Save Yourself from Homebuying Disasters
September 3, 2008
Whether you are a first time home buyer or a happy home owner who wants to refinance an existing home loan, there are some cardinal "dos" and "don’ts" to follow. For many, home ownership is the biggest investment in their lives and that could be the reason why some people act irrationally, as if they purposely want to sabotage the deal. Follow these simple rules and you will be sure to make your experience difficult and unpleasant, if not a complete disaster.
Don’t get pre-approved or pre-qualified for a loan; lose your dream home to someone else.
Being pre-qualified shows some commitment on your part to both the mortgage broker and the seller. Being pre-approved is an even better step to take. The lender knows your financial standing and is able to present you with the loan deal. If you are neither pre-approved nor pre-qualified, a real estate agent representing the seller will not treat you seriously, and the property you want will most likely sell to someone else during the time you waste securing a home loan. Go ahead and procrastinate, you didn’t want that house anyway.
Make verbal contracts only. Talk is not cheap.
Home Loans and Mortgages ? The Myth of Tax Deductible Interest
September 3, 2008
Home ownership has risen sharply in recent years, and the percentage of Americans who own their own homes is approaching a record seventy percent. That’s a good thing; we’d all rather live in our own home than consider the alternatives. The most common method of purchasing a home is by taking out a mortgage. Mortgage types vary, but most loans consist of some variation of a thirty-year loan, with interest applied to the purchase price. This added interest can easily cause the total sum paid to be double or triple the actual purchase price of the home. This is an unavoidable cost of borrowing a large sum of money over a long period of time, but it still causes alarm at closing time when the borrower realizes that his or her $150,000 home will cost a half million dollars by the time the loan is paid off. At this point, the lender usually points out that the interest is tax deductible, and the borrower offers a sigh of relief. Is the deductibility of the interest really that big of a deal? Does anyone really benefit from it?
Home Mortgage Quotes Online - How Do They Compare To a Quote From a Broker in The Real World?
September 1, 2008
Online home mortgage quotes are very similar to the quotes given by mortgage brokers in "the real world," except lower. With the reduced cost due to a simplified application process and reduce overhead for office space and personnel, online mortgage lenders can offer financing with no fees or lower interest rates.
Looking At Fees
Fees are the hidden costs of loans. Mortgage brokers are paid in fees or points on the mortgage loan. The advantage of a mortgage broker is that they find the best mortgage rates for you. So even with their fee added into the loan, you still can expect to save money.
Online mortgage brokers have automated much of the mortgage loan process, reducing costs. As a way to stay competitive, many of these lenders have eliminated or reduced their fees.
Interest Rate Quotes
Both traditional and online mortgage brokers can give you an instant generic interest rate quote to narrow your choices from a mortgage lender. However, to get a true quote, you will need to provide detailed personal and financial information. With a traditional mortgage broker, the process can take a couple of days to process the information and meet with the mortgage broker to review rates.
Build Your Own Dream House!
August 30, 2008
So you’re thinking about building your own house, are you? Well, you’ve come to the right place! It’s a lot of fun (hard work and eventually fun!) to build your own home and it will save you thousands of dollars(we saved over a Hundred Grand by doing it ourselves - that’s pretty significant cash!). If you happen to live in a Large City, like Los Angeles, or anywhere that Real Estate Values are ‘close-to-insane’, you could potentially save millions of dollars. Interested, you say?? Read on, My Friend, Read on…!
Here’s a little list of things you’ll need to know:
How to Get Money: You’ll need lots of money! Don’t stop reading! There are ways of getting financial support in order to build a house . It certainly helps if you have a swack of cash in the bank. I’d say at least $20,000. - $100,000. to have as a back up - there are a surprising number of things that seem to come out of nowhere that require a quick injection of cash. The amount you will need to ‘get in the ground’ is, of course, dependent on the style and size of your home.
Bridging Loan Basics
August 29, 2008
A Bridging Loan is a short-term loan used as a way to provide funding for the purchase of a new property while the borrower awaits the sale of an existing property. Unless all the stars are in perfect alignment, it’s tricky to coordinate the sale of one property and the purchase of another property in such a way that the transactions occur simultaneously.
A Bridging Loan or "Bridging Finance" as it is also commonly known, makes such transactions possible. They keep the borrower from getting stuck in a rough financial corner, which typically means being forced to pay two mortgages at the same time. Bridging Loans can be used either for commercial or personal reasons.
Short term in nature, the application process for a Bridging Loan is similar to that of a standard loan. Most importantly, it’s advisable to work with a lender that is experienced with this type of loan. Plus, as the need for a Bridging Loan often arises with little advance notice, being pre-approved for such a loan is a smart move.
