Adjustable vs Fixed Rate Mortgages
Adjustable vs Fixed Rate Mortgages Brought to you by http://www.wolverinefinance.com Mortgage rates can either be fixed for the duration of your loan or can be adjustable. An adjustable rate mortgage is a loan that is set up with an interest rate that changes based on pre-determined criteria, primarily tied to the federal interest rate. If the interest rates are up, then your interest rate on your loan will be higher, if the interest rates are low then the interest rate on your loan will go down.Adjustable rate mortgages (ARM’s) are generally fixed interest rates for a period of time and then become adjustable. Generally speaking, the introductory interest rate for an ARM loan will be lower than a fixed rate mortgage. This is done in order to lower initial payments and allow people to take out larger mortgages, or give them smaller payments for the introductory period. This is attractive to people who may know that their income will be increasing over that period of time.Whether or not to choose an ARM or a fixed rate mortgage has been debated for as long as there have been ARM’s. Though people feel strongly in both camps, simple mathematics can assist you in determining which mortgage is best for you and your personality. Your personality? Yes. Some people are not comfortable with any uncertainty in their lives. The idea of having an uncertain mortgage payment in the future may cause them more stress than the money they are saving is worth. Therefore, factor your own comfort level into the equation.Generally speaking, ARMs are 2, 3 or 5 years, though they can be longer or shorter. At the end of that period your interest rate will become variable unless you sell your home or refinance. If you think that the likelihood of your selling or refinancing within the period of the ARM is strong, than the lower interest rates of the ARM loan will be of great benefit to you. If you think it is unlikely that you will sell or refinance within that period, then you may not benefit from an ARM.Bob and Robyn are a young married couple just starting out. Bob is in advertising sales and Robyn is a teacher. Bob is fairly confident that his income will continue to increase over the next several years as he works his way up to becoming an account executive. Robyn’s income is more predictable and is on an upward trend. Being a young couple they do not have the finances for large mortgage payments.Bob and Robyn are presented with two mortgage proposals for their $150,000 mortgage. Proposal one is a 30-year fixed rate mortgage at 6% and the other is a 5-year ARM at an introductory rate of 5.25%. The fixed rate mortgage payments would be $899.33 per month, not including taxes. The ARM would have a 5-year period where payments would be $828.31 per month, not including taxes. Bob knows that even if he can afford the extra $70.00 per month for the fixed rate mortgage, that $70 per month may be better spent knocking down principle during the ARM period. He is further confident that as his salary increases, he is likely to upgrade his home within five years or refinance to make home improvements. Bob and Robyn took the ARM loan.John and Catrina are a married couple with three grown children. John has been employed at the same company for 18 years and Catrina has been with her company for 12 years. They have consistent and stable income. Neither John nor Catrina expect any substantial increases in their salaries. After their last child moved out of the home they decided to downsize and buy a smaller home. They have a substantial down payment and will only be taking a mortgage of $100,000 on their new home. John and Catrina are presented with the same loan options as Bob and Robyn were. John and Catrina, however, know that it is unlikely they will sell or refinance in the next five years. They are comfortable with the payment schedule and, therefore, prefer the certainty of the fixed rate mortgage.There are countless websites that offer mortgage calculators to determine your mortgage payment. For your convenience we offer one on our site. You can review the different payment schedules based on the interest rates quoted for the fixed-rate and the ARM. Once you know the different payment amounts you will be able to determine which loan makes the most sense for you and your unique circumstances.Your mortgage professional should also be able to assist you in reviewing the options and making the best decision for you. The more open and honest you are with your mortgage professional the more helpful they will be. It is only if they are armed with full and honest information that they will be able to make recommendations to you. About the Author: Max Hunter is the author of many credit related articles. If you are looking for help with Home Loans or any type of credit issue please visit us at http://www.wolverinefinance.com For Credit Repair Software, other products, ebooks & articles, visit http://www.globalbizwiz.com I own a mortgage company and want to keep people in the know! I also have a For Sale By Owner website where you can post your home for free. www.MyUglyYellowSign.com By the way…Keep your credit clean…You'll always pay more if your credit is poor!
