Mortgage & Refinancing Information


Mortgages - Which Loan is Right For You


When buying a home, you need to take a home mortgage loan, either because as a debtor, you end up paying less tax, or because in a market where property prices rise faster than salary levels, the money you have saved falls short of the amount required. When searching for a home mortgage loan, you can select from a wide variety. Study the types of mortgage loans available in the market and note the interest rates for each before you sign any documents. You can select from the following:

Fixed rate mortgage loans charge you the same rate of interest over a period of 15 to 30 years. You pay a high rate of interest over the tenure of the loan, because neither you nor the lender can take advantage of interest rate fluctuations, but you pay the same sum each month. This is an excellent option if you are on a fixed income or a salary. You begin by paying off the interest first and the principal later-as most of the loan is paid off, your equity in the house increases as compared to the lenders. When selecting a fixed rate mortgage, check the interest rates offered for fixed rate mortgages, select the loan tenure based on your repayment capacity, and ensure that you are not penalized for prepaying your loan.

Adjustable or variable rate mortgage loans (ARMs) are mortgage loans for the same period of time as fixed rate mortgages, where the interest rate changes based on market trends either annually, or every three, five, seven, or ten years. Although ARMs are considered risky due to the floating interest rate, the amount you pay as interest on the mortgage loan is lower as compared to that paid for a fixed rate mortgage loan. If you select an ARM when interest rates are high, you will pay off your loan with a slightly lower interest rate. Ensure that a periodic rate cap and a loan lifetime rate cap is included as part of the loan agreement-these will ensure that your rate does not rise or fall more than two percentage points in a period and does not rise or fall more than six percentage points during the mortgage loan tenure.

Balloon mortgage loans have three to ten year tenures, during which you pay the same amount each month. At the end of the loan tenure, you pay off the balance of the mortgage loan as one lump sum. Balloon mortgage loans are available at fixed or adjustable rates, but are considered highly risky because you end up paying off the interest on the mortgage loan and not the principal, and you stand to lose both the property and the money paid to date to the owner if you cannot pay off the loan balance at the end of the tenure or get refinance. If you want to save money by paying a lower rate of interest, are buying properties when interest rates are high, are sure of purchasing the property you want, are confident of refinance options when the balloon is due, or have no other choice, select a balloon mortgage loan.

This information should help you select the right mortgage loan. Check interest rates carefully before buying and you should be all right!

Joseph Kenny is the webmaster of the loan information sites Select Loans and also UK Personal Loan Store.


MORE RESOURCES:

Los Angeles Times

Pros and Cons of a Mortgage Refinance
FreeRateUpdate.com
Many homeowners are jumping on the opportunity to save money with a mortgage refinance at the current low mortgage rates. With mortgage rates at historically low levels, some homeowners have refinanced more than once in the past several years which is ...
Who Qualifies for the $26 Billion Foreclosure Settlement?TIME

all 3,425 news articles »


Lenders say mortgage refinance deal will bolster Manatee market
Bradenton Herald
By JOSH SALMAN - jsalman@bradenton.com MANATEE -- A new refinance program to help underwater homeowners will uplift the local economy by putting extra cash into the pockets of those who will spend it, area lenders predict. The deal struck with five of ...

and more »


Mortgage-refinance bill a dangerous deal
Arizona Republic
by Robert Robb, columnist - Feb. 10, 2012 12:00 AM State Sen. Michele Reagan wants to help out underwater homeowners in the worst way. And she has succeeded with SB 1451 -- it's hard to imagine a worse bill. Reagan proposes to establish a state agency ...

and more »


Housing Wire

Obama pressures Congress on mortgage refinance program
Fox News
WASHINGTON – President Obama is rallying support for his plan to expand government assistance to homeowners, pressuring Congress to help lower lending rates for millions of strapped homeowners. Obama, in his radio and Internet address Saturday, ...
President Obama's Mortgage Refinance Plan Just a Bid for VotesYahoo! Contributors Network
Obama Unveils Mortgage Refinance EndeavorsMortgageorb
New Obama mortgage refinance plan to near $10 billionHousing Wire
Go Banking Rates -MNI News -CBS Moneywatch
all 1,239 news articles »


MonitorBankRates.com

Mortgage Refinance Rates: 15 Year Refinance Mortgage Rates at 3.29%
MonitorBankRates.com
Mortgage refinance rates on 30 year conforming home loans are averaging 3.98%, unchanged from yesterday's average 30 year mortgage refinance rate. Mortgage refinance rates today on 15 year home mortgage loans are averaging 3.29%, down from yesterday's ...

and more »


Fox News

Obama Proposes Mortgage-Refinance Plan
Wall Street Journal
By NICK TIMIRAOS President Barack Obama called on Congress during Tuesday's State of the Union address to approve new legislation that would give all homeowners who are current on their mortgages the opportunity to refinance at record low mortgage ...
Will Obama's Mortgage Refinance Plan Be D.O.A.?U.S. News & World Report
Obama proposes mortgage refinance programPolitico (blog)
Obama proposes new mortgage refinance programHousing Wire
Daily Caller
all 314 news articles »


Bloomberg

HARP Refi May Delay PMI Cancellation
NASDAQ
The federal HARP mortgage refinance program can be a huge boon for underwater homeowners. But if you have PMI, there's a little hitch you should know about. While refinancing a mortgage through HARP can cut your interest rate and save you money, ...
New HARP Could Help Up to 6.7 MillionMortgageLoan.com

all 59 news articles »


International Business Times

FOX 11 News Discussion: State of the Union
MyFox Los Angeles
And he aimed a pitch at homeowners, announcing a new mortgage refinance program with "historically low interest rates" that "gives every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3000 a year on their mortgage." He added, "A small fee on the ...
Winning Words, But Not a WinnerU.S. News & World Report
Obama State of the Union 2012: Mortgage Refinance Changes Face ObstaclesInternational Business Times

all 12,250 news articles »


CBS Local

Six Questions on Obama's Mortgage Refinance Proposal
Wall Street Journal (blog)
By Nick Timiraos President Barack Obama said Tuesday night in his State of the Union address that he would send a plan to Congress to allow all homeowners who are current on their mortgages to refinance. Here's a quick look at the proposal: How is this ...
Obama plan could help refinance Bay Area mortgagesSan Francisco Chronicle

all 19 news articles »


Obama Projects $901 Billion Deficit Next Year With Tax Increases
BusinessWeek
He also would raise $61 billion over 10 years from the largest financial institutions to offset the cost of the Troubled Asset Relief Program and his mortgage refinance plan. The deficit forecast is based on the assumption Congress accepts previous ...

and more »

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