Archive for January, 2007

Home Loan Mortgage Loan Refinance – Refinancing For A Shorter Term To Save Money

Saving money with lower rates isn’t the only reason to refinance. Opting for a shorter loan can also save thousands in interest and free up income in the future. A short term loan can also help you pay down your principal quicker.

Better Rates

A 15 year mortgage has a better rate than a 30 year mortgage offered the same day – usually by a quarter of a percent. However, even if rates are the same as your current mortgage, refinancing to a shorter mortgage can save you thousands in interest by paying off the principal sooner. Your monthly payments will be slightly larger, but that is because a larger portion of the balance is being paid.

Offers Self-Discipline

Short term loans make your decision to pay off your mortgage official. For those that have a hard time making extra payments on their mortgage, a short term mortgage may be the answer.

It is helpful to first look at your long term financial goals. Perhaps you are planning to pay for kids’ college tuition, to retire, or to reduce your debt load in the future. Decide when you want your mortgage paid off and look at the monthly payments. You can choose a number of periods – 15, 20 or 25 year home loans.

Factors To Consider

Low rates aren’t the only factor to consider when deciding to refinance, the payment period is also important. By simply making larger principal payments, you get rid of your loan sooner and save money on interest payments. Additionally, reducing your debt level by paying off your mortgage also improves your credit and financial situation.

However, you should also remember the immediate impact of a short term mortgage. A larger monthly payment can put a strain on your monthly budget. You may also find that if you plan to sell your home within a couple of years, you will not recoup the cost of refinancing fees.

You are also limiting your financial flexibility. You are committing yourself to a larger principal payment. You could choose to simply pay down the principal when you have the available cash.

In the end, short term mortgages do have their benefits and should be considered when you plan to refinance.

Cash Out Refinance – Things to Know About Refinancing Your Mortgage To Get Cash Out

A cash-out mortgage allows you to refinance your mortgage and pull out part of your equity. Before deciding how much to cash to use, be aware of the impact of PMI and equity amounts. However, you may find the benefits of refinancing outweigh the costs.

Cash-Out Mortgage Basics

With a cash-out mortgage, you can refinance for lower rates or to just get part of your equity out. Once the refinancing process is completed, you will end up with a check. You can decide to take up to 90% of your home’s equity in some cases. However, cashing-out a large percent of your home’s value will impact your refinancing rate and might require you to carry private mortgage insurance (PMI).

The Cost Of PMI

Just like with a regular mortgage, you will be required to carry PMI if you take out more than 80% of the home’s value. PMI protects the mortgage lender since there is a higher risk of default with such loans. You will pay premiums when the loan closes and with each month’s mortgage payment. PMI can easily add up to hundreds a year.

You can also drop PMI once you build up your principal to 20% or the home appreciates so that your equity is over 20%. With home appreciation, you will have to pay for an appraiser’s inspection. You will also have to make an official request to the mortgage lender to drop PMI.

Higher Rates

You may also find yourself paying higher interest rates, at least a quarter percent, for cashing out over 75% of your home’s value. Lenders charge higher rates because there is an increased risk level. Your credit history will also be a factor in the type of financial package you qualify for.

Benefits Of Cashing-Out

While there are costs associated with a cash-out mortgage, you should also remember the benefits. You can write off the interest on your taxes and you qualify for lower rates than with other types of credit. You can also spread out your payments over a longer period, lessening the monthly financial burden.

Taking out more than 75% of your home’s equity is not necessarily a bad decision. You just need to weigh the financial costs. You may find that in the long-run, tapping into your home equity is better than the other types of credit available to you. You may also discover that the tax benefits offset the slightly higher costs.

Mortgage Refinancing Tips

If you are considering refinancing your home. You will want to learn as much as you can about the whole process. Refinancing is such a big decision. It can be the difference of thousands paid out of your pocket in interest or thousands of dollars saved in interest payments. Here are some big factors to consider before you refinance:

Don’t refinance your first mortgage unless you can get a significantly lower interest rate on the first mortgage – The new fees on the first mortgage combined with any other amounts you tack onto the loan, will usually nullify a slightly lower interest rate. Make sure the interest rate is at least 2-3 percentage points lower than your first mortgage rate before you do refinance.

