Yes, You Can Still Get A Mortgage If You’re Pregnant
The New York Times ran an important story this week concerning pregnancy and mortgage approvals. Titled “Need a Mortgage? Don’t Get Pregnant“, the article discussed the difficulties that expecting and recently-expanded families are having with their mortgage financing.
NBC’s The Today Show picked up the story as well, as shown in the 3-minute clip above.
The crux of the issue is that maternity/paternity leave often leads to a change in household income and mortgage lenders will no longer assume one or both parents will go back to work full-time. The loss of income can raise a household’s debt-to-income ratio to unlendable levels.
Now, your loan officer cannot ask you about a pregnancy; such questions would be in violation of Equal Credit Opportunity Act. But he can ask if whether you expect your future employment and income situation to change. This would be a perfect time to broach the topic. And you should. If you’re found to have withheld employment and income information from your lender at a later date, it could result in an immediate loan denial plus a loss of earnest monies paid.
Across both pieces, though, the prevailing message is this: Families concurrently planning to (1) have a baby and (2) buy a home should be up-front and forthcoming with their loan officers. Financing is often still available for families expecting an addition — there’s just some extra paperwork though which to work.
Be prepared for that paperwork and you’re more likely to get your loan.
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Michael Haigh has 20+ years of professional experience in the banking and mortgage industry. He has the knowledge, education, and dedication to get you the best loan for your situation, answer your questions honestly and completely, and make your mortgaging experience a pleasure. His reputation includes being the number one lender in the country for CitiBank for 9 years, then at Chase for 1 year and now with WJ Bradley since August of 2009. This is because of the quantity of loans, myriad of people he's helped, and his dedication to helping his clients find the perfect loan for them.
