cash needed to close

Think of it as a clear snapshot of your loan before you commit. What Will the Loan Estimate Tell Me? Here’s exactly what you’ll learn from it:

1. Your Loan Terms (The Big Picture)

At the top of the Loan Estimate, you’ll see:

Loan amount
Interest rate
Loan term (15, 20, 30 years)
Whether the rate is fixed or adjustable

This tells you the core structure of your loan.

2. Your Monthly Payment

This section breaks down your estimated monthly payment, including:

Principal & interest
Property taxes
Homeowners insurance
Mortgage insurance (if applicable)

This is the number that impacts your monthly budget the most.

3. Your Closing Costs

One of the most important sections.

The Loan Estimate shows:
Loan costs (lender fees, points, underwriting)
Other costs (title, escrow, taxes, insurance)

It also highlights:

Which costs can change
Which costs are fixed

This helps you avoid hidden fees.

4. Cash to Close

This tells you how much money you’ll need upfront.

It includes:

Down payment
Closing costs
Prepaid taxes and insurance
Credits or adjustments

This is your true out-of-pocket number.

5. Interest Rate & APR

You’ll see two key numbers:

Interest Rate: The rate used to calculate your payment
APR (Annual Percentage Rate): The true cost of the loan including fees

APR helps you compare lenders more accurately.

6. Rate Lock Information

Your Loan Estimate will indicate:

Whether your rate is locked or not
How long the rate is valid

If it’s not locked, your rate can change before closing.

7. Loan Features You Should Watch Closely

This section answers critical questions:

Does the loan have a prepayment penalty?
Is there a balloon payment?
Can the payment increase over time?

These details can impact your long-term financial stability.

Why the Loan Estimate Matters So Much? Many buyers make the mistake of focusing only on the interest rate. But the Loan Estimate shows:

The true cost of the loan
The real monthly payment
The actual cash required

It allows you to compare lenders apples-to-apples. How to Use the Loan Estimate the Right Way. Here’s how smart buyers use it:

Compare Multiple Lenders

Look at:

APR
Closing costs
Monthly payment

Ask Questions. If something looks unclear, ask:

Why are fees higher?
Can any costs be reduced?
Are there lender credits available?

Don’t Just Chase the Lowest Rate. A lower rate with higher fees isn’t always better. Focus on total cost, not just rate.

Houston Buyers: Why This Matters Even More

In markets like Houston:

Property taxes can significantly affect your payment
Insurance costs vary by area (especially flood zones)

The Loan Estimate helps you see the full picture before committing.

The Clear Lending Approach

At Clear Lending, we don’t just send you a Loan Estimate—we walk you through it step by step. We help you:

Understand every number
Compare options clearly
Choose the best strategy for your situation

No confusion. No surprises.

Final Thoughts

So, what will the Loan Estimate tell you?

Your true monthly payment
Your upfront costs
The real cost of your loan
Whether your loan is structured in your favor

It’s one of the most powerful tools you have as a homebuyer. Ready to Get Your Loan Estimate? The best way to understand your options is to see real numbers.

Fast pre-approval
Personalized loan options
Expert guidance from start to finish

Apply with Clear Lending Today.

GET PRE-APPROVED ESTIMATE NOW ONLINE

Author:

Joan Gallardo
Loan Officer NMLS 367858
Realtor TREC 0640762

As the purchase of your home gets closer, I am pretty sure your main strategy and action plan is based on how much down payment you are willing & able to give at closing. 

First time home buyers first though is always the bigger the down payment the lower my monthly payment will be. And while this is true the question is whether the time it takes to save such large down payment while renting compared to its monthly savings makes most sense or not. Before getting into detail with a scenario I invite you to watch video in this section about how down payment affects your overall loan.

