Archive for February, 2009

Home Mortgage Rate

Wednesday, February 4th, 2009

Your next home mortgage rate should be as low as ever. These days, it’s all in your favor as banks continue to lower the home mortgage rate offered by their loan departments. If you have a down payment and you can secure a loan, the world is your oyster! We offer online tips and tools for would-be home owners who want to take advantage of the current all time low home mortgage rates available to those who qualify.

Here you can learn about the different types of home mortgages. This is a good place to start, since the type of mortgage you choose has a huge effect on your finances for the next fifteen or thirty years or so! And every situation is unique. Only you can assess your situation and decide which type of loan (and consquently which type of home mortgage rate is for you.

After learning about the various types of home mortgages, you can begin to use the home mortgage tools we have. Using the calculators, you will answer questions about your financial life, such as:

  1. how much debt you already have
  2. how much money you bring in each month
  3. how much you have in savings
  4. how much you can put down for a downpayment

This will tell you how much of a loan you can take out, but it won’t tell you how much of a loan you should take out. It’s usually never wise to borrow the maximum amount, but rather to keep within your means so you don’t get into trouble down the road. After all, the wild swings of the economy over time can show you that the future is never certain, and jobs come and go. You don’t want to be in a situation where you can’t afford to pay your mortgage because someone in your household lost a job, or you acquire some big medical bills. The lesson learned is to stay within your means, no matter how tempting it can be to go for the biggest house possible.

And of course keep your eye on the daily home mortgage rate. When all else can look like gloom and doom, often the home mortgage rate goes down. The best advice for taking advantage of a time when home mortgage rates are low, is to keep your down payment in a special account, drawing interest, waiting until the time is right for you to get a home mortgage. Don’t rush, don’t feel pressured by real estate agents, or sellers. Take your time, make the right decision, and choose wisely based on education and use of mortgage calculators available all over the internet.

And remember that the home mortgage rate you get is based not only on what current home mortgage rates are that day, but also on your financial history. If your credit is good, you get a lower home mortgage rate. If you have a large down payment, that may also help your mortgage rate. But don’t be fooled by a low teaser home mortgage rate. These will usually adjust to a higher rate later on, so read the fine print and make sure you understand everything before signing an the dotted line.

Home Equity Mortgage

Wednesday, February 4th, 2009

A home equity mortgage is really a line of credit secured by the equity value in your home. It’s usually available at a low interest rate and you only borrow what you need and when you need it. In other words, with a home equity mortgage you don’t have to take out the entire amount of loan all at once. This is called revolving credit. Also known as borrow as you go!

And because a home equity mortgage is secured by your home, the interest you pay may be tax-deductable. By using the equity on your home, you can qualify for large amounts of credit at relatively low interest rates. Your home is your collateral. Since the equity on your home may be your largest asset, a home equity mortgage is usually used for large expenses. Examples of how lots of people use home equity mortgages would be:

  • college tuition
  • major home renovations
  • medical bills

A home equity mortgage is not really for day to day expenses like utility bills, rent, or groceries. The interest rate is pretty low, but it can vary month to month, according to the outstanding balance. And of course you should never put your home at risk unless you really need the line of credit. As with any type of home mortgage, the home is not completely yours until your mortgages are paid off. And a home equity mortgage is no exception. That’s why it’s used for major life expenses like college tuition, medical bills and other extremely important situations.

How does a Home Equity Mortgage Work?

The lender for your home equity mortgage will calculate how much you can borrow by this simple formula. Your credit limit will be based on the value of your home and the balance owed on your mortgage. They will usually take 75% of the appraised value minus the balance owed, and that’s your credit limit. If the value of your home goes down, the home equity mortgage becomes a risky thing for you and for the lender. Your home mortgage rate can vary, and this will affect your equity in the long run.

After this mathematical formula, the lender will also consider your personal financial situation. Your ability to repay the home equity mortgage is a very large factor. They look at how much debt you already have, your income, and any other financial obligations you have that may make it harder to pay back your home equity mortgage. And of course your credit history is a big part of what your credit limit on your home equity mortgage is going to be.

After your credit limit is set, you will also get a set term in which you have to borrow money. Often a home equity mortgage term is set at ten years. This is called your draw period. Sometimes the home equity lender will let you renew the line of credit after your draw period is up.

Once your equity loan is set up, you will be able to take money out either with special checks they give you, or a credit card that’s set up for this line of credit. Sometimes the lender will require that you withdraw a minimum amount each time, and others won’t require that. Sometimes they’ll require that you with draw an initial advance once you get the home equity mortgage set up.

How your home equity mortgage gets set up will vary from lender to lender, but make sure you research the matter completely so you get the best situation for you.