Mortgage Advice
September 3, 2010
In the US today more households have mortgages than ever before. In fact the chance of you having or knowing someone who is paying off their mortgage is greater than 50%. You would think that because they are so common most people would have a good idea on how they work. Surprisingly that is not the case, in fact the majority of people who are currently paying off their mortgages know little more than their monthly payment information. In this market it pays to be an informed consumer. So what should you know?
Mortgage advice number one ? what can you afford and how much do you need. Before you ever step into a bank or fill out an online application you owe it to yourself to spend some time to analyze what monthly payments you can afford and how much money do you really need. The best advice for this step is that it pays to overestimate. Over estimate your expenses and over estimate how much you will need. Inevitably unforeseen things will happen while you are paying off your loan and it is much easier to cope when you have a buffer.
7 Credit Improving Steps You Must Take Before Applying For A Mortgage
August 31, 2010
If you think you have good credit, think again. Chances are there is something on your credit report that can effect your credit rating; this type of news is particularly alarming if you are shopping for a loan or applying for credit. You can save yourself headaches as well as thousands of dollars by implementing the following seven credit improving steps.
1. Do not charge your cards to the limit. Yes, your credit line is whatever the credit card company determines it should be. Still, if you max out your credit cards your credit rating will suffer.
2. Check your credit reports. The three major reporting agencies are TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax and they all must offer to American consumers one free credit report per year. Not all states are covered by this policy until September 2005, so check to see if you are eligible now. Errors are common, so make sure you identify them and take the proper course of action to have incorrect information expunged from your report.
3. Pay off your credit cards. Your credit will improve if your outstanding balances are paid off especially before you apply for credit. Consider consolidating your outstanding balances into one low monthly payment.
Home Mortgages: Does a No-closing-cost Loan Make Sense for You?
August 29, 2010
I have heard a number of radio ads and have seen many newspaper ads offering "no closing cost" home mortgages. These ads will tell you that you can get a new mortgage or refinance your existing mortgage at absolutely with absolutely no closing costs.. There are no points, no charges for an appraisal, no charge for title insurance, no costs, period.
On the face of it, this sounds like a great deal and no-cost mortgages are especially popular with people who are refinancing an existing mortgage.
How does this work? Normally, a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage, would have closing costs in the neighborhood of $2,000 to $3,000 or even more, depending on whether or not you pay points upfront. In fact, we talked to one mortgage broker two weeks ago about a mortgage on an investment property we own in another state and the closing costs were quoted as $7,000 ? outrageous but at least not typical.
You’ve probably heard the old adage, "there is no such thing as a free lunch," and these no-cost mortgages are yet another testimonial to the truth of this.
When Not To Agree To A Home Equity Loan
August 25, 2010
Before you borrow money on your home’s equity, think twice so you don’t end up paying more than you expected.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, homeowners-particularly elderly, minority and those with low incomes or poor credit should be careful when borrowing money based on their home equity. Certain abusive or exploitative lenders target these borrowers, who unwittingly may be putting their home on the line. Abusive lending practices range from equity stripping and loan flipping to hiding loan terms and packing a loan with extra charges.
When not to agree to a home equity loan:
- If you don’t have enough income to make the monthly payments.
- If the loan terms are incredibly unfavorable to you, with enormous up-front costs and high interest rates (sometimes exceeding 50 percent).
- If there are discrepancies between the promised or stated interest rate and the annual percentage rate (APR) figure required in all consumer loan contracts (Truth in Lending). If that figure is significantly higher than the rate stated in the contract, the loan contains hidden interest charges.
Refinancing Your Mortgage Can Really Save You Money
August 22, 2010
Refinancing a mortgage is simply taking out a new mortgage. It means paying off one or more old debts by getting a new loan. Sometimes, refinancing your mortgage can really save you money. You may be able to pay less interest, lower your monthly payment, or convert from a 30-year loan to a 15-year loan and build your equity faster. But be sure that refinancing is right for you.
1. Refinancing can be a good idea for you if you:
- want to get out of a high interest rate loan to take advantage of lower rates. This is a good idea only if you intend to stay in the house long enough to make the additional fees worthwhile.
- have an adjustable-rate mortgage and want a fixed-rate loan to have the certainty of knowing exactly what the mortgage payment will be for the life of the loan.
- want to convert to an adjustable-rate mortgage with a lower interest rate or more protective features.
