From Contract to Closing.
SJS Title is a full service title and real estate settlement provider that operates in the state of New Jersey. We provide exceptional services with the knowledge & expertise of Title Insurance and the Real Estate industry.
From Contract to Closing.
SJS Title is a full service title and real estate settlement provider that operates in the state of New Jersey. We provide exceptional services with the knowledge & expertise of Title Insurance and the Real Estate industry.
Buyer 101
Buyer 101
We know the loan process can be a bit intimidating, so we put this flyer together to give you a little information about the process.
We know the loan process can be a bit intimidating, so we put this flyer together to give you a little information about the process.
TRID
Everything you need to know before you owe.
What Do Lenders Have To Tell You About Your Real Estate Loan?
Federal “disclosure” forms define the information that creditor businesses MUST provide to consumers applying for real estate loans.
As of Oct 1, 2015 lenders must provide TWO New “TRID” disclosure forms. for the most common kinds of real estate loans First, the Loan Estimate, which covers the key features, costs and risks of a mortgage loan.
For an approved loan this must be returned to the consumer within 3 business days of loan application. If the loan goes forward, the Closing Disclosure form, covering key transaction costs, must be delivered at least 3 business days before loan consummation.
What Kinds Of Loans Do TRID Disclosures Cover?
TRID rules apply to MOST consumer credit transactions secured by real property. These include mortgages, refinancing, construction-only loans closed-end home-equity loans, and loans secured by vacant land or by 25 or more acres.
The rule does NOT apply to Home Equity Line of Credit transactions reverse mortgages mortgages secured by a mobile home or other dwelling that is not attached to real property.
Also, TRID rules do NOT apply to loans made by a person or business that makes 5 or fewer mortgages in a calendar year.
What Disclosures Are Used For Loans Not Covered By TRID?
Creditors must continue to use the Good Faith Estimate, Truth-In-Lending Disclosure and the HUD-1 form for reverse mortgages, HELOCs, mobile home or other non-attached dwelling loans and others NOT covered by TRID.
Housing assistance loans for low- and moderate-income consumers are partially exempt from TRID disclosures, and have specific rules.
Creditors are not required to provide Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure forms and related booklets and statements for these loans.
What 6 Pieces of Information Make A TRID Loan Application?
Submitting these 6 pieces of information:
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Name
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Income
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Social Security Number
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Property Address
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Estimated Value of Property
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Mortgage Loan Amount sought
constitutes a valid loan application under the TRID rule.
You may apply and submit these in writing OR in oral form; a live conversation, or a phone call, backed by a written record of the conversation is a legitimate application.
Once these 6 pieces of information are submitted a creditor MUST supply a Loan Estimate for approved loans within 3 business days.
Can Creditors Collect Information Beyond The 6 Required Pieces?
a creditor may collect whatever additional information they deem necessary.
However, as soon as you have provided the 6 required pieces, the creditor has 3 business days to provide a Loan Estimate for approved loans.
Do Creditors Have To Approve TRID Loans In 3 Days?
If your loan is approved, on the terms you requested the creditor is required to provide a Loan Estimate within 3 business days.
If they determine that your application will not or cannot be approved they do not have to provide a Loan Estimate.
Likewise, if you withdraw your loan application within that period they do not have to provide the Loan Estimate.
However, if the creditor does NOT supply the Loan Estimate in the required time approving and issuing the loan later under your original application terms will make them non-compliant with TRID Regulation Z.
What Is A ‘Business Day’ For Real Estate Loan Disclosures?
“Business day” is defined slightly differently for Loan Estimates and Closing Disclosures.
For Loan Estimates, each day on which a creditor’s offices are open to the public count as a business day. Loan estimates must be delivered or placed in the mail no later than the 3rd business day after receiving your loan application.
For Closing Disclosures, a business day is defined as all calendar days except Sundays and the Federal public holidays The Closing Disclosure must be provided to you at least 3 business days PRIOR to loan consummation.
How Long Must Creditors Keep Real Estate Loan Records?
Under the TRID rule, creditors must retain Escrow Cancellation and Partial Payment Policy disclosures for two years; Loan Estimate records for three years after loan consummation and Closing Disclosures for FIVE years.
If a creditor sells or transfers their interest they must provide a copy of the Closing Disclosure to the new owner or servicer and both parties must retain it for the remainder of the 5-year period. Records CAN be stored digitally but it is NOT required.
TRID does not define how long consumers should keep disclosure records.
What Will The TRID Loan Estimate Tell Me?
The Loan Estimate documents the essential facts and terms of an approved real estate loan. It includes:
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loan terms
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projected payments and loan costs
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cash and costs at closing time
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the services for which you CAN and CANNOT shop in relation to the loan
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summary information with which to compare this loan to others
and other important details such as appraisal, insurance, late payment, refinancing, loan assumption policy and whether this lender intends to service this loan.
The Loan Disclosure is a dynamic form; it will include information that IS related to YOUR loan and may leave out information that is NOT so forms from different lenders or for different loans may not look identical.
Could My Loan Costs Exceed The Loan Estimate?
Yes, within defined limits.
