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Home Mortgages: Should You Apply Now?
If you're thinking about applying for a new mortgage or refinancing your current mortgage, you might want to take action now. In its survey this week (the week of Aug. 1), Freddie Mac, the corporation that finances many of the country's mortgages, reported that rates on 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages rose to a nationwide average of 5.82 percent. This represents the fifth week in a row that the rate on fixed-rate mortgages has gone up. This increase put the rate is at its highest since it averaged 5.91 percent for the week ending April 14. That's the not-so-good news. The good news is that rates on 30-year mortgages are still reasonable and have, in fact, stayed below 6 percent for all but two weeks this year. This, of course, would be for a new mortgage. If you are thinking of refinancing your current mortgage, you might want to look into a 15-year, fixed rate mortgage. The rates on these mortgages averaged 5.38 percent this week. This compares with an interest rate average of 5.34 percent last week. Frank Nothaft, Freddie Mac's chief economist, has said that "Long-term mortgage rates will more than likely rise over the next few months." Also, the Federal Reserve is expected to continue to increase a key short-term interest rate. It has increased this rate ten times since it began to tighten credit in June of 2004 and is expected to continue to increase this rate. Keep in mind that the nationwide interest rate averages quoted here do not include add-on fees known as points. Both 30-year and 15-year fixed-rate mortgages currently carry an average fee of 0.6 point Last year at this time, 30-year mortgages had an average interest rate of 5.99 percent and 15-year mortgages were at 5.40 percent. This means that right now, your interest rate on a new mortgage would probably be slightly less than a year ago. So, if you need a new mortgage or want to refinance your existing mortgage, now could be a pretty good time. For FREE help with debt and credit, subscribe today to Douglas Hanna's free email newsletter "8 Simple Steps to Debt Relief" at http://www.all-in-one-info.com.
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Home Loans and Mortgages ? Tips to Avoid Foreclosure 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? FHA Mortgage: When Your Downpayment is a Gift There has been so much fraud discovered in the FHA program allowing gift funds for downpayment that Lenders and borrowers are required to absolutely document every step of the gift transaction to prove it was legitimate. Home Equity Loan ? With a Reverse Mortgage, Your Home Pays You! The home equity loan has become quite popular in the last five years, and Americans have tapped into the equity of their homes in record numbers. The reasons vary, although home improvement and debt consolidation are the most common reasons for borrowing against a home's equity.In the last fifteen years or so, a new twist has arrived in the home equity market ?- the reverse mortgage. Like a traditional home equity loan or line of credit, a reverse mortgage allows you to borrow against the equity in your home. Unlike those other options, you don't have to make payments in order to pay it back. The repayment takes place when you die, when you move, or when you sell your home. You must be at least 62 years of age to qualify, but unlike other loans, you do not have to have any appreciable income in order to get a reverse mortgage. There are a number of advantages of a reverse mortgage over a traditional home equity loan:Your options of receiving the money from the loan include a monthly payout, although you may also elect to receive a lump sum or a credit line. A monthly payout would effectively provide you with a regular "income" during the remainder of your time in your home.The loan isn't due until you move, sell the home, or die. There is no repayment schedule, as with regular installment loans. At the time of your death or when you sell the house, the loan must be repaid with interest.The amount you have to repay cannot exceed the value of your home. With this feature, you are protected should your home decline in value. The lender cannot force you to pay more than the value of the home. Due to the age restrictions on reverse mortgages, they are not for everyone. But if you qualify, it could provide an excellent opportunity to have an income during your retirement years. Free Home Equity Loan Information Home equity loan information can sometimes be confusing and misleading. I have written this article to properly explain home equity loans. Basically equity is the difference between your home's appraised -- or fair market value and the outstanding mortgage balance you owe on your home. Borrowing against the equity built up in a home has become extremely popular. Construction Loan Basics It might not be too big of an exaggeration to say that the construction loan is one of the more daunting aspects of building your custom home. Before we started our project, I had nightmares about trying to pay two full mortgages at the same time (our existing mortgage and the construction loan), and I didn't see how it was at all possible. However, the reality ended up much more reasonable than I dared hope. Mortgage Info You Can Actually Understand! This is a great time to Refinance Your Home or Buy a New Home -- the Mortgage Rates are so low, these days! It's always worth a shot to find out what the costs of switching over to a new mortgage would be, to see if that's the right move for you. Home Equity Loan ? Beware of the lingering lien! A problem that often arises when people try to refinance their home is the discovery of a pre-existing lien from a previous loan that was not removed by the lending company. The cost of removing a lien and returning the title to the homeowner, a process known as reconveyance, is usually included in fees associated with a home equity loan. When the loan is paid off, the lender is generally responsible for removing the lien, so that public records show the property to be unencumbered. There are various reasons for why the lien isn't always removed ? oversight on the part of the lender, especially during heavy periods of refinancing, is often the problem. Occasionally, the problem can arise when a lender is sold to another company or when that lender goes out of business. No matter what the cause, a lien that hasn't been removed can come back to haunt a homeowner. If a homeowner is in the process of refinancing a home and discovers an old lien that hasn't been removed, the entire refinancing process can be held up for weeks. This can be critical if the owner is trying to lock in an interest rate prior to closing. The problem can also arise when a homeowner is trying to take out another home equity loan, perhaps to facilitate debt consolidation or home improvements. Here are a few things you can do to avoid this problem: Get a copy of your credit report. If there are any errors, particularly errors showing an open line of credit or a home equity loan that has been paid off, contact your lender. Keep