- want to build up equity more quickly by converting to a loan with a shorter term.
- want to draw on the equity built up in your house to get cash for a major purchase or for your children’s education.
First Time Home Buyer Loans Made Easy
August 21, 2010
When it comes to firsttime home buyer loans, a little research can save you thousands of dollars over the life of your mortgage.
A wise consumer selects a mortgage lender prior to shopping for a home. You see, firsttime home buyer loans can end up costing you a lot more than you bargained for if you shop for your home first.
What often happens is you fall in love with a beautiful home that is on the outside range of what you can afford. And because you have invested interest in this particular piece of real estate you’re more inclined to go into a loan situation you can ill afford.
To make sure you can realistically afford your mortgage payments, it’s best to understand all the potential costs upfront before you fall in love with that dream home that is really outside your financial comfort zone.
It will take some research and comparison shopping in order to find both the best lender and the best in first time home buyer loans.
Home Equity Loans
August 18, 2010
Home equity loans are a popular way for homeowners to borrow money using the equity in their home as collateral. With this type of loan you can use the equity in your home to finance a multitude of things, from home improvements to large purchases and more. If you’re considering a home equity loan you should gather information from several lenders to find the loan program that is the best fit for you.
What Is A Home Equity Loan?
A home equity loan is separate from your primary mortgage. It is an additional loan that provides you with a loan amount based on the equity you have built up in your home. It’s usually easier to qualify for this type of loan than for a regular mortgage and the entire transaction can proceed very quickly from start to finish.
How Do I Know How Much I Can Borrow?
The amount of equity in your home is equal to the value of the home minus your outstanding mortgage debt. Most lenders will allow you to borrow some or all of this equity, depending on your personal circumstances. Some even offer special programs that will lend up to 125% of the total value of your home.
Home Equity Lines of Credit - the Basics
August 13, 2010
A Home equity line of credit is a loan which is similar to a credit card. These often have a very low interest rate (In most cases even lower than home equity loans). A Home equity lines of credit acts as a form of revolving which your home equity services.
For example,
-You take out a Home Equity Line of credit for $10,000
-You purchase a car for $8,000 with your revolving line of credit.
-You can now only withdrawn $2,000 until you can pay back the $8,000 to increase your limit to $10,000.
*Some lenders might have a minimum withdrawal amount.
There are many types of payment plans a lender may choose to offer you. You will pay interest on what you owe. However once the loan term ends, usually around 10 years, you must pay back the balance owed. If you were to take out an interest only loan, this will be you. If you decide to pay some principal in your repayments you can avoid this. You must pay off the loan when you sell your house even before the loan term ends.
How much can I borrow?
Find the Best Mortgage Company
August 12, 2010
If you do not wish to commit to living in one place for at least a few years, then owning a house is probably not for you, at least not yet. With the transaction costs of buying and selling a home, you may end up losing money if you sell any sooner. But if you think you are ready, you probably need to find a mortgage loan. Finding a mortgage companies or lenders can be an arduous task. This is a serious decision and you should be ready to invest some time to research mortgage loan options and understand the mortgage loan process. There are many lenders and you should contact several potential lenders to search the best mortgage companies and lenders.
The easiest way to contact several lenders or brokers is online. Let them compete for your loan. Today, most mortgage companies and lenders provide simple online forms or questionnaires. This way, lenders or mortgage companies can directly contact you to promote or discuss your mortgage loan and determine how they can best serve your needs. Once you have spoken with a loan officer then you can usually move forward with an application process for credit. As you receive offers from various lenders and brokers you need to compare apples to apples to make sure the pricing is comparable.
Bad Credit Home Loans
August 9, 2010
There was a time that seems like decades ago when people with less than pristine credit were not able to get home loans. At that time people with bad credit were all but assured that their dreams of homeownership would never come to fruition. Luckily, for many people, those days are long gone.
Homeownership is possible for people with bad credit and no credit history at all thanks in large part to a multitude of loan packages made available by countless lenders. Good people with bad credit can now get approved for mortgages and despite what you may have heard from a well intended but misinformed friend or family members, these loans can be at very competitive rates.
In today’s economy if mortgages were made available only to people with pristine credit, the real estate market would collapse. There are simply not enough people in America today with pristine credit. Lenders were forced to create packages available for people with bankruptcies, bad credit histories or no credit histories at all. To remain competitive lenders had to create these packages and you can be the beneficiary of them.
