Monday, July 30, 2007

Combination Mortgage Loans

An increasingly attractive mortgage option is what is referred to as the combination loan or jazz band loan. Combination loans have got respective key advantages over traditional 30-year mortgage loans and there are a broad assortment of combinations to lawsuit most fiscal situations.

By far, the most popular combination mortgage loan is the 80/20 loan. This loan is actually two loans; the first loan is for 80% of the places value, and the 2nd loan is for the remaining 20%. With the 80/20 mortgage loan, the purchaser pays no down payment and is ideal for those without a important amount of savings. Another cardinal advantage of the 80/20 mortgage loan is that the purchaser avoids PMI or private mortgage insurance. PMI is required on all mortgage loans that are greater than 80% of the places value. A 3rd advantage of the combination mortgage loans is that both loans are taxation deductible. By avoiding PMI and increasing their taxation deduction, a purchaser additions a important cost nest egg advantage over traditional mortgage loans.

Combination loans are available in many other ratios as well. The 70/30 mortgage loan is usually preferable to the 80/20 loan for more than expensive homes, when 80% of the places value would be classified as a elephantine loan (above the FNMA/FHLMC limit) and subject to higher involvement rates.

Another option is the 80/15/5 mortgage loan, where the purchasers do a down payment of 5%. Other options include the 80/10/10, 75/15/10, etc which are all discrepancies of the same.

In combinations mortgage loans, the primary loan usually have got a 30-year amortization term, while the 2nd loan can have 30 or 15 twelvemonth term. Expect the involvement charge per unit to be about 2% higher for the 2nd loan. The purchaser can choose for a fixed charge per unit mortgage or an arm (adjustable charge per unit mortgage) on either or both loans. The arm will have got a less monthly insurance premium and let for further cost savings, but be certain to refinance the arm loans if involvement rates begin to rise.

Labels: , , , , ,

Monday, June 04, 2007

Four Things You Need To Know Before You Refinance Your House

The biggest decisions in life are the ones we think the most about and carefully consider the impact of our choices. If you are contemplating refinancing your home there are four things you need to consider: You need to think about what is your current mortgage rate and the payment amount. You need to think about what the new mortgage rate will be and your approximate costs and fees to refinance as well as how long you will be staying at your current residence.

1. By looking at your most recent monthly mortgage statement you can most often find your current mortgage rate, payment amount as well as the total amount outstanding on your mortgage loan. If you do not see this information, call your lender and get it. At a minimum, the outstanding principal balance should be listed on your statement.

2. Because mortgage interests vary almost hourly, you need to do your homework ahead of time and research what the current mortgage rates are. Up-to-date mortgage rates can be found at www.interest.com or by checking with your local financial institutions. When you refinance you should really consider decreasing the repayment time of the loan. Even a small reduction in mortgage interest can generate enough causal effect and increased cash flow to help you make the same or slightly larger payment than what you were paying previously to reduce the length of the loan.

3. Know exactly what your refinancing cost will be. You should not have any surprises in this area or any other area. The refinancing costs vary from state to state and are dependent upon what outside entities such as appraisers or lawyers need to be involved in the details of your refinance along with your lender. Knowledge allows you to prepare as well as determine if you will be able to recoup the costs fast enough to justify refinancing.

4. Knowing the payback period is essential to determining if you will be in your home long enough to make refinancing a worthwhile investment. You need to be in the home long enough to recover the costs of the refinance at a minimum. Often this is not an easy decision even with the information of the length of the payback period. None of us are capable of knowing exactly what will happen in the future. This knowledge is simply significant so that we can make our best guess or estimate of what will happen based upon predictable factors as well as the probability of the unpredictable (such as a corporate relocation) happening within a certain period of time.

Knowledge and the application of the same determine the ultimate success of the house refinance. If this seems overwhelming, begin interviewing lenders who can discuss your specific needs and give you the answers and solutions you need. See below for more information on Mortgage Refinancing.

Labels:

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Adjustable Rate Mortgage Refinancing Simplified

If you are refinancing your home loan and are considering an Adjustable Rate Mortgage there are a number of things that can go wrong. Doing your homework before refinancing will help you recognize and avoid these pitfalls. Here are several tips to help you avoid paying too much when refinancing with an Adjustable Rate Mortgage loan.

Adjustable Rate Mortgages (also known as ARM loans) became popular in early 80s. These loans featured lower interest rates than traditional mortgages and easier qualification. The problem with adjustable Rate Mortgages is that many homeowners use these loans to purchase homes they cannot afford with traditional fixed rate mortgage loans.

As the name implies, the interest rate changes over time; your lender adjusts the loan at regular intervals to the index your loan is tied plus their margin. Margin is the markup your lender adds to cover their "expenses." The index your loan is tied to varies from one lender to the next and there is no one "ideal" index. Your loan may be tied to the Treasury Bill Index or even the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate or LIBOR index. The LIBOR index is popular with mortgage lenders that sell their loans to European investors.

Adjustable Rate Mortgage Safety Features

There are safety features available to homeowners that choose this riskier variety of mortgage loan. These features are known as "caps" and limit how much the lender can raise your interest rate or payment amount during any adjustment period. It is important to structure the caps on your loan properly; homeowners who neglect choosing both periodic and payment caps can experience negative amortization with their loans. Mortgage loans that are negatively amortized actually grow over time.

Adjustable Rate Mortgage Benefits

Depending on the economy and the going interest rate, the introductory offer of your Adjustable Rate Mortgage could save you a lot of money. This introductory rate, often called a "teaser rate" is usually much lower than fixed rate loans. It is important to understand that this introductory rate is not your contract rate; at the end of the introductory period the lender will adjust the loan and your payment will go up.

You can learn more about the risks of mortgage refinancing with an adjustable rate loan by registering for a free mortgage tutorial.

Labels: , ,