Credit Score Basics

When you buy or refinance, your credit score is one of the first things a lender looks at. It helps them determine if you qualify for a loan, and what interest rate they can offer you.

Factors that affect your Credit Score:

• Length of Credit History
• Amounts Owed
• Payment History
• New Credit
• Types of Credit Used
• Derogatory Credit

Your credit score reflects how reliable you are as a borrower and is determined by your overall borrowing and repayment history to credit card companies and other lenders.

Factors that Determine Your Rate

Lenders start with the par rate, then look at your risk profile to determine what rate they will offer you.

Rates are usually based on a combination of the following factors:

• Down Payment
• Loan terms
• Loan to Value Ratio (The percentage of the lesser of the sales price/appraised property value that is borrowed from a bank or lender. A down payment of 20% would create a loan-to-value of 80% *State specific rules may apply).
• Points
• Loan Product
• Debt-to-Income Ratio

Escrow Basics

An Escrow Account on your loan allows PNC Mortgage to make payments for certain bills related to your property, such as real estate property taxes, homeowners insurance, flood and other property related insurance, mortgage insurance and lease payments. Homeowners are generally required to have an escrow account until a certain loan to value ratio is met.

Escrow Payment– That portion of a mortgagor's monthly payments held by a lender or servicer in an account to pay taxes, homeowners insurance, mortgage insurance, lease payments, and other property related items as they become due. Also called impounds or reserves in some states.

Escrow Analysis– The periodic examination of escrow accounts to determine if current monthly deposits will provide sufficient funds to pay taxes, insurance, and other bills when due.

Your annual Escrow Analysis Statement contains all the information you need to understand your previous and projected mortgage payments.