Service charges for which YOU shop and select a provider may change; the creditor is NOT responsible for providers who are NOT on their written list.
In addition, prepaid interest, property insurance premiums and escrow or reserve deposits may change without legal tolerance limits.
Charges for recording services, and 3rd-party services ON the creditor list, grouped together may not exceed the Loan Estimate total for the same charges by more than 10%.
Transfer taxes, fees paid to the creditor, mortgage broker or an affiliate of either and fees paid to a 3rd party for services the creditor does NOT permit you to shop are ZERO tolerance and must match the Loan Estimate
What’s Refunded If My Loan Is Higher Than My Estimate?
If the amount you pay at closing exceeds the amounts disclosed on the Loan Estimate – beyond tolerance limits for each category – the creditor must REFUND the excess to you no later than 60 calendar days after loan consummation.
For charges subject to a 10% cumulative tolerance fees greater than 10% of the Loan Estimate for the same charges must be refunded.
For fees paid for 3rd party services which the creditor did NOT permit you to shop the FULL amount over the estimate must be refunded.
For charges subject to ZERO tolerance including fees paid to the creditor mortgage broker or their affiliates any amount beyond the Loan Estimate must be refunded.
Can Creditors Revise TRID Loan Estimates?
Creditors are generally bound by the initial Loan Estimate. They are permitted to provide a revised Loan Estimate only under certain changed circumstances. These include circumstances that:
a) increase settlement charges beyond the legal tolerance limits
b) affect YOUR eligibility or change the value of the loan security.
c) if the interest rate was NOT locked and the new rate changes points or lender credits
d) for settlement delay on new construction loans within the stated revision window – typically 60 days, or
e) if YOU indicate an intent to proceed more than 10 business days after the Estimate or request loan term revisions.
Changed circumstances are extraordinary events beyond the control of you or the lending parties, OR changes or inaccuracies revealed in the information the lender used in preparing the Loan Estimate, OR new information on you or the transaction that the creditor did not use in the Loan Estimate.
Can My Settlement Charges Change?
Yes, if circumstances change, such as:
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a natural disaster damages the property or affects closing costs
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the title insurer providing the estimate goes out of business during underwriting
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new information on you or the transaction affecting settlement is discovered.
If any of these events change 3rd-party charges beyond the 10% tolerance limit creditors may issue a revised Loan Estimate.
If a creditor issues a Loan Estimate they are presumed to have collected all 6 pieces of required information. They may not claim a change in circumstances by receiving one of these pieces of information AFTER issuing a Loan Estimate.
When Do I Get My Loan Closing Disclosure?
If an eligible loan proceeds from Estimate to closing, creditors must provide a Closing Disclosure form documenting the actual transaction terms and costs THREE business days before consummation. It must be in writing, whether paper or digital, and disclose ONLY the information specified by the CFPB.
If terms or costs change prior to consummation the creditor must provide a corrected disclosure containing the updated terms. In some cases, this may require an additional 3-business-day waiting period to consummation.
Consummation and Closing are legally distinct although they may occur at the same time depending on applicable State laws. Consummation occurs when you become contractually obligated to the CREDITOR on the loan not, for example, the real estate seller.
The Disclosure must be delivered three business days prior to the legal Consummation date.
Understanding Your Loan Estimate: Terms, Payments and Closing Costs.
The first page of your Loan Disclosure shows the Loan Terms Projected Payments and Costs at Closing.
The Loan Amount, of course is the total you are borrowing. But the Interest Rate alone doesn’t represent all of your borrowing costs. The APR figure on Page 3 shows that.
Likewise, Monthly Principal & Interest aren’t the complete amount you will actually PAY each month.
The Projected Payments figures add other costs, such as Mortgage Insurance Estimated Escrow, Taxes, Insurances and Assessment to show the approximate amount you will pay each month, over time.
The Estimated Closing Costs are directly loan-related. while the Estimated Cash to Close adds other known closing costs to tell you the estimated cash you’ll need to have to close this loan.
Understanding Your Loan Estimate: Page 2, Loan Costs.
Closing costs are fees paid when the title of the property is transferred to the buyer making them the legal owner.
Origination Charges are fees collected by the lender for the loan process. They may including fees for handling the loan application and “Origination Fees”, which are compensation paid by the creditor to the entity that originated your loan.
“Points” are fees paid to lower interest rates; points are considered prepaid interest for the buyer, and are usually tax deductible.
Finally, Underwriting is a payment to the lender for their assessing the risk that the loan might not be repaid, based on the loan specifics and your financial characteristics.
Understanding Your Loan Estimate: Services You Cannot Shop For.
These costs are paid to outside parties, not the lender, but you don’t get to choose them. They may include:
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appraisal, which puts a value on your property on the lender’s behalf
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a credit report on you
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fees to assess flood risk of your property, or for ongoing monitoring of flood zone changes related to your property
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tax monitoring to keep track of your property tax payments
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tax status research to assess the state of tax payments on the property.
While you can’t shop for these services, the price for these services in your final loan disclosure MUST match the price on the Loan Estimate; items in “Cannot Shop” have 0 tolerance for change.
Understanding Your Loan Estimate: Services You CAN Shop For.
