SurePath Lending, LLC is a mortgage company headquartered in Dallas that is redefining the path to homeownership with a uniquely personalized and empathetic approach to mortgage lending.  We understand that a home is more than just a place to live.  In most cases, home ownership is the single largest investment of one’s life.  It’s the foundation for your life’s journey. Our aim is to empower you with the knowledge and resources to make well-informed decisions so that you may achieve your dream of homeownership.

SurePath Lending lets you work at your own pace, while providing superior customer service and expert hands-on guidance every step of the way. We are dedicated to making the path to homeownership more affordable, more accessible, and less complicated for all Americans so they may achieve their dreams of homeownership.

If you’re buying a home, refinancing, or looking to get cash out of your home’s equity, we can provide the expertise and tools to guide you with your decision every step of the way.

If you are a first-time home buyer, our team of licensed loan officers is ready to guide you from very early on in your process to best prepare you for loan approval.

SurePath Lending currently services home loan needs in Texas. Soon we will be expanding into Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

SurePath Lending is available 24/7 by accessing our website to get a free quote, apply online, or to schedule a free consultation with a Licensed Loan Officer.  We are here to guide you at every step of the home loan process.

Protecting your personal information is our top priority. We use bank-level encryption, and we are constantly monitoring our site to make sure it’s secure. We won’t sell your data or use it for anything other than what’s stated in our Privacy Policy.

You will always get our best rates. Our rates are consistently lower than most lending institutions. When choosing a mortgage lender, the lowest rate is only part of the picture. There are numerous fees, expenses, and closing costs to consider for your specific situation. That is why SurePath Lending focuses not only on delivering the lowest rates on your home loan but also providing the best overall mortgage value for our customers.

Contact one of our licensed loan officers to learn more about our home loan services.

When you apply with SurePath Lending, we give you real numbers – not estimates. Of course, your numbers can change slightly between the time you apply and the time your loan closes. For example, we may need to change your loan amount after you find a home or after we get the appraisal report.

SurePath Lending was designed to seamlessly guide  you through the entire mortgage process from when you first start thinking about a mortgage all the way through closing and even keeping you updated with helpful home and mortgage information after you close.

Our team of licensed loan officers is devoted to thoroughly understanding your personal situation, enabling us to guide you through a broad spectrum of home loan options and assistance paths early on in your decision process to optimally position you for loan approval.

By choosing SurePath Lending, you are partnering with more than just a mortgage lender; you are gaining a dedicated ally that is genuinely committed to guiding you every step of the way with professionalism, empathy, and integrity. Your dream of homeownership is our priority.

SurePath Lending partners with United Wholesale Mortgage, the #1 overall mortgage lender and purchase lender in the United States, providing a broad assortment of home loan options including:

• Purchase Loans
• FHA loans
• VA loans
• USDA loans
• Jumbo loans
• Self-Employed loans
• Refinance loans
• Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) loans
• Business and Investment loans

You can schedule a free consultation with a licensed loan officer online or call at 877-355-PATH (7284) to learn more about our loan options.

SurePath Lending works with people who have a minimum credit score of 580 and are ready to buy a home or refinance. However we also work with families that have just started to think about their mortgage journey and may need a little more guidance, preparation, and perhaps assistance to make them mortgage ready.

This is where we are different from other banks and lending institutions. We are here to provide guidance no matter where you are on the path of home ownership.

We also provide home loans if you are self-employed or think you’ll need a co-signer. Call us to learn more at 877-355-PATH (7284).

Most people use SurePath Lending to buy or refinance:

• Single-Family homes
• Multi-Family homes
• Condos
• Investment Properties

We do provide mortgages for other less common property types. If you want to buy or refinance something not mentioned, please reach out to speak with a licensed loan officer at 877-355-PATH (7284).