Source: www.ArticlePros.com
More California Homeowners Turn To Pay Option ARM Loans When Refinancing
More and more California home owners are turning to a Pay Option adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) loan when refinancing to cash out or to lower monthly payments.This increase of people refinancing in California using a Pay Option home loan is because the program gives the homeowner the choice to make one of four different payments every month.For immediate assistance on a California Pay Option Home Loan please call 1-866-398-4664Or go to http://www.goldmedalmortgage.comThe Pay Option ARM refinance home loan is a relatively new product that allows you four payment options each month: 1. 15 year payment- Pay your home loan off and build equity faster as well as save thousands of dollars in interest; 2. 30 year payment- This option will let you know how much to pay to have your home free and clear in the standard thirty years;3. Interest only option- This option allows you to pay only the interest portion of your monthly payment so you can increase monthly cash flow;4. 1% Minimum payment-This option allows you to pay your mortgage at a 1% rate of interest for maximum savings.All types of borrowers are taking advantage of a Pay Option refinance, but the two most common are self-employed/commissioned borrowers and those that with a current financial position where they need the absolute lowest payment.Pay Option ARM mortgage loans are ideal for the self-employed, Generally the self-employed have fluctuating income and this program allows a mortgage payment that is consistent with cash flow. For instance a self-employed California contractor who is busy during the spring and summer, but due to weather conditions in the winter business slows down. When business is going well the contractor can make a fully amortized payment but when business is slow he can take advantage of the new low deferred interest payment. It gives him great flexibility to make the mortgage payment he wants depending on his monthly cash flow situation.In addition to refinancing those looking to buy a new home or even a first time home buyer and want the lowest possible monthly payment.Although the California Pay Option Refinance Loan is the absolute best adjustable rate mortgage ( ARM ) product currently available borrowers should remember to use the program to their advantage. If they only make a minimum deferred payment then the deferred interest will be added to their principal balance at the end of 5 years. For immediate assistance on a California Pay Option Home Loan please call Goldmedalmortgage.com at 1-866-398-4664 Or go to http://www.goldmedalmortgage.com Full service home mortgage loan company. Products include refinance, home improvement, debt consolidation, and revers mortgages.
Source: www.ArticlePros.com
What is Mortgage Pre Approval Really Worth
In 2004, at the height of the home buying boom, a survey came out from Campbell Communications indicating that fully 62% of the failed closings studied were due to home buyers being denied a mortgage - despite having “pre approval” The company found that 39% of pre approvals issued by Internet-based lenders were invalid Mortgage brokers were also showing significant signs of unreliability, with 27% of pre approval letters proving invalid National lenders had their letters fail 19% of the time, while local banks dropped the ball on 14% Credit unions weren’t far behind at 10% and the mortgage partners of real estate agents came in last with 9% found to be void . .A hot real estate market led many institutions to put through loans that should never have been allowed to get past the initial examination! However it is a cycle that can lead to some injudicious decisions - people want to buy homes, realtors don’t want to show homes to unqualified people, people go to lenders for pre approval it is a nasty cycle that ends up with a lot of time wasted and sometimes a significant amount of money It also set up unreasonable expectations on the part of the buyers - “I got pre approved and now I’m not approved at all?” which could very well have led many of them to less scrupulous lenders . .Some people think that the solution is a standardized letter of pre approval that is provided by a national organization such as the National Association of Realtors (NAR) or another recognized national association that can issue out pre approval letters based on a strict examination of the buyer’s proof of income and assets . .Other people think it is incumbent on the lenders to tighten up their pre approval process so that unqualified buyers never get a letter that makes them and the real estate professionals they deal with think that they have a chance at a decent mortgage It may be cruel, so the thought runs, but so is the time and expense taken to put through a home sale that doesn’t happen And it prevents financial disasters like today’s recession . .Another key tip for buyers with early approval is to stop everything Don’t make a major purchase, don’t change jobs, don’t marry, don’t start trying for a baby - just focus on getting the home purchase finalized Major changes in one’s financial outlook can be disastrous for the final approval of a loan . .Pre approval does not mean final approval In fact, if it is from an unreliable source, it means less than the paper it’s printed on To make sure that a pre approval is genuine, buyers are urged to deal with reputable lenders and brokers, to take critical stock of their financial situation and to avoid making major changes to their lifestyle in the time between the approval and the closing To not do so can mean significant amounts of time, effort and money wasted and possibly greater ramifications, like the straits that our economy is presently in .
Source: www.rsstnx.com
