| |
| |
|
|
Mortgage and Refinance Information |
|
Home Loans
Buying a home remains the great American dream. Home ownership rates have been exploding in recent years, spurred on by the historically low interest rates in the home mortgage market. Home prices have been rising at far faster than inflation, especially in major urban areas such as San Francisco, San Diego and Chicago. This means that not only can that home you've always wanted put a roof over your head, but it can provide you with a great investment as well. For people new to the mortgage market, buying their first home starts with finding the best home loans. All potential homeowners should take some time to research home loans before calling their local realtor. There are a dazzling array of choices available when it comes to home loans, and finding the right mortgage for your needs can be difficult. Approach your upcoming home purchase with the same seriousness you apply to other major purchases. Your home will most likely be the biggest single investment you ever make. Take the time at the beginning to educate yourself about home loans. It will be time well spent. Home loans are available from a wide variety of sources. These sources include banks, savings and loan associations, credit unions and mortgage brokers. Shop around at all of these sources to find the home loans with the lowest interest rate and lowest costs. You will also have to decide between fixed rate home loans and variable rate home loans. Variable rate home loans are often advertised with extremely low "teaser rates". These rates are used by lenders to get your attention and lure you in. Before signing up for a variable rate mortgage, make sure you find out what the interest rate cap is. Variable rate home loans are usually based on an underlying interest rate, like the prime rate. The interest rate you pay will typically be the prime rate plus or minus a certain percentage. The variable rate mortgage will have a cap above which the interest rate cannot rise. Find out what that cap is, then use a mortgage payment calculator to see what your monthly mortgage payment will be at that rate. If you cannot afford the monthly payments at the maximum interest rate, you may not want to take the mortgage loan. While it is unlikely that interest rates will rise sufficiently to make the maximum interest rate kick in, it is always a possibility. Variable rate home loans can be a good choice if you believe interest rates are likely to fall. In an environment where interest rates are steady or rising, they may not be so good a choice. You may also want to consider a variable rate mortgage if you do not plan to stay in your home more than five years. For instance, if your job transfers you every couple of years, you could probably get away with a variable rate mortgage and take advantage of the lower interest rate. When you move and sell your home, you will probably realize a gain due to rising home prices. On the other hand, fixed rate home loans have a set interest rate for a set period of time, generally either 15 or 30 years. The interest rate does not change, therefore you will always know what your monthly mortgage payment will be. You are protected from rising interest rates with a fixed rate mortgage. If rates fall significantly, you can always refinance your mortgage loan to take advantage of the lower rates. If you can afford the payments, 15-year home loans can substantially lower the amount of money you will ultimately pay for your home. When you run the numbers on a 15-year versus a 30-year home mortgage loan, you may be surprised at how affordable the 15-year home loan can be. Your mortgage payment will not double if you go with a 15-year mortgage versus a 30-year. This has to do with the affect of compound interest. You are paying far less interest in the long run on a 15-year mortgage. Whatever type of home loan you decide on, the most important thing is to take that step which transforms you from a mere renter to a home owner and builder of equity. There are a great many home loans out there, but once you find the right one, you will find the rewards of home ownership well worth the time and effort put forth. Barry Stein is the owner of aWebBiz.com where he offers cutting-edge tips on all aspects of business. To find more advice, tools and resources to help you succeed in your business, visit: http://www.aWebBiz.com Barry's Internet Marketing Blog: http://awebbiz.com/blog ------------------------------------------------------------- You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your e-book or on your web site, free of charge, as long as the author bylines are included with an active hyperlink to the aWebBiz.com website.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
