How to handle banking and telecom in English abroad?

Congratulations on taking that first step! Preapproval means we review your finances and tell you exactly how much you can borrow. Sellers take you more seriously with a preapproval letter. I'll need to look at your income, debts, assets, and credit history. The preapproval is usually good for 60 to 90 days. Would you like to get started today?

恭喜你迈出第一步！预批就是我们审查你的财务状况，告诉你确切能借多少。有预批信的话卖家会更认真对待你。我需要看你的收入、债务、资产和信用记录。预批通常有效期60到90天。今天要开始吗？

Being salaried makes it straightforward. I'll need your two most recent pay stubs, W-2 forms from the last two years, two months of bank statements showing your savings, a valid photo ID, and your Social Security number. If you have any other debts — car loan, student loans, credit cards — I'll need those account numbers too. We'll also pull your credit report, which does involve a hard inquiry.

工薪族的话流程比较简单。我需要你最近两份工资单、过去两年的W-2表、两个月的银行对账单显示你的存款、有效的带照片证件、社会安全号码。如果你有其他债务——车贷、学贷、信用卡——我也需要那些账号。我们还会调取你的信用报告，这会涉及硬查询。

Sixty thousand on a $350,000 home is about 17% down — that's solid. You're close to the 20% threshold, which is $70,000. With 20% down, you'd avoid PMI — that's private mortgage insurance, which typically adds $100 to $200 a month. With 17% down, you'd pay PMI until you build 20% equity. You could also look into lender-paid PMI where we roll it into a slightly higher rate. Let me show you both scenarios.

35万的房子放6万首付大约是17%——很不错。你离20%的门槛只差一点，就是70,000美元。首付20%的话可以免PMI——就是私人抵押贷款保险，通常每月增加100到200美元。17%首付的话需要付PMI直到你积累了20%的房屋净值。你也可以考虑贷方付PMI的方案，我们把它算到略高的利率里。让我给你看两个方案。

Sure. Our 30-year fixed is at 6.75% — your payment stays the same for 30 years, totally predictable. The 7/1 ARM starts at 5.9% for the first seven years, then adjusts annually based on market rates. The ARM has a 2% annual cap and a 5% lifetime cap, so the highest it could ever go is 10.9%. For $320,000, the fixed payment would be about $2,075 a month. The ARM starts at about $1,895. How long do you plan to stay in the home?

当然。我们的30年固定利率是6.75%——月供30年不变，完全可预测。7/1 ARM前七年利率5.9%，之后每年根据市场利率调整。ARM有2%的年度上限和5%的终身上限，所以最高到10.9%。32万的话，固定月供大约2,075美元。ARM起始大约1,895美元。你计划在这个房子住多久？

Exactly. Over seven years, that's roughly $15,000 in savings with the ARM. If you're confident you'll sell or refinance within that window, it's a smart play. But here's the thing — if plans change and you stay past year seven, you need to be comfortable with potential rate increases. I always tell people: choose the fixed if you want to sleep well at night, choose the ARM if you want to save and have a clear exit plan.

没错。七年下来ARM大约省15,000美元。如果你确定在那个时间窗口内会卖或再融资，这是个聪明的选择。但问题是——如果计划变了住超过七年，你需要能接受利率上涨的可能。我总跟客户说：想安心就选固定，想省钱且有明确退出计划就选ARM。

We can lock your rate once you submit a formal application, but the lock has a timeframe. A 30-day lock is free, 45 days adds an eighth of a point, and 60 days adds a quarter point. If you haven't found a house yet, I'd suggest waiting to lock until you have an accepted offer — you don't want the lock to expire. We also offer a float-down option: if rates drop after you lock, you can get the lower rate for a small fee. When do you expect to make an offer?

提交正式申请后就可以锁定利率，但锁定有时间限制。30天锁定免费，45天加0.125个点，60天加0.25个点。如果你还没找到房子，我建议等有了被接受的offer再锁——不然锁定到期就白费了。我们还有float-down选项：锁定后如果利率下降，可以花一小笔费用拿到更低利率。你预计什么时候出offer？