Home Mortgages: Think Before You Borrow
In today's overheated housing market, lenders are making it easier and easier to get a mortgage. For example, some lenders have lowered the credit score needed to qualify for a mortgage. Others have increased the debt load that borrowers can carry or have made it easier for borrowers to get loans while providing little documentation. In some cases, lenders have even made it easier for people to borrow money to buy investment properties. There are also many kinds of mortgages available today that were never available before. There are interest only mortgages, adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) for 3,5 or 10 years and adjustable rate mortgages with balloon payments at the end of a five or ten year period. There are even adjustable rate mortgages that have introductory rates as low as 1% and that give borrowers multiple payment options. Lenders also used to loan only 80 percent of a home's value, meaning that the borrower had to come up with 20 percent as a down payment. So, if you wanted to buy a home valued at $150,000, you had to put down at least $30,000. This might have been difficult, but at least you started out with $30,000 in equity in your home. This standard was then lowered to ten percent, meaning you needed only $15,000 to buy that $150,000 home. Today, it's possible to find mortgage brokers who will lend 100 percent of the value of a house or even more than 100 percent. This can be good news for families who, until now, might not have been able to afford a $10,000 or $20,000 down payment. But you need to be careful of. Some unscrupulous lenders may try to sell you a mortgage you can't really afford. Let's say your monthly take home pay (after taxes and other deductions) is $4,000. You find a house for $150,000 and a mortgage broker willing to lend 100% or the full $150,000. A 30-year fixed FHA loan (not including taxes and insurance) will have a monthly payment of about $851.00. The total monthly payment PITI (with taxes and insurance) would most likely be close to $1,000. A good rule of thumb is that your cost of housing should not exceed 20 percent of your net monthly take home pay (after taxes and other deductions). This means that for a $1,000 monthly mortgage payment, your net monthly income should be at least $5,000. If your income were only $4,000 a month, you would be spending about 25% of your income on housing alone. Before you make this kind of commitment, you should take a long, hard look at your other commitments, such as car payments, tuition, and insurance to make sure you can cover them as well as your normal living expenses. Easy, no-down mortgages can be very tempting, but it's important that you understand the exact terms and that you can meet them without stressing your finances. For FREE help with debt and credit, subscribe today to Douglas Hanna's free email newsletter "8 Simple Steps to Debt Relief" at http://www.all-in-one-info.com
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Home Equity Loan vs. 401(K) Loan -- Which Should You Choose
Home Equity Loan vs. 401(K) Loan
Home Equity Loan ? Home Theater Adds Fun and Value
In days gone by, the family typically spent their evenings watching television in the den or living room, crowded around a black and white television set that may have measured no more than nineteen inches in diagonal size. For decades, this scenario was pretty much the same in most American homes, with the only change being the replacement of black and white televisions with color models. This worked fine for many years, when most cities only had two or three stations, and most homes didn't have cable television. With the introduction of high definition television (HDTV), DVD movies, high performance surround sound systems, and affordable video projectors and flat-screen plasma displays, many homeowners would like to have a dedicated room, or home theater, for audio-video use. In today's housing climate, adding a home theater to your home is a smart move.
Home Equity Loans ? There?s Gold In That There House
To paraphrase an old familiar quote that goes "there's gold in them there hills, you could say, there's gold in that house. As Martha Stewart would say, "it's a good thing".
Home Loans ? Repair Credit Errors in Three Days!
Most consumers are aware that a history of paying bills late or not at all can hurt one's ability to obtain a loan. All financial transactions are recorded by three credit bureaus and offered to lenders upon request in the form of a credit report. That report contains the all-important credit score, which determines whether or not the borrower is a good risk for a loan. If you have a poor payment history, you could be out of luck when you try to obtain a loan. The same applies if there are errors on your credit report that suggest that you may pose a greater risk to the lender than you really do. Traditionally, it has taken months to straighten out problems on a credit report, and borrowers who are eager to close on a mortgage or home equity loan may not have months to wait. What can be done? A relatively new mortgage-related product known as rapid rescoring can, in some instances, fix problems on a credit report in as little as three days.
Zero Down Mortgage Loans - Is 100% Financing a Good Idea and Can You Get Approved?
Are you wondering if you can get approved for a home loan with 100% financing? Are you also wondering if its a good idea to get a mortgage loan with no money down? Here are some points to keep in mind as you apply and consider your different mortgage loan options.
