Mortgage & Refinancing Information

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

One of the most important decisions to make is choosing the term of the mortgage. Most fixed term mortgage plans work on either a 15 or a 30 year period. Generally speaking, a 15 year plan means the monthly repayments will be higher, but less interest is paid over the long term, so often the mortgage will work out cheaper over the life of the loan. A 30 year plan will normally mean more interest in the long term, but the monthly repayments will be lower, which may mean the borrower can afford to buy a more expensive home.

Another important choice to make is between a fixed and an adjustable rate mortgage. The terminology is as simple as it sounds, although making the choice between the two types of plan may be a lot more complex. Fixed rate mortgage means the interest rate is set at the time the loan is made, and remains the same throughout the life of the loan. With an adjustable rate mortgage, the interest rate is set for the first few years, then after that, it is determined by various external economic factors which are outside the control of the lender and the borrower. Usually there will be some kind of cap to protect borrowers from excessive interest rate rises. A fixed rate plan is the less risky option, but an adjustable rate plan generally offers lower rates initially, and should interest rates fall in future, borrowers can take advantage the lower rates immediately, without having to refinance.

David Cannell is a freelance writer and university educator. He is also the owner of http://www.money-smash.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Wachovia Posts Loss, Exits Wholesale Origination Business
Mortgageorb, CT - Jul 22, 2008
By MortgageOrb.com on Tuesday 22 July 2008 Consistent with previously announced expectations, Charlotte, NC-based Wachovia Corp. has reported a net loss in ...


ARM resets to hit peak this summer
Chicago Tribune, United States - Jul 13, 2008
By Renae Merle | The Washington Post The number of homeowners facing an increase in their subprime adjustable-rate mortgage payments will peak this summer, ...


LendingTree Names New Lender Sales Team
MarketWatch - Jul 22, 2008
... source of interested borrowers looking for home loans such as new purchase mortgage, refinance and home equity, as well as personal and auto loans. ...


ABC News

Money Managing Matters: Three Dos, Don'ts
ABC News - Jul 17, 2008
If you have an adjustable rate mortgage, refinance into a fixed rate one. Interest rates on adjustable rate mortgages are only going to go up, ...


DEBT ADVISOR
Columbia Daily Tribune, MO - Jul 21, 2008
Second, your mortgage-refinance issue is just the tip of the iceberg. Many people don’t know a negative credit history also will hurt you if you have to ...


Tips on obtaining money through refinancing
Fall River Herald News,  USA - Jul 3, 2008
Here are a couple of pointers for those considering mortgage refinance to take cash out of their home: The traditional way of judging the market value of a ...


Reuters

Foreclosure-rescue legislation benefits both borrowers, lenders
Arizona Republic, AZ - Jul 12, 2008
by Julie Hirschfeld Davis - Jul. 13, 2008 12:00 AM AP The foreclosure-rescue legislation moving through Congress would let financially strapped homeowners ...
US housing agency expands mortgage aid program Reuters
all 81 news articles


Mortgage Rates Fall
HULIQ (press release), NC - Jul 16, 2008
Mortgage refinance applications also picked up over the week as homeowners take advantage of falling mortgage rates. The 30 year fixed mortgage rate ...


National Settlement Agency President Pleads Guilty to Embezzling
National Mortgage News, DC - Jul 16, 2008
By James Comtois After stealing more than $13 million in mortgage refinance proceeds, the former president of National Settlement Agency pleaded guilty ...


Axis Bank profit rises, but so do bad loans
Livemint, India - Jul 14, 2008
Markets on Monday were supported by the announcement on Sunday by the US treasury secretary that a plan was in place to bail out the US mortgage refinance ...

Mortgage-Refinance - Google News

home | site map
© 2006