These costs are paid to outside parties and YOU are free to shop and compare providers for a variety of services. These might include pest inspection, or a survey to verify property lines or a range of Title-related services.
Title services might include:
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a Lender’s title policy, which protects their legal interest in their loan collateral- usually the property itself
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settlement agent fees, paid to the individual or company responsible for facilitating the final transaction
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Title Search, which clarifies and documents legal ownership of the property
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a title insurance binder, which allows potential future use of the current title search results, conditions and exclusions for a short period to lower the cost of future title insurance.
If you select service providers from the list provided by the lender, their fees cannot change by more than 10% between the Loan Estimate and the final Loan Disclosure. If you select other providers the lender is not responsible for changes in those costs.
Understanding Your Loan Estimate: Other Costs.
Real estate transactions require taxes, certain pre-payments, and escrow funding.
Recording fees - are charged by government agencies for keeping legal ownership records, while “transfer taxes” may be imposed by states, counties and municipalities on real estate ownership transfers.
Prepayments - may include homeowner’s insurance premiums on the property mortgage insurance, if required property taxes for a period of months in advance, and prepaid interest, typically for the period from closing to the first mortgage payment.
Escrow funding - may also be required against future annual charges for homeowners insurance, mortgage insurance and property taxes.
Title insurance on YOUR legal ownership – “Owner’s Title Policy” – may be designated as optional, which only indicates that it is not required by this creditor.
Some of these “Other Costs” may vary substantially between Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure ask your lender about the tolerance rules or watch the video “Could My Loan Cost Exceed The Loan Estimate?”
Your Rights And Rules For Closing Disclosures.
The Closing Disclosure documents the actual terms of your loan transaction. You should receive it no later than 3 business days before consummation. It must be in writing – paper or digital.
If the loan terms or costs change prior to consummation, your lender must provide a corrected disclosure AND an additional 3-business-day waiting period until loan consummation.
Waiving the 3-day waiting period is only permitted in certain circumstances, and only when the waiting period would cause a bona fide personal financial emergency.
Your Rights And Rules For Closing Disclosures.
The Closing Disclosure documents the actual terms of your loan transaction. You should receive it no later than 3 business days before consummation. It must be in writing – paper or digital.
If the loan terms or costs change prior to consummation, your lender must provide a corrected disclosure AND an additional 3-business-day waiting period until loan consummation.
Waiving the 3-day waiting period is only permitted in certain circumstances, and only when the waiting period would cause a bona fide personal financial emergency.
Understanding Your Loan: Closing Disclosure Page 1.
The first page of your Closing Disclosure documents:
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The Loan Amount – the total you will actually borrow
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The Interest Rate – which does NOT include the fees factored into the APR on Page 5
If this loan has a penalty for pre-payment or includes a balloon payment Page 1 will summarize the terms.
Projected Payments will show the chief cost components – Principal & Interest, Mortgage Insurance and estimates of your Escrow Payments over the life of the loan. You may see different columns for different periods if changes in terms such as mortgage insurance change payment totals.
Closing Costs summarizes your loan closing expenses, and Cash To Close adds the additional amounts due to give you the cash balance you will need in 3 business days.
Understanding Your Loan: Closing Cost Details.
Page 2 of your Closing Disclosure details specific closing costs.
Section A includes: Origination charges collected by the lender Origination fees paid to brokers, loan officers or other parties and Discount Points – prepaid interest. These figures should match your original Loan Estimate.
Section B covers services for which you could NOT shop. The total of these should be within 10% of the total from your Loan Estimate.
Section C covers services you could shop. If you chose providers from the lender’s written list, costs should be within 10% of Loan Estimate. The set of services you can shop may vary on different loans.
The Recording Fees in Section E should be within 10%; other costs in E, plus F, G and H, may vary from your Loan Estimate without tolerance limits.
This page will also break out the costs YOU will pay, before or at closing; the costs the Seller will pay, any costs paid by others and any credits from your Lender.
Understanding Your Loan: Cash And Transaction Summaries.
Page 3 of your Closing Disclosure will compare cash requirements from your Loan Estimate to your actual final charges. If “Did this change?” is “YES” notes for changed sections should be provided.
The bottom line final “Cash to Close” is the money you will need in-hand in three business days.
If your transaction has a Seller the summary table will show a line by line comparison of Borrower to Seller transaction details.
If there is no Seller you may see a Payoffs and Payments table instead.
Review the summary tables to understand the transaction and your financial commitments at loan consummation.
Understanding Your Loan: Additional Information Can Be Important.
Page 4 of your Closing Disclosure is important. It is NOT just standardized form information that is identical for every loan.
Review these terms:
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Assumption: can this loan be transferred to another person if you sell or transfer the property?
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Demand: can the lender require early repayment of the loan?
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Late Payments: what penalty, after what period, applies?
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Negative Amortization: does this loan schedule or allow payments that do NOT fully cover the interest due, resulting in increased loan principal?
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Partial Payments: what is THIS lender’s policy?
You should also review Escrow Account details to understand whether you will pay additional property costs via regular Escrow Account payments or handle them yourself directly.