Getting a mortgage for a single mother in Russia is not an easy task. We need to find a bank that allows a woman raising children alone to get a loan. It is advisable that the organization work with government support programs, because it is this category of the population that most often uses mortgage benefits. A mortgage for a mother with a child can be issued subject to special conditions and only in certain financial organizations.
Mortgage conditions for a single mother
Will they give a mortgage to a mother who is raising children alone? There is no legal prohibition on obtaining a mortgage for a single mother. All potential borrowers are equal and can apply for a loan. But in practice, women raising children alone are undesirable clients of any mortgage bank, and there are good reasons for this.
What risks do lenders most often see? A small income, which should be enough not only to repay the loan, but also to provide for children. There is a high probability of being overdue, because education requires serious expenses, and a woman does not always fit within her budget. Of course, this does not always happen. Nowadays, many single mothers provide excellent support for their families, run their own businesses and can confirm high incomes.
However, when considering an application, the lender must take into account all possible risks in order to avoid non-payment of the debt. Otherwise, the terms of a mortgage for a single mother are no different from other loan options. They have the same rights as married or childless women. The decision will be made based on many factors, but the bank cannot refuse only because the father of the children is absent.
When a client fills out a credit application, he is asked to indicate his marital status. This is necessary in order to formalize the transaction legally. The spouse always becomes a co-borrower on the loan, because by law he also becomes the owner of the purchased property (). There are rare exceptions when a marriage contract is drawn up, but even in this case, the other half must become a guarantor.
In addition, involving a spouse as a co-borrower allows you to increase the probable loan amount by taking into account his income. A mortgage for a divorced or never-married mother with a child excludes these conditions. She will become the sole borrower, unless she decides to involve another close relative in the payment.
The conditions and procedure for obtaining a mortgage for a single mother with one child or a woman with many children are no different from ordinary housing loans. Except that they often take part in state support programs for mortgage borrowers, which has its own characteristics.
Possible advantages and disadvantages of acquiring the status of “single mother”
The status of a single mother, recognized at the state level, is in many ways a double-edged sword. On the one hand, a child without a father may have more freedom in his movements, because the mother will not have to, for example, obtain permission from the second parent to take the child abroad. On the other hand, a woman who has officially become a single mother does not have the right to demand alimony from a man. What is better: benefits and financial assistance provided at the state level, or alimony, which sometimes has to be obtained through the courts and waited for years? A single mother must decide this issue on her own, thoroughly weighing the pros and cons.
What is required from the borrower
How to get a mortgage for a single mother? To do this, you need to meet the basic requirements of the organization to which she decided to apply for money. The conditions differ in different banks, but among them the following general rules can be distinguished:
- citizenship of our country;
- having a permanent residence permit;
- age is usually from 20 years until retirement;
- a white salary that allows you to pay the mortgage and provide for children without infringing on their rights;
- The length of service requirements depend on the bank, usually from 3-6 months in the current position.
There is an advantage to getting a mortgage for a single mother. Representatives of this privileged category of the population cannot simply be fired from their jobs, so they are considered more stable loan payers.
The main thing that the creditor pays attention to is the woman’s solvency (that is, the financial ability to repay the debt) and reliability (in particular, the history of previous payments). Will they give a mortgage to a single mother? The decision is made individually based on the documents submitted and the results of calculations. The client’s income, number of dependents (minor children), employment and credit history are taken into account.
The package of documents when applying for a mortgage for a single mother with a child is standard:
- borrower's passport;
- completed application form;
- salary certificate () or other documents proving regular cash receipts;
- confirmation of employment;
- documents for children;
- papers on marital status.
A similar package of documentation will be required from co-borrowers and guarantors if they are involved in a mortgage transaction.
If necessary, the bank may request other documents. When using mortgage subsidies, single mothers are required to provide a supporting document. Most often, people use family capital, a federal or regional certificate to purchase housing. Registration of a preferential loan requires a special procedure for completing the transaction, the rules of which should be clarified with the institution that confirmed the right to receive a subsidy.
