One of the important steps in buying Florida Real Estate is finding a loan officer. Besides having to know where to look for one, other than perhaps in the telephone directory or in the yellow pages, comes the heavy responsibility of choosing one who will help you find the right kind of loan to fit your Florida Real Estate buying needs.

A Loan Officer will be with you from the moment you pre-qualify or apply for a loan, all the way up until closing on your Florida Real Estate, so it would be beneficial to you to choose a Loan Officer who will be working to help you sincerely. After all, this person will not only have your personal information, like how much money you make and your credit score, but will also be evaluating your credit habits during the typical couple of months during the loan process. Shouldnt you have one whom you can trust?

Lets start by looking at some of the criteria you might want in a Loan Officer to help you finance your Florida Real Estate.

1. Honest
No one likes being told one thing, then a completely different thing later. An honest Loan Officer is one who will be up-front with you regarding your debt to income ratios, your interest rate, credit score, mortgage payment, and even how much your down payment should be. Even more than just simple honesty, you even should consider a Loan Officer who will tell you how it is; for example, if you have too many credit cards with too many open limits on them, then a Loan Officer should make you aware of the risk that carries when trying to get the lowest possible interest rate available from the mortgage companys underwriter.

2. Helpful
A Loan Officer should not only be honest, but should be sincerely helpful, too. Your Loan Officer should be able to suggest ways you can increase your chances of getting a loan or lowering your interest rate, and point out areas of strengths in your financial profile you can capitalize on. Your Loan Officer should even help you think of areas that may help your ability to get a loan that you may have not even considered, like figuring into your income the once per year bonus you get.

3. Simplify
Getting your Florida Real Estate financed is hard enough without you having to worry about whether you have everything you need, or if there will be some last minute paperwork youll have to scramble around to fill out. A good Loan Officer should provide you with a checklist of everything youll need to fill out the loan application, any documentation you will need to provide to them, or a list of things you will need at closing. They will also have some tips for you on how to make the entire process easier.

4. Available
A Loan Officer should be available to you should you have any questions regarding your mortgage application or details you need to know. It is extremely stressful to get a mortgage, especially if its your first time; but even veteran applicants get stressed. The stress only becomes amplified if the Loan Officer is not available to help you with your concerns or questions.

So how do you start the process? If you already are interested in a home from Affordable Florida Homes, then your Florida Real Estate Agent can suggest a few loan officers they have worked with in the past. Because your Florida Real Estate Agent has your best interest in mind by wanting to make sure youre a satisfied customer, you can be sure that your Florida Real Estate Agent isnt going to steer you in the wrong direction. Besides, who better than you Florida Real Estate Agent to know your financing needs other than yourself?

Another way to find a Loan Officer is to talk to your current bank. Chances are very good that your bank either handles mortgages, or can certainly point you in the right direction. Many banks give its customers incentives to keep their money all in one place, so you could easily check with your bank and see what they have to offer.

Talk to your friends and family. Many times, they either currently have or have dealt with a Loan Officer in the past that they trust, and can recommend one to you. They can give you details regarding what they liked or didnt like; ways that the Loan Officer made their mortgage application painless or how scary it was. There is usually no better information that word of mouth, and your friends and family will be happy to tell you about their experiences.

Whether youre looking to finance your first piece of Florida Real Estate or your tenth, you need a good, trustworthy Loan Officer.