If you are employed (not self-employed), you’ll need to provide the following:

• U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns (IRS Form 1040) for the two most recent tax years, including all schedules (the federal portion only).
• A separate email address for each person that will be on the loan
• Your banking information about how much money is in each account you want us to consider for your approval (e.g., checking and savings accounts, retirement accounts, stocks and other assets)
• Your income and employer information
• Your Social Security number

And for each current job you hold (again, not self-employment):

• A copy of your pay stubs covering the last 30 days.
• Wage and Tax Statement (IRS Form W-2) for the two most recent tax year

If you’re self-employed (or you own more than 25% of any company) you will need to provide your Business tax returns (IRS Form 1065, 1120, or 1120-S) for the two most recent tax years, including all schedules.

And provide one of the following:

• Regulatory agency document that includes the name of the business and information indicating the business is active and in good standing. An image from the regulatory agency website is acceptable.
• Business license that includes the name of the business and information indicating the business is active and in good standing. An image from the regulatory agency website is acceptable.
• Letter from the Certified Public Accountant that includes the name of the business, a certification that the business is active and in good standing, and verifies the self-employed period stated on the loan application.

If you are self-employed and a partner in a business, receiving a Schedule K-1 Partner’s Share of Income, Deductions, and Credits (IRS Form 1065), you will need to provide:

• A Schedule K-1 Partner’s Share of Income
• Deductions
• Credits (IRS Form 1065)

If you want to buy a home but don’t have a Social Security number. It can be challenging to get approved with a traditional lender. However, you may be able to apply for an ITIN loan that specifically caters to borrowers with IRS-issued Individual Tax Identification Numbers (ITINs).  Immigration status doesn’t affect the issuance of ITINs. So, you’ll be eligible for an ITIN if you’re a resident alien or nonresident alien if you’re obligated to file and pay taxes.

Talk with one of our licensed loan officers to see if you can qualify for an ITIN loan. You can schedule a free consultation online or call 877-355-PATH (7284).

SurePath Lending can provide you with a free Prequalified Approval Letter in minutes, which is an initial review of the basic financial information you shared. Similar to a preapproval letter, this provides an estimate of how much home you can afford, but does not verify your financial details or credit history.

After you get a Prequalified Approval Letter, the next step is to maximize your buying power with a Verified Approval Letter. We verify your income, assets and credit up front, which can help your offer stand out.

In most cases you will need a minimum credit score of 580 to meet necessary eligibility criteria. Keep in mind that the score we use might be slightly different from the one you get from your credit card company or other source. We use a FICO^® Score, but educational sources might use a different credit scoring model, such as a Vantage Score.

We still encourage you to apply even if you think your score is slightly below 580. We may be able to direct you to services that could help boost your credit score.

That depends on the type of loan you need. But the good news is, you don’t have to put down the traditional 20% anymore. Your down payment can be as little as 3% on a conventional loan, or 3.5% on an FHA loan. 0% down USDA and VA loans are also available if you qualify. A licensed loan officer can help you determine what loan is right for you.

Applying with SurePath Lending is free! There’s no cost to see your customized mortgage recommendations or get approved. However, if you decide to move forward with your loan, there are costs involved – just like with any other lender.

Things like the size and type of the loan, your credit score and interest rates all play a role in determining how much you’ll pay to borrow money. Each lender might explain costs and fees a little differently, making it hard to know which lender is offering the best deal. It’s better to base your mortgage decision on what the best value is for your specific needs.

A licensed loan officer can assist you with finding the most affordable loan to meet your financial goals.

The short answer is that it depends on whether you’re buying or refinancing.

• If you’re buying a home, plan to have at least 3% of the purchase price for a down payment and another 3% and 6% of the purchase price for closing costs.
• If you’re refinancing, you might not need to pay out of pocket to close your loan. In many cases, you be able to roll all your closing costs into your loan to make out of pocket refinancing costs more affordable.

A licensed loan officer can help you determine what the best option is for your needs and goals.