After an affirmative answer, you need to collect a package of papers for the property being purchased. There are no differences from the standard list here:
- copy of the seller's passport;
- an extract from the register of real estate rights confirming ownership and absence of encumbrances;
- technical documentation for housing;
- draft purchase agreement (or construction investment when purchasing a new building);
- certificate of registration in the residential premises;
- evaluation report, etc.
You can clarify the list of required papers at the bank after approval of the initial application. It may vary depending on the mortgage program for a single mother. After submitting documents for housing, a second review occurs.
Maternal capital
According to Russian law, single mothers raising two children are issued maternity capital, which can be used for a down payment when applying for a mortgage, to pay off interest on a loan or current arrears of payments. The exception is the incompatibility of maternity capital with receiving a targeted subsidy. When receiving a subsidy for obtaining a mortgage, maternity capital cannot be used to purchase real estate, since the simultaneous use of various gratuitous assistance from the state is prohibited by law.
Procedure for obtaining a mortgage
How to get a mortgage for a single mother with a child? The procedure is no different from traditional loan processing. There are some peculiarities when using a government subsidy as a down payment. We will discuss the algorithm for obtaining such a mortgage in the next section.
An apartment is purchased with a mortgage by a single mother according to the following scheme:
- Choose a suitable bank whose lending conditions suit you. You should pay attention to the interest rate, additional fees, convenience of debt repayment, requirements for borrowers and the property, loyalty of consideration, and the possibility of deferring payment. All these factors are very important, because, as a rule, a mortgage is taken out for a long term.
- Submit an application for consideration to the bank, while it will only concern your solvency. If your income is not enough to approve the declared amount, you should involve a co-borrower, usually close relatives (parents, adult children) or a cohabitant. Please note that a new participant in a credit transaction for a mortgage for a mother with many children or with one or two children is not a simple formality. He will bear the same financial responsibility to the bank for repaying the loan as the borrower himself.
- After approval, you should start looking for housing that meets the bank’s requirements. Collect the necessary documents and submit them to the mortgage department for review.
- After checking the legal purity of the planned transaction, you can sign the loan papers and the purchase agreement. At the same time, the funds for the first payment for the apartment are transferred.
- Documents are submitted to Rosreestr to register the transfer of ownership to the borrower.
- After receiving the documents from the registration authority, they should be submitted to the bank for crediting the housing loan amount. The credit institution transfers funds to a current account, from where they are sent to the seller.
Recommended article: Military Mortgage Tax Deduction
From this moment on, the borrower has obligations to repay the housing loan. It may be more difficult for a single mother to get a mortgage than for a married woman, but only because it is impossible to verify her spouse’s income. When calculating her solvency, her salary will be divided among all minor children. As a result, there is often a very small amount left to pay off the mortgage, hence the small size of the approved loan.
How can I apply for benefits?
In order for a woman to be recognized as a single mother and accrue all available benefits and preferences, just one standard certificate in Form 25, proving the fact of the birth of a baby, is not enough. In addition, you will need to prepare a package of documents to attach to the application - this is a passport, birth certificate, a certificate certifying that the baby lives with the mother, a work record book (if available), a statement of the woman’s income (if she works) and, of course, bank account details for transferring benefits. If you receive a negative decision in response to your application, you can challenge it in court.
Mortgage without down payment
Providing a down payment is an important condition for housing loans. In some cases, mortgage borrowers do not contribute their own funds when receiving a loan, most often due to the use of government subsidies. Is a mortgage available for single mothers without a down payment? Just like for other citizens - subject to strict compliance with the rules for processing such a loan.
How can you get a mortgage for a mother of many children without depositing your own money:
- use maternal capital funds;
- apply another government subsidy.
To obtain a preferential mortgage for single mothers, you should choose those banks that work with government subsidies instead of making a contribution with your own funds. These are mainly the largest creditors of our country (Sberbank, VTB, Rosselkhozbank, Alfa-Bank, etc.). Small commercial structures may not accept housing certificates as payment for real estate. Therefore, before applying for a loan, check whether the social mortgage program is available for single mothers.
How they give mortgages to single mothers without a down payment:
- make sure that you are entitled to a housing loan benefit and obtain its official confirmation;
- specify which bank accepts this subsidy;
- choose optimal loan conditions;
- apply for a mortgage and get approved;
- select a property and submit papers to the bank for approval;
- sign the loan documentation and the purchase agreement, and, if necessary, provide copies of them to the authority that issued the housing subsidy;
- register the transaction in Rosreestr;
- After confirming the registration of ownership, receive credit funds and transfer them to the seller’s account.