Make sure your credit score is as high as you can get it – If you are just a few months away from the two or three year mark after a bankruptcy discharge. Its worth the time to wait it out and get the lower interest rate that comes from waiting past that point which opens up more loan programs to you. If you are just re-establishing credit, a few months of on time payments can be the difference between getting a reasonable interest rate and an unreasonable interest rate or not getting approved at all.

Compare Refinance Offers – As a rule of thumb, it’s always important to get at least 3 loan offers to compare interest rates and loan programs. This is a great way to ensure that you are getting a competitive rate. There are many companies online that, with one application, will provide you with up to 4 loan offers from multiple lenders. This is a very convenient way to get competitive rates.

Avoid consolidating unsecured debt, car loans, etc. into your refinance loan – The reason for that is, that if money ever gets tight, instead of just losing your car or being late on a credit card payment, you are now in danger of losing your home.

Buying a House After Bankruptcy – Things To Consider

Bankruptcy can make getting any kind of financing much more difficult. However, it’s not impossible anymore to get financing, even a few days after the discharge of a bankruptcy. But, is getting a loan soon after a bankruptcy a smart thing to do?

It can be tempting to buy a new home, new car, etc., after a bankruptcy discharge you have no debt left. You will probably feel like you can afford a larger house payment. Here are some factors to consider before committing yourself to a new house payment.

Pre-Payment Penalty – Almost every subprime loan (bad credit loan) now comes with a pre-payment penalty. This penalty is usually about 6 months worth of house payments. The pre-payment penalty period usually lasts 2-3 years. That means, if you want to refinance or sell your house in that period of time, that will make it very difficult, if not impossible to sell or refinance. That means that you are locked in. Once you sign those mortgage papers you absolutely have to make those payments. If you don’t have the amount of the pre-payment penalty in savings, you are locked into making the payments or losing the house.

Two Year Mark – Keep in mind that after 2-3 years from the date of the bankruptcy discharge, mortgage loans will be much easier to get. With a small down payment, you might even be able to get a mortgage loan without a pre-payment penalty. So, if you are within 6 months or so from the 2 year mark. It would be smart to wait it out and have more mortgage loan options.

Setting Yourself Up For Failure Again? Borrowing Too Much? – If you do decide to buy a house. Buy one that you know you will be able to afford. Don’t max yourself out on credit, living right up to the edge of your income. If your income suddenly drops, you’ll want to make sure that you can still afford your house payment. Be conservative with how much home you need to buy.

Home Loans For People With Very Bad Credit – Improve Your Chances of Getting Approved

If you have bad credit and are looking for a home loan, there are a few things you can do to improve your chances of getting approved and to help you get a reasonable interest rate.

Apply Online – The internet has a few companies that will take your application and submit it to hundreds of different lenders. You will receive up to the 4 best offers that you could qualify for. These offers are pre-approvals. You will still need to work with the broker to lock in an interest rate. Also, the benefit of using these companies is that they will not pull your credit initially. This is good because every time your credit is pulled, your credit score drops just a little. The mortgage company will just ask you to describe your credit, instead of pulling it.

Look Into Down Payment Assistance Programs – There are programs like Neighborhood Gold and Nehemiah that will help you get a down payment for your loan. Find out what their requirements are and if you could qualify. However, make sure the lender will work with them before you plan on it. Some lenders will not accept down payment assistance programs.

Apply With 2-3 Different Mortgage Companies – Sometimes one lender will be able to do a loan that another lender cannot. All mortgage brokers have access to different loan programs. What may be impossible for one, may be doable for another.

Keep Your Credit Score as High as Possible – Don’t have your credit pulled over and over, this will drop your credit score. Keep making your payments on time. Also, pay off any amount you can on credit cards, this will help your credit score go up. If you have more than one credit card, divide the amount you have to pay down credit cards among all the different cards. It helps your credit score to not be maxed out on any lines of credit.

