lfcvicki asked:


I’m a bit confused. I’m on a fixed rate repayment mortgage and with rates being so low at the moment is it just tough on me for paying more or am I actually paying off more off my mortgage each month?

Dennis

royal_crown78 asked:


And have you had an increase in your mortgage payments due to an ARM?
If you are planning on purchasing a home in the future, would you prefer an ARM or a fixed rate?

Andrew

vaplaya121487 asked:


Being that it is a new year one of my resolutions was to do more research before a jumped into anything. Being that I’m new to the housing market what are the benefits of a fixed rate mortgage compared to an adjustable rate?

Holly

Andrew Bicknell asked:


For many people there comes a time when it makes sense to refinance their home mortgage. There can be any number of reasons to do this but for most people the primary goal is to lower their interest rate and their monthly payment. Everybody’s situation is different so the reasons for doing a refinance can vary from person to person.

When you do a home mortgage loan refinance you are basically taking out a new loan and using it to pay off an existing loan. You of course do not want to refinance if your new loan will cost your more in interest and monthly payments so it pays to research any new loan carefully.

As you delve further into the realm of refinancing a home you will undoubtedly run into terms that you may not be familiar with. These may include the following:

Term Length - This is the amount of time you have to pay back the loan. The majority of loans go for either 15 or 30 years. The longer the term the more interest you will pay during that term.

Fixed Rate Mortgage Loan - This is a mortgage in which the rate is set at closing and does not change for the life of the loan.

Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM) - This is a mortgage with an adjustable rate. That means the rate can move up or down depending on what the prime rate or treasury index it is tied to is doing. This type of loan usually starts out at a low rate that makes it a great deal, but consumers need to be careful if and when the interest rate goes up, increasing the monthly payment.

Annual Percentage Rate (APR) - This number represents all the costs associated with a mortgage shown as an interest rate. It can vary among different lenders because they all calculate it a little differently. If you are comparing rate use the Good Faith Estimate that all lenders are required to provide.

Good Faith Estimate (GFE) - This is a document that all mortgage lenders are required by law to provide to all applicants. It will give a full account of all the estimated costs for a loan from a particular lender. You should have this in hand no longer then 3 days after filling out a loan application.

Loan to Value Ratio (LTV) - This ratio is a percentage that shows what percent you are borrowing against the appraised value of your home. Keeping this ratio below 80% is what most lenders are looking for. If your LTV is higher then 80% you will probably be required to purchase mortgage insurance in order to refinance.

Points (Discount & Origination) - There are two types of points that you can pay. Discount points are paid up front at the closing and are used to bring down the interest rate. Normally one point will equal one percent of what your total loan amount is. Origination points, or fees, are paid for the services rendered by the loan representative.

Refinancing a home mortgage loan can be a good way of freeing up money for other uses but it pays to pay close attention through out the process because you don’t want some hidden cost or fee to make your new loan cost more than the original mortgage.



Milton

Ricky Lim asked:


Currently on the market, there are many varieties of mortgage loans available. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell which mortgage loan is suitable and applicable to you.

I will discuss the 3 main types of mortgage loans on the market. Most banks and lenders offer mortgage loans that belong to one of these categories.

1. Fixed Mortgage Loan

Fixed mortgage loans are the most popular and common among the three types of mortgage loan.

You take out a mortgage loan with a lender and you pay a certain repayment amount for a fixed period of time. Most people usually choose 30 year fixed mortgage loans as the monthly repayment amounts are low and the interest rates usually evens out in a 30 year period.

One disadvantage of 30 year fixed mortgage loan is you have to repay more for your mortgage loan in total compared to someone who takes up a 15 or 5 year loan.

There are also shorter time periods such as 5 year, 10 or 15 years fixed mortgage loans. It allows people who want to pay off their house in a shorter period of time. Of course, you have to make sure you have the financial capability to repay higher monthly repayments.

There is also another sub-category of mortgage loan called adjustable rate mortgage loan or ARM. Usually, you will start off with a lower interest rate compared to a 30 year fixed mortgage loan. So you ended up paying less each month for your mortgage repayment.

However take note that ARM is highly fluctuating depending on interest rates. In other words, you pay less for monthly repayment when interest is low and pay more when interest rates is high.

2. Convertible Loans

Convertible loans are becoming more popular as it allows people to keep their mortgage loan options open allowing for more flexibility.

If you find interest rates are too high, you can convert to a fixed rate mortgage loan. If interest rates are low, you can also convert to ARM based mortgage loans.

There are too many varieties of convertible loans under this category. However I list one type of convertible loans I dealt with.

Balloon Loan

A balloon loan is a fixed rate convertible loan. Usually, you start off by repaying small monthly repayments for a period of years, usually 5 or 7 years. At the end of that period, you will need to repay the loan in one lump sum.