Depending on the type of subsidy, there are different options for conducting the transaction. In one case, you need to wait for the funds to be credited from the state to a special account, from where, after signing the loan documents, they will be sent to the seller. When maternity capital is used for a mortgage for a single mother, the lender issues the full cost of the apartment, and the state then transfers the amount of the certificate to pay for the mortgage.
Remember that the presence of a government subsidy does not give the client any advantage when checking the profile. The solvency of the potential borrower, his credit history and other factors will also be assessed. In particular, a mortgage for a non-working mother with maternity capital cannot be issued because she does not have the income to pay the loan. But even in this case, there is a way out of the situation - attracting a co-borrower with a high salary, who will bear overall responsibility to the bank.
How to get a mortgage for a mother of many children without a down payment? Lending programs for the full cost of housing are provided in and.
However, to use this opportunity you will have to pay an increased interest rate or provide additional real estate collateral. Will a mother and child be given a mortgage? It is possible, but subject to confirmation of income and fulfillment of other requirements of the creditor bank.
Is it possible to get a mortgage loan for a single mother without a down payment?
You can get a mortgage without a down payment at Metallinvestbank, but at an annual rate of 14% (without life and health insurance - 15%). But in this case, the monthly payment should not be more than half of the total family income. You can also get a loan for real estate without a loan from the following banks:
- SMP (from 12.5%);
- Revival (from 12.95%);
- Promsvyazbank (from 13.3%).
Beneficiaries have the right to receive a subsidy from the budget for partial repayment of the mortgage.
Is there an interest-free mortgage for single mothers?
You can get a mortgage without interest if you meet certain requirements:
- The status “Large family” and “In need of support” is officially confirmed by certificates.
- Income meets bank requirements.
- The apartment being prepared is the first real estate purchased. If living conditions do not meet the requirements of sanitary standards, this item is not taken into account.
Registration is carried out in local municipal authorities. If approved, the “body” of the loan is paid by the borrower, and all interest is paid by the state.
Mortgage benefits for single mothers
The Russian Federation provides state benefits for mortgages for single mothers. To be precise, the absence of a child's father is not a reason for subsidizing an incomplete family. But there are many other social programs in which a woman can participate if she meets their requirements.
Let's look at them in more detail:
- Mortgage for maternity capital for a single mother. The certificate is issued after the woman has her second child; it can be used as a down payment on a housing loan (). It is also possible to repay the existing mortgage using materiel capital (). The certificate is accepted by many banks and allows you to get a mortgage for a single mother with two children without paying her own money to pay for the apartment.
- In addition to federal maternity capital, many regions have their own programs to help single mothers obtain preferential mortgages. Subsidies can be issued not only for the birth of a second child, but also for subsequent ones. The amount is usually 100-150 thousand rubles and can be used as start-up capital for a housing loan.
- . Can a single mother count on state assistance with a mortgage in the amount of 35% of the price of the apartment? Of course, if she meets the requirements of the law: under 35 years of age, confirmation of the need to improve living conditions, and the presence of a permanent source of funds for further payment of the loan.
- State mortgage subsidy program at 5-6%. Single mothers are entitled to a reduced mortgage percentage upon the birth of a second or subsequent child until 2022 (). Mandatory requirements for obtaining state support: Russian citizenship, purchase of a new building, initial capital from 20%, loan amount up to 6 million rubles or up to 12 million rubles if you live in the capital.
- Repayment of the existing mortgage of a single mother with a subsidy from the state in the amount of 450 thousand rubles (). Families who will have a third or subsequent children before 2022 will be able to receive support. Is it possible to pay for the mortgage of a divorced mother with many children using budget funds? Yes, she only needs to take the package of papers required in this case to the bank.
- Rural mortgage at 2 percent for single mothers and other citizens (). This new state rural support program has been in effect since 2021. The rate is set in the range from 0.1% to 3%, the loan is issued for the purchase and construction of housing in rural areas. Can I get a mortgage for a single mother? Of course, if it confirms solvency and meets other bank conditions.
