Author: Vandana Punj
Buying a home is one of the biggest financial decisions most people make in their life. Those who want to buy a home of their own prefer to opt for a home loan, but availing a home loan is not as easy as it is said. Many people are not aware of all the formalities that one needs to fulfill to get a home loan approval. Individuals who want to avail a home loan for the first time should stay aware of a lot of things such as interest rate, credit score, several fees related to home loan, documentation and much more.
Taking a house is a once in a lifetime decision which makes it important for you to select the right home loan product in the market. You should be aware of the basic components of a home loan before selecting the right kind of home loan offer for you. Here are some of the most common things you should consider before availing a home loan:
1. Credit Score
A credit score is one of the most important and essential factors which banks consider before providing any loan to their customers. So, any individual who desires to avail of a home loan should maintain a good credit score as it is an essential requirement to apply for any kind of loan within the banking sector. So, it is important to have a CIBIL score of more than 750 for higher home loan eligibility and to avail home loan at lower interest rates. Maintaining a good credit score is not tough and can be done by making timely payments for your credit cards and existing loans without fail.
Check Your Free Credit Score to know your home loan eligibility Check Now
2. Interest rate
Every individual should check and consider the home loan interest rate of several banks and financial institutions. Anyone who wants to avail home loan should compare different lenders for the lowest interest rates available. Before that one should be aware of the different types of interest rates available. There are two types of interest rates – floating and fixed. Under fixed home loan interest rates, the EMI’s don’t vary over the home loan tenure. But, under floating rate, the interest rate is calculated based on the MCLR and changes over time which proves to be beneficial as interest rates are expected to fall in the future.
You should always prefer a floating rate of interest over a fixed interest rate as your monthly EMIs would be higher if you opt for fixed interest rates, even if a fixed rate comes with an attractive offer. Fixed-rate of interest comes with a fixed liability and also a foreclosure penalty. The floating rate of interest varies from time to time and can help you save money on your interest, other expenses, and monthly EMIs.
Compare Home Loan Interest Rates for Top Banks & HFCs
| Name of Lender | Up to Rs. 30 Lakh | Above Rs. 30 Lakh to Rs. 75 Lakh | Above Rs. 75 Lakh | |
| SBI | 8.50%-9.85% p.a. | 8.50%-9.85% p.a. | 8.50%-9.85% p.a. | Check Eligibility |
| HDFC Bank Limited | 8.75% p.a. onwards | 8.75% p.a. onwards | 8.75% p.a. onwards | Check Eligibility |
| LIC Housing Finance | 8.50% - 11.25% p.a. | 8.50% - 10.55% p.a. | 8.50% - 10.75% p.a. | Check Eligibility |
| ICICI Bank | 8.75% p.a. onwards | 8.75% p.a. onwards | 8.75% p.a. onwards | Check Eligibility |
| Kotak Mahindra Bank | 8.75% p.a. onwards | 8.75% p.a. onwards | 8.75% p.a. onwards | Check Eligibility |
| PNB Housing Finance | 8.50% - 14.50% p.a. | 8.50% - 14.50% p.a. | 8.50%-11.45% p.a. | Check Eligibility |
| Punjab National Bank | 8.45% - 10.25% p.a. | 8.40% - 10.15% p.a. | 8.40% - 10.15% p.a. | Check Eligibility |
| Bank of Baroda | 8.40% - 10.65% p.a. | 8.40% - 10.65% p.a. | 8.40% - 10.90% p.a. | Check Eligibility |
| IDFC First Bank | 8.85% p.a. onwards | 8.85% p.a. onwards | 8.85% p.a. onwards | Check Eligibility |
| L&T Finance Limited | 8.65% p.a. onwards | 8.65% p.a. onwards | 8.65% p.a. onwards | Check Eligibility |
| Tata Capital Housing Finance | 8.75% p.a. onwards | 8.75% p.a. onwards | 8.75% p.a. onwards | Check Eligibility |
| Federal Bank | 8.80% p.a. onwards | 8.80% p.a. onwards | 8.80% p.a. onwards | Check Eligibility |
| Axis Bank | 8.75%-13.30% p.a. | 8.75%-13.30% p.a. | 8.75%-9.65% p.a. | Check Eligibility |
| Godrej Housing Finance | 8.55% p.a. onwards | 8.55% p.a. onwards | 8.55% p.a. onwards | Check Eligibility |
Apply for Home Loan at Attractive Interest Rates Click Here
3. Home Loan Tenure
Every individual who desires to avail of a home loan should decide on home loan tenure before availing of a home loan. Your home loan EMIs directly depend on your home loan tenure. Banks tend to prefer home loan applicants with shorter repayment periods. A short repayment period is also beneficial for you as it decreases the home loan interest burden on your EMIs. With shorter tenure your monthly installments will increase but eventually, it will help you in decreasing your home loan cost.
4. Processing Fees
Processing fees are the charge that any home loan borrower needs to pay to the lender once the home loan application is accepted. Generally, different banks or financial institutions charge loan processing fees up to 1% of the home loan that they disburse. You need to search for the right bank that charges low processing fees or charge negligible processing fees.
5. Equated Monthly Installments
Equated Monthly Installments is the payment that a borrower needs to make every month towards repayment of the home loan. The equated monthly installment amount depends on you. EMI amount also depends on the down payment you make at the time of buying your home. More the down payment you make lesser is the stress of outstanding amount which will convert into EMIs. It is always recommended to ensure that your EMI amount does not exceed 45% of your total income. You can calculate EMI through Home Loan EMI Calculator.
6. Home Loan Documents
Before availing of a home loan, you should always read the terms and conditions of your bank or financial institution carefully before signing the documents related to your home loan. You should be aware of the different charges, fees, and penalties mentioned in your home loan document.
Also Know: What documents are necessary for applying a home loan?
7. Down Payment
Generally, when you avail of any home loan, you are required to pay 10% to 15% of the total home loan amount as a down payment. The rest of the home loan amount is converted as your home loan EMI, which you will be required to pay monthly. If you have surplus cash available, you can increase the down payment as it would help you to save on the interest to be paid in the future.
Check Home Loan Offers from Top Lenders Click Here
8. Additional Charges
Apart from your home loan EMIs, banks and financial institutions may charge any additional fees at the time of application. Make sure that you discuss these charges with your bank or financial institution beforehand.
9. Pre-payment penalty
According to the recent RBI guidelines, any bank or financial institution is not supposed to charge the pre-payment penalty. With no penalty on prepayment, you can freely make any partial payment whenever you have surplus cash available after availing of your home loan.
10. Foreclosure Norms
Foreclosure of your home loan means making the repayment of the outstanding amount before your home loan tenure ends. The sooner you repay your home loan, the lesser interest you pay. Banks usually charge a foreclosure penalty for repaying the home loans before the tenure ends. With a floating home loan interest rate, your bank or financial institution will not charge any foreclosure penalty.
Keeping the above-mentioned points in mind before availing of a home loan is essential to avail the right kind of home loan product for your need.