In my 20+ year of experience doing loans, however, I have seen how many clients’ strategies lack financial common sense. To illustrate this, consider the following real example of a property listed for sale in Houston, Harris County with 4 bedrooms & 2.5 bathrooms, 2550 sq. ft. built on 2006 which typically would rent at least for $1,600/month:

Sales Price - $180,000
Down payment - 3.5% or $6,300
Credit Score - 680 credit
FHA Interest Rate - 3.875%
Loan Monthly Payment - $831.09
Mortgage Insurance - $123.04/month
Taxes 2016 - $4,565/year or $380.42/month
Insurance estimated - $1,435/year or $119.59/month
Total monthly payment - $1,454.14

Then some clients prefer to wait 2 years to save that 20% or $36,000 renting at $1,600/month or $38,400 for 2 years’ worth of rent. Then after 2 years and once that 20% is saved the following numbers apply:

Sales Price - $197,000 (Based on Houston market trends same house went up $17,000 after 2 years)
Down payment - 20% or $39,400
Credit Score - 680 credit
Conventional Interest Rate – 4.25%
Loan Monthly Payment - $775.30
Mortgage Insurance - $0,00/month
Taxes 2016 - $4,565/year or $380.42/month
Insurance estimated - $1,435/year or $119.59/month
Total monthly payment - $1,275.31

Total savings after waiting 2 years to save $39,400 = $178.83/month. Does it make sense to wait 2 years to save for down payment? Probably not. Feel free to contact me to go over any scenario you were thinking of and would like to run to me for consideration contacting me at 281-940-2554.

Apply today with Clear Lending and find out what’s possible.

GET PRE-APPROVED ESTIMATE NOW ONLINE

Author:

Joan Gallardo
Loan Officer NMLS 367858
Realtor TREC 0640762

Are you a first-time homebuyer and getting ready to apply for a mortgage loan?

If this is your case, you will have to provide your lender with personal financial information as well as information about the house you want to finance.

By now you have probably heard from family, friends or simply reading online to request a Loan Estimate from three or more lenders. But are you familiar with what step needs to take place in order to receive a Loan Estimate? Even if you just want information, to request a Loan Estimate you must complete an application.

To complete an application, you will need to submit the following six key pieces of information:

Your name (copy of a US picture ID such as your driver license or passport)
Your income (last month of paystubs plus last 2 years of taxes and W-2s or 1099s)
Your Social Security number (so the lender can check your credit)
The address of the home you plan to purchase or refinance (a specific house address will be needed)
An estimate of the home's value (loan officer can guide you but the lender will need either purchase price or estimated value if house loan is refinanced)
The loan amount you want to borrow (typically this would be the maximum loan amount allowed per loan program guidelines to be financed after deducting down payment or simply loan amount desired if house loan is refinanced).
 
Keep in mind although you're not required to provide documents to the lender in order to get a Loan Estimate, it's a good idea to provide them as the more information the lender has the more accurate your Loan Estimate will be. If you decide not to provide documents keep in mind loan programs have many additional guidelines which may disqualify you from loan approval. Therefore is always a good idea to provide documents to confirm your Loan Approval.

Each lender is required to send you a Loan Estimate within three business days of receiving your six key pieces of information.

Once you're ready to choose a loan offer, you need to notify the lender that you are ready to proceed with the loan application and complete the intent to proceed. If you don't notify a lender that you'd like to proceed within 10 business days, the lender may revise the Loan Estimate or close your application as incomplete and you may need to start over. The 10 business days are calculated from when the lender delivers the Loan Estimate to you or places it in the mail, whichever is earlier.

Once you've notified the lender that you would like to proceed with an application, the lender may ask you to provide additional information and documents to verify the information you have already submitted. The lender processes this information and may follow up with you to request additional information or clarification. Once the lender has received all the necessary information, the lender approves or denies your loan application.

The Loan Application process can be complicated and difficult or a simple and easy one. This will always depend on the applicant’s decision on how to proceed. The best way is to research your options and once an experienced loan officer offering most value is found work hand by hand from application to closing.

Apply with Clear Lending Today.

GET PRE-APPROVED ESTIMATE NOW ONLINE

Author:

Joan Gallardo
Loan Officer NMLS 367858
Realtor TREC 0640762

Purchasing a home and trying to figure out what home loan closing costs to expect? Next I will be discussing closing costs.

What exactly is closing cost, you might ask? Closing costs are basically expenses incurred in the process of completing the home purchase transaction which are over and above the purchase price of the property and which you are planning to buy. These closing costs slightly differ from loan to loan and though initially may not seem like such a big deal considering that you are purchasing a property that’s worth many times over closing costs can actually add up to thousands of dollars! 

