The Redmond Group

Legend Home Lending

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Mortgage Info
    • First Time Home Buyer Tips
    • First Time Home Seller Tips
    • Home Appraisal
    • Home Inspection
    • Loan Checklist
    • Loan Process
    • Mortgage Glossary
  • Pre-Qualify Now
  • Contact

Can I Have A Co-Signer For My Mortgage Loan?

March 13, 2018 by Joel and Jodi Redmond

Can I Have A Co-Signer For My Mortgage LoanLike credit cards or car loans, some mortgages allow borrowers to have co-signers on the loan with them, enhancing their application. However, a co-signer on a mortgage loan doesn’t have the same impact that it might on another loan. Furthermore, it poses serious drawbacks for the co-signer.

Mortgage Co-Signers

A mortgage co-signer is a person that isn’t an owner or occupant of the house. However, the co-signer is on the hook for the loan. Typically, a co-signer is a family member or close friend that wants to help the main borrower qualify for a mortgage. To that end, he signs the loan documents along with the main borrower, taking full responsibility for them.

When a co-signer applies for a mortgage, the lender considers the co-signer’s income and savings along with the borrower’s. For instance, if a borrower only has $3,000 per month in income but wants to have a mortgage that, when added up with his other payments, works out to a total debt load of $1,800 per month, a lender might not be willing to make the loan.

If the borrower adds a co-signer with $3,000 per month in income and no debt, the lender looks at the $1,800 in payments against the combined income of $6,000, and may be much more likely to approve it.

Co-Signer Limitations

Co-signers can add income, but they can’t mitigate credit problems. Typically, the lender will look at the least qualified borrower’s credit score when deciding whether or not to make the loan. This means that a co-signer might not be able to help a borrower who has adequate income but doesn’t have adequate credit.

Risks of Co-Signing

Co-signing arrangements carry risks for both the borrower and the co-signer. The co-signer gets all of the downsides of debt without the benefits. He doesn’t get to use or own the house, but he’s responsible for it if the mortgage goes unpaid.

The co-signer’s credit could be ruined and he could be sued (in some states) if the borrower doesn’t pay and he doesn’t step in. For the borrower, having a co-signer adds an additional level of pressure to make payments since defaulting on the loan will hurt him and his co-signer.

As always, it’s a good idea to speak with your trusted mortgage loan professional for advice in your specific situation.

Mortgage Tagged: Co-Signer, Home Loan, Mortgage

Joel and Jodi

Contact Us


Call Us! (281) 218-6848
Legend Home Lending
Joel NMLS #231806
Jodi NMLS #231807
Legend Logo

Connect with Me!

PRE-QUALIFY →

Let’s Keep In Touch!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Quick Links

  • Get A FREE Rate Quote!
  • Accessibility Statement
  • About Us
  • Contact

Looking For Something?

Equal Housing
Legend Lending Corporation • NMLS # 229421 | NMLS Consumer Access | Privacy Notice | Texas Recovery Fund Notice

Legend Lending Corporation, NMLS 229421 is an equal opportunity lender.

Archives


Joel & Jodi Redmond
17047 El Camino Real
Suite 150
Houston, TX 77058

Copyright © 2023 The Redmond Group  ·  All rights reserved   ·   Log In