Option One Mortgage Loans ? Getting an Option ARM or Option One Mortgage Loan


Have you heard about or been interested in finding out more about option one mortgage loans? They are becoming very popular, but its important to understand how they work before you apply for one. I will describe, in this article, an overview of the most common type of option ARM mortgage loan or option one mortgage loan.

How do they work? Option one mortgage loans are basically interest only mortgage loans, except that the first year, you pay only 1.25% of the interest on the loan. The remainder of the interest that is accruing is being added to the loan amount. The second year of the loan you pay more interest until gradually you are paying either full interest only payments or fully amortized payments (interest & principle). The reason the loans are called option loans is because every time you have a payment due, you have the option of paying the less than interest only portion, interest only or a fully amortized payment. This option would be good in a situation where your income is sporadic.

This mortgage loan type typically gives you 4 payment options in every bill.

Here are your typical monthly payment options:

Option #1 ? Pay a 15-Year fully amortized payment amount (p&i)

Option #2 ? Pay a 30-Year fully amortized payment amount (p&i)

Option #3 ? Pay the interest-only portion of the loan (Interest Only)

Option #4 ? Make a partial interest payment (1.25% - 1.95% depending on your loan type) and defer paying the additional interest to the total loan amount. (Deferred interest can be counteracted by making bi-monthly payments and by property appreciation)

This type of loan is good if you want to:

Wait a while to refinance again ? If interest rates drop again, so does your payment. If you want to accelerate your payments and increase equity quick, pay more on your loan and it will be applied to future payments & will be directly applied to the principle balance. Will you want a 30-year loan? Keep the option to pay your loan as a 30-year, 15-year, or interest only payments.

Have an adjustable rate mortgage but want stability ? This loan has a payment cap. The interest rate on this loan is based on the 12 month-MTA index, the most stable index of the 4 main indexes (COFI, LIBOR, MTA & CMT). This index is always below prime. The interest rate is based on the world economic markets which have been steadily coming down over the last 3 years. This loan has a 5-year fixed payment option as well.

Invest your payment savings in something else ? This could open up opportunities for you if you could invest in real estate, the stock market or another investment when you use the extra $500-1000+ a month you free up from your property payment. Pay off debt with your payment savings ? You can use the payment savings to pay off other debt.

Have security and options in your mortgage loan ? The main benefit to this type of loan is the security of a mortgage payment that you control. You decide at any time what kind of a mortgage you want. If all goes well in your future, you have the freedom to pay your 30 year loan into a 15 year loan without even consulting another mortgage broker. Get more home for your money ? You can qualify for more home with these low payment options.

Who Can Qualify? Qualifying for this loan is basically the same as any other loan, it is based on credit, equity & assets, if you are strong in 1 of these or 2 of these, you could probably qualify and with lowest rate possible.

What if I want to take out a stated income loan? "Stated Income" or "No income/assets" loans are possible with this Option One Loan.

These are just general guidelines and information about this type of loan. You will want to discuss all of these details with your broker or lender before you actually complete the loan. These factors may vary with each individual lender. Many lenders do not offer their customers this type of loan. If you are seeking an option one or option ARM loan, you will need to talk to your broker about it or find a broker that can do this type of loan. To see our recommended lenders for this type of loan. Visit here: Option One Mortgage Lenders.

Written by Carrie Reeder, Owner of ABC Loan Guide. Carrie's website is an informational mortgage loan website. Her website has articles and a list of recommended mortgage lenders for many different types of mortgage loans.







Related News



UPDATE: Builders Soar On Lower Rates, But Pain Persists - CNNMoney.com

UPDATE: Builders Soar On Lower Rates, But Pain Persists
CNNMoney.com -23 hours ago
As consumers raced to lock in lower rates, applications to refinance existing loans jumped 203.3% last week from the week before, while mortgage...

Lower mortgage rates help but jobs, prices key - Reuters

Lower mortgage rates help but jobs, prices key
Reuters -Dec 3, 2008
Applications to buy and refinance homes hurtled higher last week as the lowest rates since the summer of 2005 unleashed pent-up demand. ...

Mortgage Refinance Applications Soar As Rates Fall - EasyBourse.com

Emirates Business 24/7

Mortgage Refinance Applications Soar As Rates Fall
EasyBourse.com, France -22 hours ago
The Mortgage Bankers Association's index of refinance applications posted a record 203.3% increase over the previous week. Additionally, the US Treasury ...
Mortgage rates fall, but many borrowers will have trouble qualifyingLos Angeles Times
US move cuts mortgages to lowest rate since FebruaryBaltimore Sun
Last Call for Smart HomeownersMotley Fool
About - News & Issues - AHN
all 500 news articles

A Rush Into Refinancing as Mortgage Rates Fall - New York Times

ABC News

A Rush Into Refinancing as Mortgage Rates Fall
New York Times, United States -6 hours ago
The Mortgage Bankers Association said its refinance index, which measures refinancing activity, tripled to 3802.8 last week from the week before. ...
Treasury mulls plan to lower mortgage rates to 4.5%CNNMoney.com
Proposal could drop mortgage rates to 4.5 percentSan Jose Mercury News
Homeowners' Refinancing Jumps by Record PaceWall Street Journal
Danville News - The Associated Press
all 617 news articles

Bernanke Says US Must Step Up Foreclosure Efforts (Update1) - Bloomberg

ABC News

Bernanke Says US Must Step Up Foreclosure Efforts (Update1)
Bloomberg -3 hours ago
... been prodding private mortgage servicers and bond investors to cooperate with government efforts to modify or refinance loans for troubled borrowers. ...
Banks' issuance detracts from short-term bondsMarketWatch
US Federal Reserve chairman calls for mortgage reformThe Australian
Bernanke calls for measures to stem foreclosuresInternational Herald Tribune
Seeking Alpha - Minyanville.com
all 1,121 news articles

How About 4.5 Percent? - Washington Post

How About 4.5 Percent?
Washington Post, United States -6 hours ago
But BethesdaMD said, "They better make these subsidized loans available to anyone who wants to refinance as well. Otherwise they are giving away money to ...

US MBA’s Mortgage Applications More Than Doubled Last Week - Bloomberg

Post Chronicle

US MBA’s Mortgage Applications More Than Doubled Last Week
Bloomberg -Dec 3, 2008
The Mortgage Bankers Association’s index of applications to purchase a home or refinance a loan jumped 112 percent to 857.7, the highest level since March, ...
Mortgage Apps On Rise As Rates DropCBS News
FINANCIAL STOCKS Bulls outlast bears in Wednesday grudge matchMarketWatch
UPDATE 1-US mortgage applications post largest gain everReuters
USA Today - U.S. News & World Report
all 148 news articles

You can still refinance loans - abc13.com

You can still refinance loans
abc13.com, TX -19 hours ago
It may seem unlikely, but mortgage brokers say they are seeing a flood of homeowners looking to refinance and the loans are getting approved. ...
Refinancing a viable option for certain homeownersMonitor
all 2 news articles


FDIC's Bair warns investors fighting loan changes - The Associated Press

FDIC's Bair warns investors fighting loan changes
The Associated Press -2 hours ago
"Getting mortgage rates down is ... positive, but it doesn't help people that currently have unaffordable mortgages because it doesn't help them refinance," ...

Carmen: Time Is Right to Refinance Your Mortgage - CNBC

Carmen: Time Is Right to Refinance Your Mortgage
CNBC, Englewood Cliffs -3 hours ago
Despite the doom and gloom in the economy, there's actually a glimmer of hope shining through for homeowners looking to refinance. The average interest rate ...