We all know banks are not loaning money as easily as they used to when a loan is applied for. The fact is they are now looking much closer at credit scores before they make a decision on who qualifies and who doesn’t qualify for a loan. It is possible to get loans with bad credit, but not easy. Here are some possible ways of getting a bad credit second mortgage loan.

If your credit is not excellent, and you would like to improve it, a second mortgage gives you the option to consolidate your credit card debts and other payments you might have into a single loan, with a single payment each month, and you won’t have to refinance your original mortgage. Be aware the amount a lender can give on a second mortgage will not usually exceed the amount of equity you might have in your home.

Contrary to home equity credit lines, the second mortgage is a loan you get only once, and it has a regulated payment amount you need to make monthly. You can use the same lender as the original mortgage to get the second, or opt to try a different one. How easy it is to get money and how much money can be loaned are dependent upon the amount of equity in the home the owner has and his her credit report.

Most bed credit mortgage lenders look at the most recent two to three years of one’s credit report to make a decision. Whether you have been making your payments on time, and your income to debt ratio is in line are two major factors that determine who will have a chance for a bad credit second mortgage.

Another serious factor that is considered is what you intend to do with the money if the loan is approved. If your intention is to pay off high interest debts and consolidate things to make payments easier to handle, rather than invest in other projects or plans, your chances for approval of a bad credit loan go up.

It’s imperative to have collected some information to give the loan officer prior to your consultation when applying for a bad credit second mortgage. A copy of your credit report and any discrepancies noted with how you are trying to alleviate these in writing is helpful. If there are no errors on the report, a statement of how you are making improvements to your credit score should be attached to the loan application.

The best thing to do is be totally upfront with your loan officer about any indebtedness and your current situation. It’s also necessary to include your total income in the figures in order to figure out your debt to income ratio. The bank does not want to loan money that will not be repaid, forcing them to foreclose. As a result, it’s necessary to explain why you require money, and how you intend on using it.

Bad credit second mortgages aren’t easy to come by, but they can be the best option you have to improve your credit score in these tough times. You can improve these scores legally and quickly by putting numerous high interest rates together into just one lower interest rate loan without refinancing your original mortgage.

By: Paul Van Rode