So what’s the advantage of a balloon loan? It is mostly used by investors or property dealers who are looking to sell the house in a short period of time. They can take advantage of low interest rates without locking their money on a house. Since they will have a large sum of money when they sell the house, it will not be a problem to return the lump sum.

3. Special mortgage loans

These are mortgage loans that are only being offered to a group of people. For example the FHA mortgage loans are only available for first time home buyers or people with bad credit.

Another one is the veteran affairs mortgage loan. They are only offered to widows of the US armed forces.

The best way to know whether you qualify or is suitable for a mortgage loan is to speak to a professional mortgage consultant before you decide to take up any mortgage offer



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Anthony Pace asked:


Adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) loans are loans that have an interest rate that will fluctuate periodically. Unlike fixed rate loans where the interest rate remains constant through the life of the loan, adjustable rate mortgage loans will fluctuate based on the several indices of loan forecasting. Approximately 80 percent of all adjustable rate mortgage loans are based on one of these three indexes: 1) Constant Maturity Treasury (CMT) Indexes, 2) 11th District Cost of Funds Index (COFI) and 3) London Inter Bank Offering Rates (LIBOR).

Adjustable rate mortgage loans, compared to fixed rate loans, have a lower initial interest rate. They are a good option to consider if you’re only planning to own your home for a few years, you expect your future earnings to increase or the current interest rate for a fixed rate mortgage is too high. There is inherent risk with adjustable rate mortgage loans because often people are captivated by the low initial interest rate but never really budget for a period when the interest rates climb. Sometimes they get caught unable to meet the higher monthly payments when interest rates do rise and end up in default, losing everything.

Adjustable rate mortgage loans have four components to their structure: 1) an index, 2) a margin, 3) an interest rate cap structure, and 4) an initial interest rate period. After the initial interest rate period has ended, a new calculated interest rate becomes effective by adding a margin to the index. Since margins vary among lenders, it’s best to shop around for the lowest margin you can find. As the index moves up and down, as previously mentioned by the forecasting indices, your interest rate will rise or fall accordingly. Also, the rise and fall of your interest rate will be constrained by the interest rate cap structure of your loan.

The interest rate cap structure of your loan can provide you protection from wildly large interest rate swings. Adjustable rate mortgage loans have two types of caps: 1) annual, and 2) life-of-the-loan. The annual cap will restrict the interest rate change from going too far up or down in any given year. The life-of-the-loan cap will restrict the interest rate change from going too far up or down for as long as you have the mortgage.

As long as you are aware that adjustable rate mortgage loans can increase from their initial low rate they can be a good mortgage to have. However, if at the lowest interest rate you are paying as much as you can possibly ever pay for your mortgage, you are treading in dangerous waters. Many people are duped into this type of loan in predatory loan schemes where there is not full disclosure of the terms. When the initial interest rate period has ended and interest rates are high the mortgage loan payments become out of reach for some folks and they end up in foreclosure. Don’t let this happen to you.

Did you know that a recent survey found that 80% of all mortgage loan applicants are confused about the type of loans available? Visit Home Mortgage Loans to learn more about FHA Mortgage Loan and find out how you can become one of the 20% of informed consumers.



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Alan Lim asked:


 

When you are in the process of obtaining a home mortgage loan, there are undoubtedly many aspects of the process that are new to you.  The language that applies to loans, for instance can be different from the meaning applied to the same term in everyday life.  It is far better to review each clause of the prospective loan document as soon as you have access to it and make certain that you understand the terms that are used and how they apply to your own financial situation. Here are some concepts regarding your loan that will be important in ensuring your loan package is acceptable in the long run.

 

Overall cost of the loan

 

There are many aspects that go into determining the loan cost on your home mortgage loan.  The interest rate, mortgage type, loan fees, and term of the loan are just a few of these.  You may understand the words, but it is important to take a look at what the words will cost you in dollars and cents.  Even a few dollars less in the early stages of a loan can save you thousands of dollars over the entire loan period. It’s important to take advantage of such savings.

 

Mortgage type

 

The basic mortgage types that are common when you apply for a home mortgage loan include the fixed rate mortgage, the adjustable rate mortgage, reverse or negative equity mortgages and interest only mortgages.  Each of these has advantages and disadvantages and you are the best equipped to determine whether the type of mortgage will work for you. The important factor is that you review the documents and proposals so that you know precisely which type of loan you are getting.  Being surprised in a few months by a two to five hundred dollar increase in your monthly payment due to an adjustable rate mortgage can result in the loss of your home.

 

Interest rate

 

When reviewing the loan documents for a home mortgage loan, one of the important factors that you should check and understand is that of interest rate on the loan. Mortgage interest rates can vary from low to high, depending upon such other factors as the type of loan, applicable usury laws, credit rating, term of the loan and others.  Review the stated rate and make certain it is what was agreed upon.  If you are expecting a fixed interest rate  and the documents provide for an adjustment in 24 months, chances are good that the mortgage has been prepared with a variable interest rate.