Refinancing After Bankruptcy – Tips on Refinancing Your Home Mortgage After a Bankruptcy

Have you filed bankruptcy since you bought your home? Are you now looking to take advantage of lower interest rates by refinancing your home? You will probably soon realize how much more difficult it is to finance or refinance a home after a recent bankruptcy. It is not impossible though. There are many companies online that will help you refinance your home.

Here are some tips to consider when refinancing after a bankruptcy:

Even though interest rates have dropped, you may not be able to get a lower interest rate than when you bought initially – If you had decent or good credit when you bought your home originally, even though interest rates have lowered recently, you may not be able to qualify for an interest rate any lower than you had when you bought your home originally. With a recent bankruptcy, your interest rate is going to be quite a bit higher than before. There are many mortgage calculators available online that will help you analyze your current payment and interest rate and tell you if it is better for you to refinance your home or not.

Watch out for pre-payment penalties – Even if you can qualify for an interest rate that is lower than what you currently have, make sure you don’t get yourself into a loan with a pre-payment penalty. If you have a loan right now free and clear of any pre-payment penalties, it would be a big mistake to lock yourself into another loan for 6 months to 3 years or more. If interest rates drop again or you need to move, you will have to pay about 6 months of payments or interest in order to get out of the loan with a pre-payment penalty.

Beware of predatory lenders – There are many lending scams on the rise, make sure you are dealing with reputable mortgage lenders. Watch out for signs of shady lending practices.

Shop around – Get loan offers from at least 3 lenders. This is a good rule of thumb with any bad credit loan. When you can get multiple loan offers, you can compare interest rates and fees. Make sure you do not accept the first loan offered to you.

Buying a Home After Bankruptcy – Beware of Shady Subprime Mortgage Lenders

If you have a recent bankruptcy and are looking to buy a home, be careful of unethical or predatory lenders. Whether you are looking online or offline for a mortgage lender, it is becoming increasingly more common that subprime lenders are taking advantage of bad credit borrowers.

Many lenders will take advantage of borrowers with recent bankruptcies and bad credit because they know that the borrowers loan options are limited. Sometimes these lenders will charge excessively high fees, extensive pre-payment penalties on the home or ask for a fee upfront to “process” the loan.

Here are some tips on applying for a mortgage loan after a bankruptcy:

Beware of the Lender Asking For a Fee Upfront – Anytime you are applying for a mortgage loan, the only fee you should ever have to pay is the application fee which covers the cost of the lender pulling your credit application. Some lending scams involve asking for a processing fee of hundreds to thousands to process the loan.

Compare Loan Offers – If you can compare from 3-4 mortgage application quotes then you will know what to expect the current interest rate for subprime mortgage loans to be. If you accept the first mortgage loan offer you have, you may be paying a much higher interest rate than what is reasonable for your credit history.

Get Closing Costs in Writing – Brokers know that if a borrower has bad credit, they are most likely going to be more concerned about getting a reasonable interest rate and just getting approved than making sure they get normal closing costs. This is where many lenders will ding the borrower with credit problems. They will sometimes charge excessive closing cost fees. Get the list of closing costs in writing ahead of time and then do research online to make sure that the costs are reasonable. If the costs are not, go back to the lender and tell them that the closing costs are too high and you will not go through with the loan until they are lowered to be what is normal. The broker will usually comply, because they don’t want the loan to fall through.

Home Equity Loans Online – Types Of Home Equity Loans

A home equity loan allows you to tap into your property’s value to pay off short-term debt, remodel, or pay for college. There are several options for drawing on your equity, each with their own benefits and drawbacks. No matter which option you choose, interest is still tax deductible.

Refinancing Your Mortgage

By refinancing your mortgage, you can withdraw all or part of your equity. With this type of loan, you have one monthly payment with a low interest rate. If your mortgage originated when interest rates were high, you may find savings by refinancing now.

However, refinancing is costly with loan origination fees. You will have to go through the whole loan process again. You may also find that you may not find a better interest rate.

Opening A Home Equity Loan

A home equity loan allows you to take out a second loan based on your home’s equity. With this type of financing you have lower loan costs and can usually choose shorter loan terms.

With a home equity loan, you find interest rates slightly higher than mortgages. Monthly payments are typically larger than with a refinanced mortgage. But in the long term, you will probably pay less in interest charges.