The benefit for a mortgage for a mother with a disabled child is enshrined in. Now families with disabled children can count on a reduced interest rate - 6%.
The program for young families should not be confused with special lending conditions at Sberbank. The financial institution allows borrowers to reduce the interest rate. Upon the birth of a child, it is possible to obtain a deferment in the payment of the principal debt. It is also possible to involve parents as co-borrowers to increase the possible amount. This option can be used as a mortgage for a single mother on maternity leave, but only if she confirms her income.
Who is a single mother?
Single mothers are considered to be women who gave birth to children out of wedlock or after the expiration of 300 days from the date of divorce. The identity of the child's father must not be established.
To register the birth of a child according to the instructions of the mother, you must:
- lack of application on behalf of both parents;
- absence of a court decision according to which paternity is established.
The status of a single mother is confirmed by a special certificate issued by the registry office. The form of the certificate is established by a decision of the Government of the Russian Federation.
Mortgage refinancing for single mothers
If a woman already has a home loan, she can take advantage of single mother mortgage refinancing. The conditions for its registration are almost the same as for a new home loan. However, this will reduce costs by reducing the interest rate and establish a lower monthly payment, thereby relieving the family budget. Most often, you have to apply to another bank for refinancing, but some organizations refinance their own loans.
Are there any benefits for a single mother's mortgage ? In case of refinancing in another bank, there are no concessions, but you can use existing housing certificates to pay for the loan.
What benefits are provided for a single mother on a mortgage if refinancing is planned under the state program? The conditions for refinancing at 5-6% do not differ from applying for a new loan under a similar family loan. You should apply for refinancing to the bank where you took out your mortgage.
How to reduce the interest rate on a home loan at Sberbank
Interest rate reduction options:
- Refinancing is the repayment of an existing mortgage using borrowed funds received from another bank on more favorable terms.
- Changing the terms of the agreement pre-trial or in court is an opportunity to reduce interest on the loan, provided that violations are identified during the preparation of documents on the part of the lender.
- Debt restructuring is the possibility of reducing the size of monthly payments by prolonging the loan.
- The use of government programs in which the conditions are more attractive.
- Connecting life insurance when applying for a mortgage (the rate will be reduced by 1%).
- Purchasing real estate at a discount from the developer. In this case, he independently pays 1-2% of the mortgage.
- Transfer of wages to Sberbank to reduce the rate by 0.6%.
How to get approved
Whether a single mother will be approved for a mortgage depends on many conditions. Before submitting a loan application, you should reasonably assess your financial capabilities and, if necessary, correct shortcomings that are critical for the bank. How to get a mortgage for a single mother with a high chance of a positive response:
- Check your credit rating. Every Russian has the right to receive his dossier from the BKI completely free of charge twice a year (). See if you are mistakenly listed with loans and credit cards that were not closed by the bank, or if there is an incorrectly indicated overdue period. Banking history is of great importance when approving a mortgage; it is what attention is paid to first.
- If you have existing loans, try to pay off the debt on them. Monthly loan payments will be deducted from your income when assessing your ability to pay. This means that the bank will approve a smaller amount.
- A mortgage for a mother on maternity leave without a regular income is unlikely to be issued. In this case, a co-borrower should be involved in the mortgage transaction. But his salary should be high, because it will be distributed to the main borrower and children. It is important that after deduction there are funds left to repay the home loan.
- Use any options for state mortgage support for a single mother. If you are entitled to subsidies by law, be sure to apply for assistance from the budget. This will greatly facilitate payments and allow you to purchase the desired property.
- Confirm all possible sources of income. For example, for a mortgage of a single mother with many children, you can show the bank social payments, alimony, pension (if any), any additional income (for example, from renting out housing or from part-time work).
For a single mother, the mortgage rate will be lower if she applies to the bank where she has a salary card. In addition, salary applications are processed faster and more responsively, so the chances of approval are very high. Organizations often offer special lending conditions for such clients, so when choosing mortgage terms, be sure to look at your salary bank.