 

Broker’s reputation

 

Actually, checking the broker’s reputation should come well before preparing or reviewing the documents for your home mortgage loan.  Sometimes though, you won’t see a problem until you actually get the documents in writing before you.  If there is anything that is unclear or incorrect, the time to get the problem corrected is before signing.  A reputable broker should be willing to work with you to correct problems or clear up any communication issues.

 



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Smith & Chen asked:


If you are currently looking for a new home, chances are that in all the excitement you won’t really give any thought to the type of home loan mortgage you take out, instead going with the first one offered to you. This could be a serious mistake – costing you thousands, if not tens of thousands. Make sure you know all about the different types of home mortgage loans before you starting looking for that new dream home!

Here are some of the basic types of mortgage loans:

Fixed-rate home loan mortgage -

As the name suggests, this is a plain-vanilla home loan. Basically you borrow a certain amount over a certain period at a fixed rate of interest. You then pay the same monthly installments for the life of the home loan. The benefit of a fixed-rate home loan is that you can easily budget for the repayments. The downfall of a fixed-rate home loan is that you could end up paying a higher rate of interest than everyone else – no one knows what interest rates will be in 15-20 years time!

Adjustable-rate home loan mortgage -

Mirroring the fixed-rate mortgage is the adjustable-rate mortgage. Again, you borrow a certain amount over a certain period, however in this case the interest rate is not fixed, but is adjustable (or ‘floating’ as you may also hear it called). The upside to adjustable-rate home loans is that the interest rate at the start of the loan period can be lower than the fixed rate would be. The downside is that it is difficult to budget for, as the amount can change, and you are at the mercy of something outside of your control – interest rate fluctuations, which can change quickly.

Hybrid home loan mortgages -

Trying to fill the void left with the downside of the fixed and adjustable/variable-rate home loans, the hybrid home loan lets you fix the interest rate over the first part of the home loan, and then switch to an adjustable/variable rate later. The upside of hybrid home loans is that they allow you to budget for your repayments during the expensive time when you first buy the home. The downside is that if floating rates are much higher than your fixed rate when the switch happens, you could find you are paying a much higher repayment each month.

To see our list of recommended mortgage lenders with competitive rates for refinance, purchase loans, second mortgages, home equity loans and all other mortgage loans, visit this page Recommended Mortgage Lenders

Purchase the Home of Your Dreams

Our planet is a hi-tech gizmo world today. Sophisticated equipment surrounds our lives. Now the demands have exceeded the supplies and the dollar has reached a level of exhaustion. Our motto has become to buy and own as many stuff as possible. It is also not feasible to own every thing. Therefore it is for us to decide what is best for us and what is not. The contemporary market too takes our wishes into a lot of consideration. That is the major reason why we have financial help and mortgages. The mortgage that we concentrate here is the purchase mortgage.

A prospective purchaser has to always present a request in order to meet the criteria required for a mortgage. This is the time when a purchase mortgage application is submitted. The tracking system of a purchase mortgage is very unlike than the other types of mortgage applications In the United States of America, the Mortgage Banker’s Association carries out a study every week. This study extracts information of all major mortgage applications. It makes use of a listing to assess the variations in the quantity of loan applications.

For Instance, if you are interested in purchasing the home of your dreams, your first step will be to acquire a purchase mortgage application. Because of this very reason, it foretells brief period transactions in a rather fine way. It comes a s a very lucrative offer in all dealings regarding acquisition of a house. Even for buying various other possessions, we require moolah and this moolah is provided by a mortgage most of the times. So, the most important step is to purchase a mortgage lead. There are of course certain pointers to be taken into deliberation -

The purchase mortgages have to be genuine. They have to be taken as a rule by reputed banks, bankers or finance companies. One definitely has to be wary of deceitful loan givers, which can cost them greatly.

Sometimes people who want to acquire a house try to merge their debts in their new purchase mortgage. It might seem to be a good idea at that time. But what most people fail to see is that even though the monthly dues become less, total payment of your dues is done more at a snail’s pace.

A purchase mortgage is quite difficult to buy. The complexity les in the fact that there is a finishing date. The borrower has to provide the complete funding within that period to draw the purchase to an end.

Even lenders have to decide whether you are a candidate who can be trusted easily or not. You can be marked as a perfect candidate for a mortgage if you adhere to the following principles-

Your credit and money disbursement patterns are good. There are no late payments or paying only the minimum amount due.

Your income is also taken into notice. The lenders like to see your earning capability.

The value of your home is also under scrutiny. So it is a must to be aware of the property trends in your vicinity.

Hence the bottom line is that there are millions of Americans who are drowned in debts to acquire their dreams. It is the duty of the government as well as the private bankers and finance companies to assist them as much as possible to make their dreams to purchase mortgage come true.



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