On average, it takes about 30 days to close on a loan. Several factors can change that time frame, including:

• Loan type (i.e. purchase, refinance, HELOC)
• Financial situation (i.e. employed or self-employed)
• Term of your loan (i.e.15-year, 20-year, 30-year)

Some borrowers can close in as little as ten days.

Bring your government-issued ID (like your driver’s license) and the funds you will need to close. You can review the details with your licensed loan officer.

Checking your credit is a necessary step for getting a mortgage. It allows a lender to show you accurate mortgage options and interest rates that will get you approved for a loan.

Home Loan applicants have a 45-day window in which multiple credit checks lenders are recorded only once on your credit report. This is so loan applicants can shop around for a mortgage without their credit taking a big hit.

Your mortgage application at any lender will have a minor effect on your credit score, lowering it by just a few points.

After you apply with SurePath Lending and get approved, we will order an appraisal on your behalf, if it’s required for the type of loan that you are applying for.

By law, appraisers must be an independent third party not affiliated with you or your mortgage company. The appraisal you will get with SurePath Lending is just like the appraisal you would get when you apply with any other lender. A third-party appraiser will visit the home you’re buying or refinancing to assess the property. From there, they’ll compare your property against similar, recently sold homes in the area to come up with an opinion of value.

Mortgage preapproval helps buyers search for homes within their budget, making for a smoother and more efficient house hunt. It also makes an offer more enticing to a seller, and gets a bulk of the mortgage process done early on.

If you’re preapproved, you’ll receive an approval letter offer that lasts for 60 – 90 days, depending on the lender. After that, you’ll need to apply again with another credit report pull and an updated application. If there are any major changes to your financial situation, your preapproval limit might also change.

In addition to considering your credit score, lenders will want to verify the following:

• Your employment and income
• Your debt-to-income ratio (DTI). A calculation of your total monthly debts divided by your monthly income. The ratio helps lenders determine if you have enough income to cover your debts.

The exact DTI needed for mortgage approval varies by loan type. On average your debt-to-income ratio should not exceed 50%.

Applying to multiple lenders helps home buyers compare interest rates and choose the deal with the most favorable terms. Shopping around for a mortgage that best fits your finances can save you a lot of money over the life of the loan. Multiple lenders can check your credit score within a 45-day time window, and it will have minimum impact on your credit score.

Each time you apply for a loan approval, a lender checks your credit with a “hard pull.” This typically lowers your score by a few points. However, FICO states your credit score generally won’t be negatively affected if you make all your inquiries on a home loan within 45 days.

Yes, it is possible to be denied for a mortgage after you have been preapproved. This could happen because of an issue with the appraisal or in most cases, due to the buyer’s financial standing being negatively impacted. For instance, a change of employment, a decrease in credit score or an accrual of additional debt may cause a loan to be denied after preapproval. Once you are preapproved, it’s important to not make any mistakes or drastic changes until after closing on your home loan.

The credit score needed to buy a house depends on the type of mortgage you’re looking to get. For example, conventional loans usually require a credit score of 620, while FHA loans require a minimum credit score of 580. If your score is below the minimum, you may not get approved.

However, you can still get approved with bad credit. Your chances of getting approved for a mortgage can increase with a bigger down payment or a low DTI. Switching to an FHA loan or taking time to repair your credit before applying can also make homeownership possible.

Please speak with a licensed loan officer at 877-355-(PATH) to learn more.

Your co-borrower’s credit score matters because creditworthiness and debt-to-income ratio determines factors about your loan, including whether you qualify at all. Lenders will look at both of your scores and use the lowest. (Of course, if your co-borrower’s income isn’t required to qualify, you can simply put the person with the highest credit score on the mortgage.)

That depends on your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio and if it’s not too high, we may be able to approve you for a mortgage, depending on the loan product. Different loan products have different DTI ratio requirements. If you’re looking to go the refi route, you could consolidate your student loans into a refinance.

