Well, we wanted to meet with a smaller bank to compare service and rates, but at this point I don’t think it will happen. Brian called a local community bank in our area to set up an appointment yesterday. When the loan officer asked if we were putting the traditional 20 percent down, Brian told her that we were planning on a 30-year, fixed mortgage with the FHA 3.5 percent down. Turns out, they do not work with FHA down payments, and they will only provide a loan for 80 percent of the sale price. They also have a right to deny coverage to anyone outside there area, which could have been a problem if we ended up in Lombard or Villa Park.
I should have seen this coming. I knew that a smaller, private bank might be more picky, but I never considered they would not allow a FHA loan. We could try some other banks, but I feel like we will likely get the same response.
As far as the house hunt goes, the Villa Park house and the Lombard house are still high on our list. We have a few more online listings built up- hopefully we will go see another 3-5 houses on Sunday. Once we have at least 3 on our “we could live here” list, we will go back through those houses with a fine-toothed comb and really compare them to see which one might be best for us. I am not sure if this is how most people go through this process, but it seems to make the most sense. Plus, it will give my hyper-organized self another reason to make more lists!
