By Melissa Dittmann Tracey, Contributing Editor, REALTOR® Magazine
Expectant parents eager to buy a home for their growing family may be surprised to find that they’re a credit risk when it comes to obtaining a mortgage to purchase their new home — even if they have jobs to make their payments.
According to a recent New York Times article (Need a Mortgage? Don’t Get Pregnant, by Tara Siegel Bernard), pregnant women increasingly are being denied home loans as lenders factor in the decrease in salary from when they’re away on maternity leave. The same applies to fathers taking paternity leave — even if the parent plans to return to work.
The disability payments that new mothers receive do not count as qualifying income toward the mortgage. So new mothers who plan to return to work may have to wait and reapply for a mortgage to buy the home after they’ve returned to their job.
Recent Comments