Some other payments specific to single mothers from 2021
Maternity payments for low-income single mothers . They were introduced in Russia on July 1, 2021. The key requirements for obtaining this preference are to register for pregnancy before reaching 12 weeks, have an income less than the subsistence level, work, be on maternity leave, be registered with an employment center, or not work, for example, due to disability.
Benefit for children under 17 years of age . This payment for single mothers appeared in the country on July 1, 2021. Financial assistance of this kind will be issued every month, but the application for its receipt will need to be updated annually. It is important that not only single mothers, but also fathers, as well as official guardians of children from 8 to 17 years old, are entitled to receive the payment. The average per capita family income in this situation also cannot go beyond the subsistence level established in a particular region of residence.
Mortgage calculation for a single mother
If you have the financial ability to repay the loan, and you are wondering whether it is possible to take out a mortgage for a single mother, the first thing you need to do is calculate the amount. You should proceed from how much money you have for a down payment and what price of the apartment you are applying for. This way you can calculate the approximate loan size.
But is it possible for a single mother to get a mortgage for the desired amount? The decision remains with the bank, but any potential borrower can make approximate calculations. To do this you need to follow the instructions:
- Calculate your total income. Include all cash receipts that you can confirm to the bank. If you have a co-borrower, take into account his salary.
- The existing loan payments should be subtracted from the resulting value. Including using a credit card, even if you don’t use it. In this case, count 5% of the approved card limit as an expense.
- Next, subtract the cost of living for yourself, the co-borrower and all dependents (including the children of the second party to the transaction). Its value is set at the regional level; you can check the current data on the website of your city administration.
The final figure represents the possible mortgage payment. You can get an approximate amount by adjusting the mortgage values in the loan calculator on the website of the selected bank. This way, you will be able to understand in advance whether a single mother can get a mortgage in the desired amount and, if necessary, adjust the amount.
Let's look at the example of a mortgage for a single mother with two children. Her salary is 50 thousand rubles, she has a loan with a monthly payment of 3 thousand rubles. The cost of living per person in the region is 10,400 rubles. The calculation will look like this: 50,000 – 3,000 (loan) – 10,400*3 (mother and minors) = 15,800 rubles. This is the maximum monthly mortgage payment for a mother with two children.
Let's say she decided to contact Sberbank to purchase a finished apartment. When changing the parameters in the loan calculator, you should adjust the loan terms so that in the field on the right the monthly payment is the figure we calculated. According to our calculations, taking out a mortgage for a single mother from Sberbank will cost 3 million rubles.
Please note that the method described above for calculating a mortgage for a single mother in Sberbank is only preliminary. It is necessary to understand how the bank calculates the solvency of a potential borrower. In practice, the decision on the amount is made by a special program, which makes adjustments depending on many factors. For example, the loan size is often underestimated due to enforcement proceedings or damaged banking history. Approval may come for a completely different amount than you expected, and the discrepancy can be higher or lower.
Can a single mother take out a mortgage without taking into account dependents? It is unlikely that there will be an organization that will turn a blind eye to the financial insolvency of a future borrower, because the main goal of the bank is to make a profit. If a woman cannot prove a sufficient income, then how will she pay for a home loan for a long time?
Mortgage from Sber for mothers on maternity leave
There are no special offers or requirements for a woman on maternity leave. And therefore, you should focus on the standard requirements and norms described in this article.
Expert opinion
Irina Bogdanova
Work experience at Sberbank for 12 years.
First of all, this is Law 102-FZ “On Mortgage (Pledge of Real Estate),” which outlines mortgage obligations and requirements.
It also stipulates the content of the agreement and the safety features of the property that serves as collateral for the loan.
Which bank to contact
We figured out how to get a mortgage for a mother and child. But where to apply for a loan so that the chances of approval are as high as possible? If you want to use government subsidies, you should first pay attention to large banks. Sberbank, Rosselkhozbank, VTB, Gazprombank, Otkritie and others work with housing certificates (including maternity capital).
Let's see what conditions are offered by the country's largest lenders:
- issued for the purchase of housing on the primary or secondary market. The possible loan amount starts from 300 thousand rubles, the interest rate is from 6.5%, the repayment period is up to 360 months. The down payment using your own funds must be at least 10%.