You should get approved for a mortgage as soon as you’re ready to start searching for homes. More importantly, you should get a mortgage approval as soon as you’re financially ready to buy a house. Keep in mind that the better your financial situation is, the more likely you are to get approved.

If you plan to stay in your home for more than seven years, you may want to consider a fixed-rate mortgage, which offers predictable payments and long-term protection against rising mortgage interest rates. If you plan to stay in your home for seven years or less, an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) could be attractive. Keep in mind that with an ARM, your monthly payments have the potential to go up each time your interest rate adjusts.

When you pay a discount point, you are essentially paying part of your interest to the lender up front. This will lower your interest rate—as well as your monthly payment—over the life of the loan. One discount point is always equal to 1% of the loan amount. For example, one point on a $100,000 loan would require payment of $1,000 at closing. The longer you plan to remain in a property or hold your mortgage, the more advantageous it is to pay points. There is no requirement to pay discount points; whether you decide to pay points is completely up to you.

There are a series of factors to consider. That’s why we created our Affordability Calculator, to help you discover how much home is right for you. Once you determine how much home you can afford, the next step is to get preapproved for your home loan. You can get free preapproval in minutes at surepathlending.com. If you need assistance, a license loan officer can help walk you through the process.

Buying a home is a major decision, so take time to find a real estate agent that’s best for you. An experienced real estate agent can make your homebuying process a smooth one by helping you find the right house and negotiating the right price. You can ask one of our licensed loan officers for a referral.

At SurePath Lending, you can choose from several types of mortgage loans to finance your home purchase.  A licensed loan officer can help you understand the differences between the various loan options, so you can find the loan that is right for your specific needs.

Some types of mortgages and homeowner costs may be tax-deductible such as discount points, interest paid on a home loan, and property taxes. Consult your tax advisor for advice about your specific situation.

There is no set amount. In fact, many first-time homebuyer programs require as little as 3.0% down. There are many loan programs that can be tailored to fit your needs and financial resources. Keep in mind that for down payments of less than 20% on conventional loans, private mortgage insurance (PMI) will be required. Your licensed loan officer can help you assess your down payment options.

Traditional loans usually require documents that verify your employment, income, and assets, and may include:

• Your Social Security number.
• Pay stubs for the last two months.
• W-2 forms for the past two years.
• Bank statements for the past two or three months.
• One to two years of federal tax returns.
• A signed contract of sale (if you’ve already chosen your new home).
• Information on current debt, including car loans, student loans and credit cards.

Refinancing your mortgage means you will be obtaining a new loan to replace the loan you currently have on your home.

You may want to consider refinancing if you are interested in paying off high-interest-rate debt, shortening the length of your repayment term for your mortgage or lowering your monthly mortgage payment.

One or more of the following conditions needs to be present before you should consider refinancing your mortgage:

• Mortgage interest rates are falling.
• Your home has significantly appreciated in market value.
• You’ve been making payments on your original 30-year mortgage for less than ten years.

A licensed loan officer can provide more specific guidance to assist you.

Yes. SurePath Lending offers a variety of options that allow you to tap into your home’s equity and take cash out. Consult with your licensed loan officer to determine the best cash-out refinancing option for you.

Cash-out refinancing can help homeowners who want to consolidate high-interest debt. Because your mortgage interest rate is likely to be lower than rates on credit cards or other types of bank loans, consolidating debt may reduce your overall monthly debt payments.

In most cases you do need to have your house appraised to refinance. However, depending on the circumstances, an appraisal may not be required. Consult a licensed loan officer to find out if an appraisal is necessary before you start the refinancing process.

Closing costs are the fees you must pay to finalize a mortgage. Both new home loans and refinance agreements require closing fees. While some of these expenses go to your lender, others go to your title company and other parties involved in the mortgage process.

