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Mortgages
Mortgages News and Article |
Understanding Fixed-rate Mortgages
Published : November 04, 2007 | Author : newssrc | Unrated |
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A fixed-rate mortgage is a mortgage on which the interest rate is set for the term of the loan. Your interest rate stays the same for the term of the mortgage or for a specified period of time. Most people use a fixed-rate mortgage. In fact, about 75 percent of all home mortgages have fixed rates. The main advantage of a fixed-rate mortgage is that you always know exactly how much your mortgage payment will be, and you can plan for it.
A Fixed Rate mortgage will offer you the security of knowing that your mortgage interest rate will not change during the term of your fixed rate. For example, a lender can offer a 30-year fixed loan to a homebuyer at a 6.5% interest rate. The loan is locked in to the 6.5% interest rate, even if the market interest rate rises to 8.0%. Conversely, if the market interest rate decreases to 4.5%, you will continue to pay the 6.5% interest rate. A Fixed-Rate Mortgage applies the same interest rate toward monthly loan payments for the life of the loan.
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Home Loans and Mortgages – Tips to Avoid Foreclosure
Published : November 04, 2007 | Author : newssrc | Unrated |
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Today’s real estate market is a volatile one; prices are at record levels and Interest rates are favorable, but foreclosures are increasing. Wages haven’t kept up with home prices and some buyers who had to stretch to find a way to obtain a mortgage in the first place are having trouble making their payments. Usually, if a buyer cannot meet his or her mortgage obligation, the lender forecloses, taking the home and leaving the buyer without a place to live and a tarnished credit record. If you are having problems paying your mortgage, can you avoid this scenario?
Depending on your type of mortgage and your lender, you may have other options. Most lenders, wary of rising foreclosure rates, would rather work out some sort of solution than take your home. Lenders are in the business of lending money, not selling houses, and the process of foreclosure is a tedious one that most institutions would rather avoid. The first thing you should do if you find yourself with a problem making your payments is to call your lender and discuss the matter with them. The sooner you contact them, the more likely you are to work out a solution that’s agreeable to both of you.
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Home Loans and Mortgages – One Third of Homes in U.S. Overvalued
Published : November 04, 2007 | Author : newssrc | Unrated |
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A new study by National City Corp. looked at home values for 299 American cities and compared them to where they “should be” based on a number of economic factors that determine home prices. The results were not encouraging; homes in nearly one third of America were judged to be “extremely overvalued.” That’s the part that’s getting headlines. A complete read of the report shows that things are even worse, as 100 cities in the U.S. have values judged to be too high by 18% or more. What does this mean?
It will come as no surprise to most people that the areas judged to be the most overvalued are in California, Florida, and New York and Massachusetts. Home prices in these states have increased at a rate that far exceeds the increases in salaries in these areas. When homes are priced in a way that is disproportionate to income, they become unaffordable. The mortgage industry has come up with a number of clever solutions to this problem by introducing an ever-increasing number of creative loan products. Interest only mortgages, where buyers only pay interest on the loan, rather than principal, for the first five years of the loan, and Option ARM mortgages, with “teaser” interest rates that can run as low as one percent, have allowed people to purchase homes they otherwise would not be able to afford. Neither one of these dangerous loan types contributes any money to the actual purchase price of the home, leaving their buyers in a precarious position should prices fail to keep rising. The nationwide increase in foreclosure rates suggests that the market is probably peaking.
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Home Loans and Mortgages – Time to Consolidate Loans?
Published : November 04, 2007 | Author : newssrc | Unrated |
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Home equity loans and lines of credit are useful tools for homeowners. They allow the homeowner to borrow against the value of his or her home for all kinds of purposes – home improvement, debt consolidation, vacations, and more. The loans, backed by the value of the house itself, come with attractive interest rates and the added bonus of tax deductible interest. That interest, however, is often variable, adjusting up and down with changes in market conditions. At the moment, conditions are such that interest rates for adjustable rate loans are increasing while rates for fixed-rate loans are still fairly stable. This is probably a good time for homeowners with variable rate equity loans to consider consolidating their primary mortgage and home equity loan into a single entity.