Your Mortgage Rate Compare and Save
When trying to obtain the best mortgage rate compare offers from several lenders or brokers. Know how much of a down payment you can afford, and find out all the costs involved in the loan. Knowing just the amount of the monthly payment or the interest rate is not enough. Besides your mortgage rate compare information about the loan amount, loan term, and type of loan from varies lenders and brokers. The following information is important to get from each lender and broker:
Home Equity Loans 101
A secured home loan differs from an unsecured loan in that
the secured loan borrows against one's home as collateral,
thereby reducing the risk to the lender.
New Home Loan - Understand The Various Types Of Mortgage Lenders
So, you've decided to buy a house, and you're ready for that all important next step-applying for a mortgage loan. But where should you go? After all, the mortgage business is complex, and you've realized quickly that your choices for lenders are immense. Here's a quick guide to help you understand all of your choices for lenders.
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.
How To Tap In To Your Home Equity
With today's relatively low interest rates and climbing
property values, many consumers are considering taping into
their home equity to finance everything from home
improvement projects to debt consolidation.
Home Equity Loan ? Still a Better Idea Than a 401(K) Loan
Anyone who borrows money is always looking for the cheapest source of funding. That makes sense; no one wants to pay more in interest than is absolutely necessary. And anyone with a sizeable amount of debt, such as credit card debt or a student loan, would be wise to consolidate their debt with a lower interest loan. One source of such a loan is a 401(K) account, which many consumers may have through their employer. Since the interest rate on Federal student loans rose on July 1, many students who missed that deadline may be wondering if consolidating through a 401(K) loan is a good alternative. Is it?
Adjustable Rate Mortgages Offer Alternatives For Home Buyers
When looking for a mortgage to meet your needs, consider these key questions: Is your income expected to increase in the coming years? How long do you plan to live in your new home? And, which mortgage will provide the lowest interest rate?
Mortgage Research Good News for House Buyers
Figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders show that in July gross lending in totalled £25.2 billion, with fixed rate deal mortgages are at their most popular for nearly six years.
How to Compare Fixed Rate Mortgages and Adjustable Rate Mortgages
There are many types of mortgages, and the more you know about them before you start, the better. To compare one Adjustable Rate Mortgage with another or with a fixed-rate mortgage, you need to know about indexes, margins, discounts, caps, negative amortization, and convertibility. You need to consider the maximum amount your monthly payment could increase. Most important, you need to compare what might happen to your mortgage costs with your future ability to pay.
Thinking About Refinancing Your Loan?
Refinancing your home or property is a big decision that could drastically affect your financial future, for the good or the bad, depending on how smart you go about the process. Take the time to explore all of the different refinancing options you have available to you. Many loan agents offer you refinancing deals that seem too good to be true, and while most of them seem to have your best interests at heart, do try to keep in mind that they are not paid unless they approve you for a loan--and you take it. Refinancing your mortgage can lower your monthly payments, lower the amount of interest you pay on your loan, or even shorten the term of your mortgage without having to pay a penalty for early mortgage pay off.
Home Mortgage Loans - Fixed Rate, Adjustable or Balloon, Which One Is Right For You?
When you're shopping for a new home-especially for the first time-all the terms and expressions may be confusing and difficult to understand. Adjustable rate, fixed rate, balloon payment - how do you decide which is the right type of home mortgage for you if you're not even sure what each of them are?
Home Equity Loans ? A Big Benefit Or A Big Mistake?
When the bills are piling up and there doesn't seem to be any way out, a home equity loan can seem like the answer to your prayers. Home equity loans can also be a great way to jumpstart a business or investment portfolio. However it's important to realise that in some circumstances, a home equity loan may in fact make your life a whole lot worse.
Bad Credit Loans Authenticate What Is Positive About Bad Credit
This might not be the front page news but it is now out in the open! 'Bad credit is getting loans ? all kinds of loans'. Lending institutions, banks and other financial constitutions are coming forward to provide loans for bad credit. There is a new rescue programme for people with bad credit - bad credit loans.
Online Mortgages in 5 Easy Steps!
We're all entitled to the opportunities and benefits of home ownership. But because most of us aren't loaded with cash, we must find banks and lenders to assist us with finance. No matter what your credit history is, or what your circumstances are, the internet has now made this process a billion times easier. This article will outline a 5 point plan, to assist you in your pursuit of financing online:
Mortgage Lead and Mortgage Leads
A mortgage lead is an exciting thing because you are filled with the thought of buying a house. Mortgage leads are listings of information dealing with how much a house will be. Although the thought of a mortgage lead can be kind of scary, the time when you are looking for a mortgage is one of the most exciting times of your life. Mortgage leads can be found through many different sources, but first you must look at your financial situation before even beginning the thought process of buying a house and looking for a mortgage.
|
