Monday, December 21, 2009

Different Ways to Find Great Mortgages



Do you want to find a great mortgage? Want to know what makes a good mortgage, as well as the different ways to find great mortgages? Join me as we take a look and find the solutions that you need to buy a home with.



In this article, you will find out more about these fantastic ways to find great mortgages:



* Banks



* Newspapers & Tabloids



* Real Estate / Mortgage / Finance Magazines



* The Internet!



* Banks



The first option is to go to the local bank.



This could be the bank that you have banked with, since you were a child. For many people this options represents security. After all, you have banked with the bank for years, and now want a mortgage. It makes sense.



This option however will likely have higher rates. And rates are an important topic here! If you want the best, then you want the lowest rates. At the same time, you need to factor in hidden fees and charges before applying.







* Newspapers & Tabloids



Another great source for this kind of financing, is through the newspapers and tabloids.



They both have the individual merits of greatness. For example, they often smash the bank's rates phenomenally.



* Real Estate / Mortgage / Finance Magazines



Another source to find the great deals, is to go through real estate magazines or some other kind of finance magazine. Here discovering a great source of options is much easier.



* The Internet!



So what do you do if you really want to save a lot of paperwork? Go online! There are many lenders online, who offer great rates of interest, as well as providing an answer much quicker.






How To Perform An Offset Mortgage Comparison



An offset mortgage comparison is not as straightforward as it would first seem. This article will give an overview of an offset mortgage and discuss how to compare offset mortgages to help you find the right one.



Offset mortgages are fairly new to the UK market place. They were introduced to the UK in the late 1990s and originated from Australia. They were seen as a niche product, but this has changed since interest rates have decreased and the market has opened up.



The principle of offset mortgages is relatively simple - when a borrower takes out an offset mortgage, it is linked to their savings and/or current account. This allows the borrower to offset their mortgage debt against the money in their accounts, thus reducing the amount of interest owed. For example, if a borrower has a ฃ250,000 mortgage and ฃ50,000 in savings, interest will only be charged on the difference, i.e. ฃ200,000.



The range of offset mortgages within the market place has increased in recent years and consequently, offset mortgages have becoming increasing complex. For an offset mortgage comparison, you can't just compare the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) as you would with a traditional type of mortgage. The APR has limited value with an offset mortgage because nothing else is taken into account, such as the flexibility of the account, set-up charges, and Early Redemption Charges (ERC).



To obtain an offset mortgage comparison, it is important to look at the key aspects of an offset mortgage and to ask yourself - 'what can my offset mortgage do for me?' Key aspects include:



Flexibility of the account



Overpayments - are you likely to make frequent overpayments into your mortgage account? If so, you will want an offset mortgage that does not penalise for frequent overpayments or penalise you for paying off your mortgage early.



Underpayments and/or payment holidays - do you want a career break with underpayments or payment holidays from your mortgage? Not all offset mortgages offer underpayments or payment holidays, whereas some types of offset mortgage offer the service, but you usually have to make a certain amount of overpayments before you are eligible.



Credit limit - will you need a lump sum of cash in the future, for example, home renovations? Some offset mortgages allow a credit limit on top of the agreed mortgage, depending on the amount of equity in the property, which acts as a loan facility.



Debt - are you carrying credit debt and personal loans? Some offset mortgages allow the debt to be incorporated into the mortgage package, possibly leading to a lower repayment rate. The debts can also remain unsecured.



Number of accounts - can you add more than one savings/current account to your mortgage? Do you have family members that are willing to link their bank accounts to your mortgage debt? If so, you can further reduce your interest payments.



Charges and interest rates



At first glance, an offset mortgage with an initial low APR for two years and low arrangement fees may look appealing, but if it has an ERC and no underpayment facilities, it would not be suitable if you wanted to make frequent overpayments to pay your mortgage off early, but were planning to have a career break in the future.



There are many lenders in the mortgage market that offer different types of offset mortgages.



To guide you through the intricacies of an offset mortgage comparison it would be best to seek advice. An independent mortgage broker can advise you and help you with an offset mortgage comparison to ensure you can have the best offset mortgage for your needs.






How To Choose The Right Mortgage Calculator For Your Needs



Hear about those people who, by adding $50 per month to their mortgage payment cut their loan in half? You can actually do that. Look on the web for a mortgage accelerator calculator.



To start with, a simple mortgage calculator is useful. They let you input the amount of the principal you will be borrowing, the current interest rate, and the number of years to pay off the loan. These calculate mortgage repayments as a fixed amount over a fixed time with a fixed interest rate.



If you want to work out how much you can afford, based on your current standard of living and income, a more complex mortgage calculator is useful. It takes into account other monthly expenses. The sort of mortgage calculator that works out how much you can borrow will use similar information to give you a rough estimate of what a bank or mortgage lender will conceivably offer you.



Other sorts of mortgage calculators can be used if you are considering refinancing your current home loan, or wish to consolidate your current loans.



If you are currently in debt with personal loans, for example, and want a home loan, you may need to determine how long it will take you to pay off your current debt before going into more debt with a mortgage. A debt payoff goal calculator can help you work out a plan for doing this.