Secrets Your Banker Wont Tell You - Which Loan is Best for You?
August 28, 2008
Recently I was driving in my Car and I heard an Ad for a Mortgage lender who claimed they would help you find the Best Loan out of over 400 Different Loan Types. 400 Different Loan Types now that has to be confusing. How do you find the Best loan for you. Clearly the Best loan for you is not the Not the best loan for your bank. Learn the Secrets your Banker doesn’t want you to Know.
Some Questions to ask when Choosing a Loan.
- How Long will you keep the Loan?
- How Long will you keep the House?
- How much profit is the Bank Making on this Loan?
The Average Homeowner will get a New Loan every seven years. If you are going to move or refinance in the Next 7 Years is a 30 Year Fixed rate loan Really Best for You. A 30 Year Fixed rate loan is certainly Best for the banks. A Typical in Force 30 Year Fixed rate Loan in force today has an Interest Rate of between 5 and 6%. The Average cost of Funds for a Bank is about 1% (How much interest do they pay you own your checking account,Your Saving account). This means on a 30 Year Fixed rate Mortgage the bank Earns about 4% to 5%. If you keep your loan less then 7 Years why get a 30 Year Fixed rate Loan.
Best Buy to Let Mortgages
August 26, 2008
Are you looking for the best buy to let mortgages with the lowest rates payable? Need to calculate repayments on-line? Not sure how much you can borrow? These are all questions that you may well be asking yourself if you are looking for the best buy to let mortgages.
Finding the right buy to let mortgage is crucial to your success as a property investor. Unlike other forms of investment, a lot of the money you put into a buy-to-let property is likely to be borrowed. Over the last few years, the buy to let mortgage market has boomed, and borrowing money to invest in this way has become easier than ever. There are a number of different buy to let mortgage products available from fixed rates, discounted variable rates, discounted rates and so on. Different products may be suitable for different investment properties. Finding the cheapest buy to let mortgage may not always be the best option so there are a number of things to consider when deciding which buy to let mortgage is best. For example:
Fixed Rate Mortgage vs. Adjustable Rate Mortgage
August 24, 2008
The most basic distinction between types of mortgages that are available when you’re looking to finance the purchase of a new home is how the interest rate is determined. Essentially, there are two types of mortgages - fixed rate mortgage and an adjustable rate mortgage. If you choose a fixed rate mortgage, the rate of interest that you are paying on your mortgage remains the same throughout the life of the loan no matter what general interest rates are doing. In an adjustable rate mortgage, the interest rate is periodically adjusted according to an index that rises and falls with the economic times. There are advantages and disadvantages to either, and no easy answer to ‘which is better, a fixed rate mortgage or an adjustable rate mortgage?
The main advantage to a fixed rate mortgage is stability. Since the interest rate remains the same over the entire course of the loan, your monthly payment is predictable. You can count on your monthly mortgage payment to be the same amount each month. On the minus side, because the lending institution gives up the chance to raise interest rates if the general interest rates rise, the interest on a fixed rate mortgage is likely to be higher than that of an adjustable rate mortgage.
Is It Time To Buy A House?
August 23, 2008
At some point as you’re writing out your rent check, you get to the point where you look at the amount and think to yourself - at this rate, I could BUY a house. If you’re fed up with paying rent every month that’s high enough to finance a mortgage, it may be time to take a serious look at what it would take for you to get a mortgage loan and buy a home of your own. How do you know if it’s time to stop renting and time to start investing your monthly payment in a house of your own?
1. Are you planning to stay put in the area?
The first question to ask yourself is how long you are planning to stay in your new home. If the answer is ‘less than two years’, then it may be to your advantage to continue renting for a while longer - and use the time to build up your credit more strongly.
Which is Better? Fixed-Rate or Adjustable-Rate Mortgages
August 22, 2008
The answer depends on several factors including your financial situation. Lets take a look at the main differences between the two types of mortgages.
Fixed Rate Mortgage
Two major components that are needed to compare fixed rate mortgages are the interest rate and the points. Points are fees paid to the lender at the beginning of the mortgage period. They are based on a percentage of the loan. So, one point equals one percent of the loan amount. Therefore, a $100,000 mortgage with 1.5 points would cost $1,500.
One lender may offer a lower interest rate than another but the points may be higher resulting in a less attractive loan. The important consideration here is the length of time you plan to hold the mortgage. The longer you plan to keep the mortgage, a higher point with a lower interest rate makes more sense. And, the less time you plan to remain in a home you may be more likely to benefit from low or no points with a higher interest rate.
In addition, be sure to ask your lender the total of all fees involved. Lenders can tack on various fees that can add up in a hurry.
