I had lunch today with a mortgage lender and asked what she would advise buyers right now about getting a home loan.  I was surprised that she didn’t talk about the money part as much as a misconception people have,

“Remember that you don’t have to CLOSE your loan by April 30th to get the tax credit, you just have to have a fully executed contract.”

It surprised me because people still don’t understand that the $8,000 tax credit is available through June 30th as long as they’re in a valid contract by the end of this month.

The lender did add that when you’re finding a lender, don’t just take “No” for an answer.  Find someone who can counsel you about why you’re not yet qualified to get a home loan – they can’t “fix” your credit but they can tell you why your credit score was low.

Don’t be afraid to ask!