The ideal candidate for such a consolidation would be a homeowner who has a variable rate home equity loan, rather than a line of credit or an equity loan at a fixed rate. A line of credit is sort of a revolving loan, with an amount that may be drawn, as needed, time and again, much like a credit card loan. A home equity loan would represent a fixed amount of money borrowed for a specific length of time. To consolidate a home equity loan and a primary mortgage, the home would have to be refinanced with a new mortgage issued for the combined amounts of both loans. There are costs associated with this, so homeowners should consider the following:
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Reverse Mortgages, Getting a Good Deal In 3 Easy Steps!
Published : November 04, 2007 | Author : newssrc | Unrated |
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Reverse Mortgages, Most Common Features:
A reverse mortgage is a special type of loan that seniors can sometimes get to convert the equity in their homes to cash.
Many reverse mortgages offer special appeal to older adults because the loan advances, which are not taxable, generally do not affect Social Security or Medicare benefits.
Originally designed for retirees interested in keeping their homes but whose incomes aren't sufficient to support them, reverse mortgages have typically been used to help people on low fixed incomes make ends meet, make needed home repairs or pay for large medical bills that otherwise would be unaffordable.
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HELOCs and Second Mortgages: Which One Should I Choose?
Published : November 04, 2007 | Author : newssrc | Unrated |
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Whether you need some extra cash to pay off some credit card debts, or to make some home improvements, home equity lines of credit or second mortgages can be great ways to get started.
Many people looking to borrow money often opt for home equity line of credit, or HELOCs, for short. They are a tempting first choice, because they can often give you the much needed cash at a low interest rate. Another advantage to taking out an HELOC, or a home equity line of credit, is that they may provide the borrower with a certain tax break, but you would need to verify this with your lender or accountant.
One drawback to HELOCs, however, is the fact that borrowers are expected to put their homes up as collateral. So, it is important that you think this decision through, before finalizing the loan, because you may be at risk of losing your home- and its equity- if you are late or cannot make your monthly payments. Finally, if you decide to sell your home, must HELOCs will require that you pay off the balance, before completing the sale.
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Adjustable vs Fixed Rate Mortgages
Published : November 04, 2007 | Author : newssrc | Unrated |
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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 than the interest rate on your loan will go down.
Adjustable rate mortgages (ARM) 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.
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What You Need To Know About Mortgages
Published : November 04, 2007 | Author : newssrc | Unrated |
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Business stuff can be downright confusing especially when confronted with rates, numbers and the banking jargon that seem alien language to you. Still, you do not really have much choice as loans, interest rates and mortgages are words that you can either understand and study or risk losing the roof over your head.
What is a mortgage?
Mortgages is a legal and binding contract that indicates that you have agreed to use your house as security for a loan made. Upon signature, the lender will hold the title deed of the property until after you pay all the money that you owed plus interest. If in case, you are not able to make mortgage payments, the lender has the right to sell the property.
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ARM – Adjustable Rate Mortgages
Published : November 04, 2007 | Author : newssrc | Unrated |
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Traditionally, homebuyers could look to two forms of mortgages – fixed rate and adjustable mortgages. While there are now many more options, this article takes a look at the adjustable rate mortgage.
What is an ARM Loan?
An adjustable rate mortgage [“ARM”] is a basic mortgage with one important exception. With an ARM, your interest rate will start low but typically move up throughout the link of the loan. The timing of the movements is dictated by the terms of the loan. The rate may be adjusted every month, but more typical periods are every six or twelve months. Most adjustable rate mortgages also have a cap on the amount the interest rate can be raised in a particular period.
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The Facts About Second Mortgages
Published : November 04, 2007 | Author : newssrc | Unrated |
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Your home: It's probably your biggest asset. Having a home to back you up when you need a loan is one of the greatest advantages of home ownership. In recent years, there has been a major increase in the amount of people looking to use their homes as a way to get access to extra money when they need it most. One of the best ways to do this is through a second mortgage.
A second mortgage is exactly what it says it is - a loan made in addition to your first mortgage, and it's based on the amount of equity you have built into your home. Many people use them to fund home renovations, to pay off credit cards, or to put a child through college. Since you've already been through the process once, the underwriting required to get a second mortgage is much simpler than it was the first time around, and the cost of the transactions involved will be significantly lower. This usually makes up for the fact that interest rates on the second mortgage are a bit higher than they were on the first one.
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Random Pick |
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