Qualifying for a mortgage with student loans

For more information, please contact me at (512) 261-1542 or steve@LoneStarLending.com.

By G. Steven Bray

If you have student loans, qualifying for a mortgage just got easier. Fannie Mae and USDA both have updated loan guidelines to reduce the loan payments that we must count when qualifying you.

For loans in deferment, the new guidelines cut the percentage of the loan balance we must use when calculating your total monthly debt from 2% to 1%. This is a big deal because it reduces the impact of student loan debt by 50%. Further, if the actual payment is less than the 1% calculation, the guidelines state that we can use that lower payment, but only if it fully amortizes the loan.

Unfortunately, if the lower payment is due to an income-based or graduated repayment plan, we have to use the 1% fixed amount. Under these payment plans, the monthly payment may rise, which means the current payment may not provide an accurate estimate of the loan’s impact on your finances.

While USDA already has implemented the new guidelines, the changes won’t apply to conventional loans until 4/1.