Creating A Line Of Credit

A line of credit based on you home equity provides the greatest amount of flexibility. You can choose to withdraw all or part of the available cash as you need it. You payments are much like a credit card payment. You can pay off a portion, then use that credit later on.

Lines of credit have low to no fees, but interest rates are higher than any other type home equity loan.

Picking The Best Option

When you pick a home equity loan, you need to take a look at your budget first. Decide how much you can afford monthly to pay. Also, look at how much you can save with each financing option. For example, if you home loan has a high rate, refinancing may save you money even with loan fees.

No matter which finance option you choose, research rates from various lenders. Even a difference as small as 1/8% can save you hundreds. Don’t be afraid of asking for quotes. This way you can get information on rates without getting hit on your credit report.

Subprime Mortgages – How Large of a Down Payment Do You Need?

Subprime mortgages offer more flexibility with down payments than conventional home loans. You can choose to put nothing or over 20% down. And with a subprime mortgage, you don’t have to worry about paying private mortgage insurance.

Zero-Down Mortgages

Zero-down mortgages allow people with little money for initial costs to buy a home. Even with a zero-down mortgage you can expect to pay loan fees and points, which can still add up to a couple of thousands. However, there are financing plans that wrap loan costs into the mortgage.

The basic zero-down mortgage consists of one loan or two. If your lender decides to split your mortgage, you may need to find another lender to carry the second mortgage.

Zero-down mortgages come at a cost of higher interest rates. They also have larger monthly payments since the mortgage is for a larger amount.

Large Down Payments

A large down payment adds equity to your property quickly. You also have lower monthly payments by having a smaller mortgage. In some cases, a large down payment can qualify you for a loan, in spite of a poor credit record.

If you have the cash for a large down payment, you may also want to look at purchase points up front. You can lower your interest rate, saving you thousands if you keep the loan for several years. You can also waive prepayment fees, usually by paying a point.

Subprime Lenders

Subprime lenders offer a variety of financing solutions. If you are unsure how much you want to borrow, start by requesting quotes from lenders for different financing options. This way you can compare numbers and look for a lender who offers the best rates and terms.

You can use the internet to gather this information quickly. You can get quotes through websites or email. However, don’t give a lender permission to submit a financing bid until you are ready to apply. Every time a financial company checks your credit history, your credit score takes a hit. Even if you don’t follow through with the loan, it still affects you. Fortunately, most lenders are willing to provide quotes to allow you to make the best financial decision.

Tips On Refinancing Your Home – When To Convert To an ARM

Common advice tells borrowers they should refinance their adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) to a fixed-rate mortgage. However, there are times when it makes better financial sense to do the reverse. The prime reason is that an ARM provides lower rates.

Low Interest Rates Of An ARM

An ARM’s primary benefit is a lower interest rate. Typically a couple of points lower than a fixed-rate mortgage, an ARM can save you thousands. The downside is that an ARM’s rates can rise.

However, if you are planning to move in a couple of years or expect rates to drop, then an ARM may be worth the risk. If you are worried about rising rates, you can select an ARM with rate and payment caps. There are also ARMs that convert to a fixed-rate after a preset number of years.

Smaller Payments With An ARM

An ARM can also give you smaller payments temporarily through lower rates. Even though these payments may rise, you can expect your wages to increase with the rate of inflation as well.

If you need some temporary breathing room in your budget, you may find that an ARM can help. There is always risk with this option, especially if you are planning on a promotion or career change in the future.

Considering The Costs

While lower interest rates can save you money, the loan costs can eat into your financial savings. Loan fees can easily add up to $3000, in addition to points. The general rule of thumb is that after three years, you will be saving money on the refinance deal.

There are times when you can see a savings earlier, especially if rates are more than two percent lower or you find a low cost refinancing deal.

To really know if you will save by refinancing, you need to research rates. Ask for quotes from several lending institutions. Then figure out your interest payments with the help of a mortgage calculator. Compare these with your current interest charges, and you will know what type of savings to expect. Subtract the loan fees and points, and you will find if you can come out ahead in the end.