your paperwork from all real estate loans, even if you have already paid them off. Then you will have them at hand should you need to demonstrate that you have fulfilled your obligations. If the lien shows up on public records or a credit report, but the original lender says that you have paid it, have them send you a copy of their documentation regarding your reconveyance.As with most issues that come up when financing or refinancing a home, this one can be resolved by remaining diligent and keeping proper paperwork. As always, it's a good idea to check your credit report regularly, particularly if you plan on taking out a loan in the near future. Option ARM Mortgage Loan - Is This Really for You? What happened to the days of a 15 or 30 year fixed rate mortgage loan? Ultimately this is the safest and most popular mortgage loan product in our industry, but new mortgage products are hitting the market, and we in the mortgage business are using them to our advantage; ever heard the radio advertisement saying, "buy a $200K home for $643.28 per month; call XYZ Mortgage Company to apply"? The product used in this ad is called an Option ARM, and I feel it's my duty as a mortgage professional to tell you what this product is in case you happen to meet up with that loan officer whose only concern is to make a fee, and not have your best interest in mind. Real Estate Tip: Escrow Accounts -- Do You Really Need Them? If you have a mortgage on your property, whether it's for your personal residence or a real estate investment, chances are you have an escrow account. But if you are working on building wealth through real estate, you may want to take a hard look at your escrow account (or accounts, if you own more than one piece of real estate) and decide if you really need it. Home Mortgages: Does It Ever Make Sense to Pay Points? Interest rates on home mortgages are often quoted with and without points. A point equals one percent of the amount you are financing. This means that on a $150,000 mortgage, one point is $1500.00 and two points would be $3,000. These points are in addition to whatever other closing costs you might have. Mortgage Basics for First Time Home Buyers Anyone planning to take out a mortgage for the first time will most likely find the job a little daunting, not least because the financial jargon can often be very difficult to make sense of. As with any major financial decision, it is essential to fully understand every aspect of a mortgage plan before making a commitment. It's also vital to simply do the math, to calculate exactly how much each type of mortgage will cost for the overall life of the loan, how long it will take to repay, and what the monthly repayments will be. Buyers would be wise to make the financial calculations before choosing a home, to get a clear picture of exactly how much home they can really afford to buy. More information is available at http://www.money-smash.com Secured Homeowner Loans to Reiterate that a Home Provides More than a Roof Over Your Head "The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned." Gearing Up for Bad Credit Mortgages Mortgage would have never happened, had mortgages been a no profit venture for the mortgagees or the mortgage providers. The lender receives much more than he had actually lent. And you feared that you would not qualify for the mortgages having a bad credit history. Mortgagees somehow find ways to match borrowers with the offers available with them in order to have your business. Jacksonville Florida Real Estate Mortgage Home Loans - Get the Best Rate Everytime There are hundreds of mortgage companies in the Jacksonville real estate market. All claiming to have the lowest rate and excellent customer service. Well, it is simple to figure out that if you are reading this information off of billboards or in an expensive yellows page adverisment, it is very possible this isn't so. Mortgage-Refinance Treachery: Avoid Mortgage Bankers and Brokers Biggest Trick -- The Sales Pitch What the average homeowner or home buyer fails to realize is that bankers, loan officers, mortgage brokers, or whatever your lenders call themselves, are salesmen. Certainly, if you purchased your home from a realtor and used her lender, you most likely got a feeling of trust in that person, because the realtor referred him. Beware of this potentially dangerous water. "This guy will help you complete your loan," the realtor will tell a prospective buyer. "He'll help us close quickly, and you'll be in your new home in less than a month." Homeowners? insurance: The mortgage connection A home owners' insurance is the cover for the house against natural calamities as well as liability. This covers the house and its contents but also other personal possessions which the house secures. The natural calamities include fires and winds. It covers thefts and vandalism as well. It is also called hazard insurance (http://www.mortgagefit.com/hazard-insurance.html) Using a Home Mortgage Calculator There are a variety of tools online that you can use to determine how much you can afford to pay for a home, how much the monthly payment will be based on the sale price of a home, and calculators to tell you whether it is better to rent or buy based on your personal situation. Using a home mortgage calculator online doesn't cost any money, and can be an extremely useful tool in your preparation and research for buying a home. Most calculators will have a form for you to fill out, and the most simple of them will ask you to input the principal price of the home, the interest rate, and the number of years that you will have the mortgage for, in order to determine what your monthly payment will be. Do Your Homework - Find the Mortgage That Fits Your Lifestyle and Your Budget You've been looking at houses for months, and finally you've found it--the house that's just right. So now, all you have to do is to purchase your new home, move in, and get settled, right? Not quite. There's one more big step to go-getting a mortgage loan. You're going to want to decide on the type of mortgage and payment terms that fit within your budget. And you're going to have to prepare yourself by doing some research. What follows is valuable information that will be crucial in helping you make loan decisions that will fit your budget and circumstance. How to Shop Around for the Cheapest Mortgage Deal Online Before you start shopping around for a mortgage, you need to establish exactly what you want so that you do not waste your time looking at deals that will not save you money. You should also learn how to compare mortgages or choose what features of the finance package are important to you. How to Secure the Best Mortgage Deal and Save Yourself Thousands in Interest When you consider that the average home owner will pay out far more in interest over the lifetime of their mortgage than their home actually cost in the first place, you can see why working to secure yourself the best possible mortgage deal now could save you tens of thousands of dollars in interest over the 25 ? 30 year lifetime of your home loan.
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