If you are looking at consolidating loans or refinancing, there are simple mortgage refinancing calculators that can help you decide whether you should refinance your current mortgage.



These take numerous factors into consideration and determine whether you will be better off in the long term.



You can also use a more complex consolidation and refinancing calculator, which is useful in determining whether or not it is in your best interest to consolidate your loans at the current time.



There are many different mortgage calculators available for use on the internet. Your first stop for a mortgage calculator will be at your bank's or financial institution's website.



If you believe that you are not getting the best deal from your current mortgage provider, however, it would pay to visit some other websites for more information.



It's also important to consider the current interest rates the banks are currently lending for mortgages and home loans, and the refinancing packages they offer. You really need to consider your individual needs when choosing a mortgage calculator.



First, try a simple mortgage calculator.



Then if you want, a more complex mortgage calculator can also tell you how much interest you will be paying off in the long term. These mortgage calculators are particularly handy when working out different payment schemes.



You may decide to make an extra lump sum payment once a year, or simply want to pay a few extra dollars a week off your mortgage. These mortgage calculators can tell you how much interest you will be saving and how many years you will reduce your loan by in making these extra repayments.



If you've done your home loan research and have looked into a number of different loan plans, it's helpful to be able to compare them yourself to make a more informed judgement.



However, unless you find a very sophisticated mortgage calculator, it probably won't allow you to take into consideration things like fixed and variable interest rates.



A good amortization calculator breaks down exactly how much interest and how much principle you will be paying off your loan each year or month based on your current repayment scheme.






Watch Out for the Risks Involved in Opting For a Bad Credit Home Mortgage Loans



At the same time as opting for a mortgage loan, you should be familiar with the many risks involved in your choice. Being on familiar terms with these would-be risks will help you elude default and bring about a comfortable and secured economic prospect. Should you have bad credit and therefore are opting for a bad credit mortgage loan there are much more risks involved that you have to think about. On the other hand, these are a long way from impossible and by taking precautionary actions you will keep away from harming yourself economically.



The biggest crime you will do to yourself is non-repayment of monthly payment and thereby defaulting on your mortgage loan, which in general will result in foreclosure. For that reason, nearly all professionals have the same opinion that you must by no means miss a payment. If you default on your payments for a very long time, your lender could demand on you to repay the loan in full inclusive of principal amount, late fees and other relevant charges or may initiate foreclosure actions.



The most excellent way to steer clear of this is to at all times make your monthly payment punctually, however if this is unfeasible in that case you should get in touch with your lender and try to strike a deal ahead of your economic condition getting deteriorated any more.



As soon as your outstanding loan amount is in excess of the amount you borrowed in the beginning negative amortization comes about. Even if it could seem this is not at all possible, it isn't too rare. This condition arises once the monthly payments you make do not even cover the interest cost.



As a result, you start on to be indebted to a greater extent with each passing month. For that reason, you are not supposed to disregard the recommended monthly payment and pay the right amount as suggested by the lender by yourself. Most lenders would not let this happen however you should take care of your interests and not allow lender to take any actions against your interests.



There are many fees and charges involved and if you aren't cautious they add up to significant amount, these are hidden costs.



For example, payment caps, closing fees, pre-payment fees and so on. If you do not take into account these fees, you can actually incur thousands of dollars of charges that you had not even considered for and did not even anticipated on having to pay for and can be monetarily disturbing.



You are now familiar with a few of the risks involved and are better prepared, and are likely, to effectively deal with your mortgage loan. Keep in mind, a home mortgage loan is extremely beneficial to you, however, as with all the things in life there pros and cons involved with it.



So, take a wise and educated decision on home mortgage loans. Do some research by going online, where there are so many websites that offer you free counseling on mortgage and offer you the best possible options for you. In addition, you can make use of online mortgage calculators that these websites provide to know if home mortgage is a viable option for you.






Is it Wise to Cancel Mortgage Insurance?



Some people do not even know that they have mortgage insurance. They bought a house, they pay a mortgage bill every month, and that is all they really know. This is because it is usually tacked on to the mortgage monthly payments. Once you understand what it is, you may want to consider getting rid of it.



Mortgage insurance exists to protect the borrower and/or the lender in case the borrower defaults on the loan payments. According to Wikipedia, lenders usually make it required to have if the borrower has paid less than 20% of the amount borrowed.



This is usually private mortgage insurance, but it could also be public mortgage insurance, depending on the insurer.



Your insurance hardly ever covers the entire loan amount. It is often just a percentage of the loan amount. In fact, it is usually a very low percentage. It is definitely a good idea (not to mention a requirement) to have it at the beginning of your loan, but once you have over 20% down or whatever the cut-off was with your insurer, it may be worth getting rid of.



For instance, if you take out a mortgage loan on a house for $200,000 and pay $45 per month for the insurance that will only cover $35,000 if you default on the payments, this will be helpful, but still put you in a bind if something happens. It is usually recommended that after you have paid for more than 20% of the mortgage, you should cancel your private mortgage insurance policy and reallocate that $540 per year towards something else like investments or life insurance that will help protect you for your future by giving your greater gains.