5 Ways to Use Your Home Equity Line of Credit Your home is a source of pride and accomplishment. Did you know that your home can also be an affordable source of income? As your home appreciates and you make your monthly mortgage payments you build what's called equity. What You Dont Know About The Real Estate Process, Some Inside Secrets Some people in the real estate industry have a terrible reputation. Why, because they deserve it. Home Equity Loans Categories Fixed Rate Mortgages: These loans have a fixed rate of interest over the entire term for which the loan has been disbursed. The term for these mortgages is typically between 10 to 30 years. Some Mortgage Loans are Available with Absolutely no Money Needed From You Today, FHA will loan up to 97 percent of the purchase price of a home, meaning a borrower only needs 3 percent. The three percent down payment can come in the form of a gift, and closing costs can be financed into the loan, making this a true no money out of pocket purchase transaction. Top 5 Methods to Manage Your Home Equity As your home appreciates in value, you gain equity. You can look at this equity, as a portion of the value of your home, which becomes an asset that is not burdened by debt. Why Refinance Back into a 30-Year Loan? One of the biggest reasons homeowners refinance their mortgage is to obtain a lower interest rate and lower monthly payments. By refinancing, the borrower pays off their existing mortgage and replaces it with a new one. Mortgage Sales Hit Problems The housing market has been buoyant over the past few years, but mortgage providers and first-time buyers are both now facing a tough time. Following announcements from the Bank of England that there has been an overall decline in the total number of UK home-buyers, and a declaration from the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) that the number of disputes concerning mis-sold mortgage endowments has now hit record levels, it seems that mortgage lenders are facing a bleak time. 10 Questions To Ask Your Mortgage Rep or Banke This post is a must read for anyone considering purchasing a home be it today, tomorrow or next year. It is sound advice. Why Get Pre-Approved For A Mortgage? One of the most important steps in the home buying process is getting Pre-Approved as early as possible.The Pre-Approval process involves you speaking with a Mortgage Lender about your financial situation, what you'd like to accomplish, and any concerns you have. How Good a Deal Is Your Banks Mortgage Insurance Plan? When you go to the bank to get a mortgage, you'll inevitably be asked to take out mortgage insurance. The idea behind mortgage insurance is simply that if something happens to you or your spouse then your loan will be paid off which is good news for your family and the bank. Gearing Up for Bad Credit Mortgages Mortgage would have never happened, had mortgages been a no profit venture for the mortgagees or the mortgage providers. The lender receives much more than he had actually lent. Home Equity Loans - Are They Right For You? The bills are out of control and you need a new car. "Maybe we can get a new carpet and paint the house", you say to yourself. Online Mortgage Loan Companies Are Convenient There are many reasons to use the internet to take care of your mortgage loan needs. Online mortgage companies can give you quick answers to your mortgage application and can often times give you an answer of whether or not you have been pre-approved within 24-48 hours after you submit your mortgage application. Avoiding Foreclosure Scams If your mortgage company is threatening foreclosure, there are things you can do to avoid it (see my article titled "How to Avoid Foreclosure"). However, you should be aware of scams. Mortgage and Credit Card Companies Under the Spotlight on Consumer Charging For the first time since May 1996 reports have indicated that wage increases have risen faster than house price inflation. According to Nationwide, "The overall picture remains one of a gently softening market". How to Find the Best Home Improvement Loan If you're looking for the best home improvement loan for your money it can sometimes seem like an uphill climb. You may not know whether the offer that you've received is the best that you can get, or if you should try to find a better offer elsewhere? but you shouldn't let finding the best home improvement loan stress you out so badly. Hard Money Loans - Reasons Why You Might Want To Try Applying With A Subprime Mortgage Lender Before you apply for a hard money loan, try applying with a subprime mortgage lender first for lower rates and fees. Hard money lenders charge excessive fees to high-risk borrowers, but will only lend 50% to 75% of the value of the property. A Guide to Getting a Bad Credit Remortgage There are several reasons why you might be in the market for a bad credit remortgage. You might be wanting to try to lock in a lower interest rate, or perhaps you simply need to use the bad credit remortgage as a way to consolidate some of your debts. Apply For Home Mortgage Loan Online With Bad Credit - Things To Consider So, you've found the perfect home. You've already decided where to place each piece of your furniture inside the home, and in your mind, all of your family photographs are hanging alongside the stairwell. Choosing The Right Mortgage For You This article will help you understand the differences between a variety of mortgage options. There are many different mortgage products offered by the various lending institutions in Canada, so you may not know what features to look for.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