Before I go in detail with some of the most typical closing costs seen on most of home loan programs, I invite you to watch this video from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in regards Home Loan Closing Costs.

Let’s go over typical home loans closing costs generally seen in all loans:

• Loan origination fee - An origination fee is an upfront fee charged by a lender for processing a new loan application, used as compensation for putting the loan in place generally between 0.5 and 1% on mortgage loans.
• Transaction Fee - The fee the lender and any mortgage broker charges the borrower for making the mortgage loan
• Warehouse Fee - A charge to a borrower when a mortgage banker or other small lender must borrow money on a short-term basis in order to loan money on mortgage loans.
• Document Review Fee – A fee paid to bank’s attorneys prior to loan closing to review legal documents related to the settlement of a property.
• Discount Points Fee - Prepaid interest on the mortgage loan. The more points you pay, the lower the interest rate on the loan and vice versa. Borrowers typically can pay anywhere from zero to two points, depending on how much they want to lower their rates. This kind of point is tax-deductible.
• Appraisal Fee – A fee which covers the cost of having a professional appraiser evaluate a home and estimate the market value of the home. The cost is often around $400 to $600 in most markets, but unique properties and remote homes can cost more to appraise.
• Credit Report Fee - A fee to pay a detailed report of an individual's credit history which lender will need to determine loan applicants' credit worthiness.
• Tax Service Fee - A fee paid to a tax service agency to look for delinquent property taxes and alert the mortgage company to prevent tax liens from existing against their mortgagors' homes. Since tax liens have priority over lender liens, banks want to ensure that they, not the state, become the owner of these properties before closing transaction.
• Flood Certification Fee - A fee that must be paid for an assessment to determine whether the property resides in a flood zone. When a residential home is found to lie within a flood zone, flood insurance is required before closing the sale.
• Document Preparation Fee - A fee that attorneys and/or settlement agents charge for the preparation of the necessary closing documents.
• Contract Processing Fee - A charge for obtaining and coordinating documentation, appraisals, employment and credit history, or any other information necessary for the lender's underwriting department and final approval.
• Lender’s Title Insurance Fee - Title insurance is an insurance policy that covers the loss of ownership interest in a property due to legal defects and is required if the property is under mortgage. The most common type of title insurance is a lender's title insurance, which is paid for by the borrower but protects only the lender.
• Title - Settlement/Escrow Fee - This fee is paid to the settlement agent or escrow holder. Responsibility for payment of this fee can be negotiated between the seller and the buyer.
• Title - Tax Certificate Fee - Fee paid to a title company to determine the status of property taxes on the property. 
• Survey Fee – Fee paid to a surveyor to measure the metes and bounds of the property that you're actually buying. He'll draw a nice map of the property, showing the property line, the improvements on the property, any fences or shrubs, and any easements on record.
• Mortgage Recording Charge Fee - Fees paid to the county for recording the deed of trust and the warranty deed.
• Owner title policy - Insurance policy that covers the loss of ownership interest in a property due to legal defects which is required if the property is under mortgage.
• Underwriting fee – Fee to cover the cost of evaluating your total loan application package, including your credit report, employment history, financial documents and appraisal to complete risk assessment and thus its final approval.
• VA Funding Fee – A fee paid by a buyer or seller to insure the lender against loss through default on a VA loan.
• Upfront Mortgage Insurance Premium – MIP – A price paid by the borrower to insure the lender against loss through default with FHA loans.
• Home inspection - An examination of a real estate property's condition, usually performed in connection with the property's sale. A qualified home inspector can assess the condition of a property's roof, foundation, heating and cooling systems, plumbing, electrical work, water and sewage, and some fire and safety issues.

These are some of the most common type of closing costs. For more information on closing costs or further clarification on any matter related to mortgage loans please contact me at 281-940-2554.

Apply today with Clear Lending and find out what’s possible.

GET PRE-APPROVED ESTIMATE NOW ONLINE

Author:

Joan Gallardo
Loan Officer NMLS 367858
Realtor TREC 0640762