- Is there a mortgage for single mothers at VTB? There is no such program, but a woman can take advantage of any type of loan to purchase housing, including without proof of income. Mortgage loan repayment period is up to 360 months, amount from 600 thousand rubles, down payment from 10%. The rate starts from 8.4% per annum. For example, for a mortgage for a divorced mother without an official salary, you can apply to a lending program using two documents.
- Do they give it, because it belongs to the state and supports preferential categories of the population? It is worth paying special attention to, because the bank is always one of the first to introduce government mortgage support programs. For example, at the beginning of 2020, rural mortgages are already being issued here at an interest rate of 2.7%. Other types of housing loans are issued for a period of up to 360 months, in the amount of 100 thousand to 60 million rubles, interest from 9%, down payment of at least 15%.
- offers to receive from 500 thousand to 30 million rubles by making a down payment of maternity capital from 10%. Mortgage repayment period up to 360 months, interest rate from 8.1%. Is it possible to get a mortgage for a single mother? Yes, and to increase the approved amount, she can attract up to 3 co-borrowers. The funds must be spent on purchasing finished or under construction housing.
Residents of Crimea find themselves in a difficult situation in terms of mortgage lending. The fact is that Russian banks are in no hurry to enter the peninsula, reasonably fearing international sanctions. Where can a single mother get a mortgage in Crimea? The choice is small, only a few banks operate here, the largest of which are Russia and Genbank.
Are mortgages given to divorced mothers with one or more children on the Peninsula? Yes, it is quite possible to get a loan here. For example, at RNKB you can get a family mortgage at 5%, and provide preferential services for parents of disabled children and mothers of large families. The interest rate under basic conditions starts from 10%, amount up to 15 million rubles, down payment from 10%, repayment period up to 25 years.
Rate the author
Share on social networks
Author:
Mortgage specialist Maria Yurievna Sokhan
Publication dateMarch 27, 2020March 27, 2020
What to do if your application is rejected
It is possible that the credit company may refuse a potential client. However, there is no need to worry. If one bank rejects your application, you can always try to apply at another. To do this, you need to find out the basis for refusal at the first bank.
Typically, employees do not provide specific reasons, but indicate possible ones, but this does not prevent the client from making mistakes in the future. For example, if the reason for the refusal is a loan that has not been fully repaid, then you need to repay it and then contact the bank.
If the reason for refusal is that housing is too expensive, you can continue searching for a property and find a cheaper option. If the reason is that the amount of the available down payment is insufficient, you can save up a little. During this time, it is possible to rent housing with good conditions.
Let's sum it up
A single mother can also count on bank approval for a mortgage, especially if her income allows her to support minor children and pay the loan monthly.
Additionally, she has the opportunity to take advantage of special preferential offers from banks. For example, Sberbank has developed several profitable mortgage programs for young families with a reduced down payment and interest rate.
A woman also has the right to apply for social assistance from the state in obtaining a mortgage for housing by contacting local administrative authorities.
“Mortgage with state support for families with children” from Sberbank
The new program is available from January 1, 2021. Agreements are concluded from February 7, 2021. The terms of the program apply to citizens of the Russian Federation who had a 2nd or 3rd child in the period from 01/01/2018 to 12/31/2022. The loan term is from 1 year to 30 years.
Under the “Purchase of Finished Housing” program, within the framework of a mortgage with state support, you can buy:
- apartment (including in a “town house”);
- house;
- town house;
- residential premises with the land plot on which it is located.
Under the program “Purchase of housing under construction”, within the framework of a mortgage with state support from Sberbank, you can receive:
- apartment (including in a residential building consisting of one or several block sections - “town house”);
- house;
- town house.
The offer applies to families with two or more children. But consider the conditions under which the bank is willing to provide you with funds.
Negative aspects of housing programs
The lender does not give concessions; it is important for him that payments are made on time.
The client's social status is not particularly important. With a low income, a single mother will not receive a loan. To provide a mortgage, the bank will have to offer real estate or other valuable property as collateral.
Disadvantages of participating in mortgage programs:
- very strict conditions for participation in preferential mortgage programs;
- limiting the maximum loan amount due to the borrower’s low income;
- Under some preferential mortgage programs, it is impossible to purchase secondary housing.