A mortgage lender will permit multiple names to appear on a mortgage loan. Because the co-borrower shares in the mortgage obligation with you, applying with a co-borrower increases your eligibility for a larger amount. This implies that both credit scores are impacted if the mortgage is not paid. When applying for the initial loan, you can add a co-borrower; however, once you’ve obtained a mortgage loan, there are specific guidelines for adding a co-borrower.
Reasons to Add a Co-Borrower
You don’t have to make this person a co-borrower on the mortgage if you want to give them a legal stake in your house, such as a spouse, parent, or child. Instead, you can contact your title company and pay the necessary fee to add the person to your mortgage deed, though specific circumstances might call for you to add a co-borrower to your mortgage loan.
If you get married or include someone in your deed, they might agree to pay your mortgage in full or in part. Although you and the other person have a verbal agreement, he is not obligated to uphold it if his name is not on the mortgage loan. This person’s name being added to the mortgage makes him responsible for the debt and more likely to adhere to the payment agreement.
Refinancing is Required to Add a Co-Borrower
It’s not as easy as calling your mortgage company and asking to be added as a co-borrower, and you can’t add a co-borrower without refinancing the mortgage. You can modify the original terms of your mortgage through a refinance. Changes may be made to the mortgage’s names, interest rate, payoff date, monthly payment, and payoff date. With a refinance, you have the option of adding or removing a borrower’s name from the mortgage.
Fill out a new mortgage loan application and submit it if you want to refinance your mortgage loan and add a co-borrower. There is no guarantee that your mortgage application will be approved, whether you use your current lender or a different one. When you refinance, the lender reevaluates your situation and, if you are adding a co-borrower, also takes that into account. This includes employment status, credit scores and existing debt balances. In addition, the property must qualify for a refinancing. For a conventional refinance, you typically need at least 20% equity, and for an FHA refinance, you typically need only 5% equity.
Think about the financial implications of taking out a new loan before refinancing your mortgage to include a co-borrower. An appraisal of the house and closing costs are included in the refinancing costs. Closing costs are paid on the day of closing and range from 3 to 5 percent of the loan balance. Some lenders permit you to finance the closing costs into the loan balance; however, doing so raises both the mortgage balance and the monthly payment.
Valencia Higuera is a freelance writer from Chesapeake, Virginia. She has written for print publications as well as online publications like Sidestep. com, AOL Travel, Work. com and ABC Loan Guide. Higuera primarily writes about travel, personal finance, and health. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Old Dominion University in journalism and English.
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FAQ
Can I add my wife to my existing mortgage?
Refinancing in the names of the new borrowers is the only way to change the names on a mortgage. For instance, you’ll need to meet the requirements to refinance the house in your name alone if you get divorced. You will both need to be jointly eligible to refinance the mortgage if you want to add someone to your mortgage.
How do you add someone to an existing mortgage?
There are 2 ways of adding someone to a mortgage. You can either request that your current lender add a name to your mortgage. Remortgaging is the process of exchanging your existing mortgage for a new, joint one with a different lender.
How much does it cost to add spouse to mortgage?
It’s easy to add your spouse to the ownership by adding them to the title. A grant deed must only be prepared, signed in front of a notary public, and then recorded. The cost is usually under $100.
Can I put my wife on the title but not the mortgage?
You can add your spouse to the title but not the mortgage, that’s true. This would imply that although they are co-owners of the property, they are not legally obligated to make mortgage payments.