It is important to re-examine your finances on a yearly basis and determine the pros and cons of private mortgage insurance once you have the freedom to get rid of it. Nobody wants to pay for something they do not need.


Don't Use a Mortgage Broker: Go It Alone



In this modern day where information is ready at every click, finding your own home loan without the use of a professional mortgage broker is more than likely your best bet. After all, you have all the time in the world for self-education, don’t you? Plus, you probably have a lot of extra time from your job, taking care of family and other personal matters to spend untold hours examining each and every Australian home loan product. Right? With all the time you have on your hands, you can easily investigate all the features and requirements to decide the best home loan to meet your personal needs.



After all, aren’t all those mortgage brokers just hard-hustling salespeople trying to earn a commission? They really won’t have your best interest at heart, will they? Who Are You Kidding? If you lead anywhere near the same lifestyle led by most busy Australians today, you probably need to buy some time just to rest and sleep. There are so many activities that demand our daily attention that the smart consumer seeks professional help when looking to accomplish something as important as finding the correct home mortgage.



Sure, there is nothing wrong doing a little homework so you get some information. It is important to become a well-informed consumer when making this kind of a decision. But, under no circumstances should you go it alone. And, unless you plan making a career change, gaining all the needed information will never replace the expertise at your disposal when hiring a qualified mortgage broker. Why Do You Think They Are Called ‘Professional’? Long gone are the days where you simply picked out a piece of property and built your own home with your own hands


Sub-Prime Mortgage Loans - Who Qualifies For A Sub-Prime Loan?



Sub-prime mortgage loans are designed for those who don't qualify for "A" rated loans, typically those with a FICO score of less than 650. They also cater to those desiring unconventional terms, like a jumbo loan. As with any lender, to find the best financing, you have to compare mortgage loan offers.



Who Qualifies For Sub-Prime Loans?



Anyone can qualify for a sub-prime loan, no matter their credit history. Even people with excellent credit may choose to work with a sub-prime lender to work out special terms.



When it comes to mortgage loans, sub-prime lenders don't decline applications. Rather, they present terms, which you can choose to accept or decline.



For instance, a person could discharged a bankruptcy and apply for a mortgage the next day with a sub-prime lender. The lender would likely charge 12% above conventional rates and require a 50% down payment. The option is to either take the loan or wait two years for much better terms.



What Sub-Prime Lenders Offer?



Besides flexibility with terms, sub-prime lenders offer near conventional rates.



On average, sub-prime lenders charge 1% to 2% above conventional rates for every drop in credit grade. However, large cash reserves or down payments can offset a negative credit history.



Sub prime lenders don't require private mortgage insurance - a real savings if you don't plan on a down payment of 20% or more. Lenders also offer refinancing options in your mortgage, saving on closing costs in the future.



Who Provides Sub-Prime Loans?



It used to be that only unconventional financing lenders offered mortgages to those with poor credit.



But now virtually all banks and financing companies deal with sub-prime loans. For the lowest credit ranks, you still need to work with a sub-prime lender.



To find the right sub-prime loan, compare financing offers from several companies. You can work with a mortgage broker online to evaluate quotes in minutes or go directly to lender sites.



When requesting a loan estimate, provide as much information as possible, including your credit score. But don't let the potential lender inspect your credit report unless you want to see your credit score go down.



Only allow the most promising lead access your report to complete the loan application.






An Introduction To Home Mortgage Interest Rates



Buying a house can often be a difficult process. Decide the location and cost of the house you wish to buy. Assess how much of a down payment you can make. Compare the various interest options available by obtaining quotes from a number of lenders, and choose the best. The rates are sometimes subject to frequent fluctuations. Also, there is competition among lenders. Mortgage calculators can help to work out the interest burden.

Generally, for long-term loans the interest would be lower than for a short-term loan.



For a thirty-year mortgage, the total interest paid would be much more

than the amount borrowed. Resorting to bi-weekly payments instead of the usual monthly payment could reduce the load.

Mortgages can be broadly classified into two types. In repayment mortgage, both interest and capital are paid over the term of the mortgage. Here, the amount

borrowed gets reduced throughout the period. The advantage is that you can regularly pay off lump sums into your mortgage account throughout the life of the loan.



This reduces both interest and capital. Prepayment, however, may attract a penalty. In the case of death of the borrower, the mortgage would still

have to be paid.

In the second type of mortgage, only the interest is paid back regularly, while the loan is repaid at the end of the term. This can lead to problems if adequate

financial arrangements are not made in advance. There are different schemes like endowment plan, savings account, pension plan or insurance to provide the

funds to meet the lump sum liability.



Study them carefully before opting for interest-only mortgages.

Understanding all the implications of the various types of home mortgages can be quite difficult. You should therefore consult a competent financial advisor

before finalizing a mortgage that is best suited for you.

Mortgage Interest Rates provides detailed information on Mortgage Interest Rates, Current Mortgage Interest Rates, Home Mortgage Interest Rates, Fixed Mortgage Interest Rates and more.



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