While buying a home and obtaining a home loan can feel overwhelming at times, there are ways to cut costs and save money on your home loan. Do your homework and earn the best grade possible!

Buying a home is making a major investment, and it’s an investment that can cost a buyer a lot of money unless they do their homework. You can save money on your home loan costs by taking a few steps, regardless of how the economy is doing when you decide to shop for a home loan.

Only apply for a home loan if you have a high credit score. Higher credit scores equate to lower interest rates, thus saving the home owner thousands of dollars over the term of the loan.

The lender will analyze and study every single credit report that exists under your name, so make sure they are all rock solid. Obtain a free credit report. Does it have mistakes? Make sure the mistakes are credited before submitted to the lender.

The two most important factors that calculate your credit score is your current credit card balance and if the payments are made on time.

Always shop around and collect more than one home loan quote. Lending is a competitive business, so consequentially lenders compete for your money. They are always willing to lower their quote if a competitor is bidding for your service. Use this benefit to your advantage.

Another way you can save money on your loan is by requesting the seller cover the closing costs. Closing costs range between 3-7% of the total cost of the property. You cannot hurt your standing by doing this. The worst thing that can happen is a polite ‘no’ by the seller.

If you ask the seller to cover your home loan closing costs and they refuse, then ask the lender to negotiate a lower rate on the closing costs with you. This is also something you should inquire about when shopping for the best home loan rates because closing costs can add a lot of money to your mortgage costs.

While buying a home and obtaining a home loan can feel overwhelming at times, there are ways to cut costs and save money on your home loan. Do your homework and earn the best grade possible!

Tom Martens is the content coordinator for South Arica?s leading Homeloans portal which amongst others offers Bond origination services for all major banks.