As the borrower, you usually pay the closing costs. In some cases, you may be able to ask the seller to cover some of the costs. Your licensed loan officer can provide more information and guidance about closing costs.

Closing costs encompass various fees required to finalize your mortgage, including loan application, appraisal, potential assumption fees, attorney and broker fees, credit report, discount points for lower interest rates, flood certification, origination for administrative costs, rate lock, recording, survey, title insurance and search, and underwriting fees. These costs, detailed in documents provided by your lender after application and before closing, cover the administrative and legal requirements of your home purchase or refinance.

Most closing costs are typically paid when you close on your loan. Some fees such as the appraisal or application fee may be charged upfront. If you’re responsible for the closing costs, that means you need to be ready to pay these fees in addition to making a down payment.

In some cases, you may be able to roll some or all your closing costs into a refinance loan so that you can pay them off over time. Many conventional loans and government-backed loans allow you to wrap some closing costs into your refinance mortgage.

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To reduce closing costs on a home purchase, consider these strategies before you finalize your mortgage: explore different loan types for lower fees, roll closing costs into your loan to spread the expense, opt for fewer mortgage discount points to decrease upfront costs, negotiate with the seller to cover some costs, or inquire about no-closing-cost mortgages.

Additionally, review your Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure carefully for discrepancies and discuss any unexpected fees with your lender. Remember, some costs like homeowners insurance and property taxes may still apply. Consulting with your Licensed Loan Officer can offer further insights into minimizing closing costs.

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A home inspection is a thorough and objective examination of your potential home to ensure that it’s safe and livable. A home inspection typically takes around 2 or 3 hours tom complete, depending on the size of the home. The inspector looks through every nook and cranny in the house, checking both the interior and exterior. They’ll look at the basic structure of the home plus its systems. The goal is to make sure everything is stable and working as it should.

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It’s normal for homebuyers to want to skip a home inspection during the homebuying process. Some are afraid it could delay the sale. Others worry about possibly offending the seller. The price of an inspection is also a factor.

But the time and money you spend on a home inspection is worth the investment. A home inspection can catch any potential problems before you complete your home purchase. It can also give you options when it comes to purchase price and cost negotiations.  Always consider asking for the contract to include a contingency around the outcome of the inspection.

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Your realtor may be willing to help arrange for the inspection. However, you should always choose your own inspector. The inspector you pick shouldn’t have any ties to either the seller or any realtors involved with the sale.

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Schedule a home inspection either prior to or right after you and the seller sign a contract for the purchase of the home. If it’s completed after signing the contract, then it should take place well within the contingency period you agreed upon in the contract. That way, there’s time after the inspection to address any issues that may come up.

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The buyer generally pays for the inspection. Sometimes a seller has already paid for an inspection in order to proactively address any issues. However, you should still order your own inspection. That way you can ensure any potential issues were not missed or that any previous issues were properly addressed. Depending on the home’s age, design and location, you may want additional inspections. These might include checking for mold, lead paint, asbestos or radon.

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Anything that’s hidden behind the walls, including plumbing and wiring. The inspector has to check if the plumbing and electrical systems are working. However, the inspector can’t guarantee there isn’t a problem since he can’t see what’s behind the walls. A home inspector can only check “readily accessible, visually observable, installed systems.”

Remember too that a home inspection will not provide an estimate about the value of the home.

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You and the seller each receive a copy of the inspector’s report. Where you go from there depends on you, your realtor and the seller. After you’ve received the results of a home inspection you can go ahead with the purchase as it stands. You can ask the seller to make the necessary repairs as a condition of the closing. You could also use the inspection report details to negotiate a better price with the seller to cover the cost of repairs or you can walk away from the deal.

Home inspections are an important part of the homebuying process. Getting a good idea about the state of the home you’re buying means there’s less chance of nasty surprises. You may also want to review the inspection report with your licensed loan officer and your real estate agent to discuss your options as you make your way through the homebuying process.

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