Picking A Home Loan – Short Term

You’ve found a home, your credit is in good shape and you have money for a down payment. So, how do you go about picking the right home loan for you?

Picking A Home Loan – Short Term

There are more than a few issues that go into picking a home loan. One of the key factors is the amount of time you intend to live in the residence. If you expect to sell within a few years, then picking a home loan for a short term scenario is going to be relatively easy.

ARMS – Adjustable Rate Mortgages

Adjustable rate mortgages are very good solutions for short term home ownership situations. The advantage lies primarily in the fact you will get a much lower interest rate on an adjustable mortgage.  This, of course, translates into lower monthly payments, which gives you financial flexibility for the first few years of the loan.

Interest rates on ARMS are lower than fixed rate loans for one primary reason. With an ARM, lenders assume you intend to hold on to the home for a relatively short period of time. As a result, they are willing to offer lower interest rates because they don’t have to worry about getting stuck with a bad rate for 15 or 30 years. With a fixed rate mortgage, the lender runs the risk of lending you money at a relatively low rate for a long period of time, only to see rates rise later during the life of the mortgage. This leaves the lender “upside down” on the loan. Lenders make every effort to avoid such scenarios.

ARMS – Risk, Risk and Risk

The disadvantage associated with ARM loans is the inherent risk. With an ARM, the interest rate can be adjusted on a quarterly or yearly basis depending upon the terms of the loan. If interest rates shoot up and the real estate market cools off, you may be left with a loan you can’t make payments on and a home with nominal equity. This is a nightmare scenario. If you’re considering an ARM, make sure you understand how much the rate can rise, when it can rise and what the resulting payments will be.

For short term home ownership situations, adjustable rate mortgages almost always make sense. While an ARM may seem an obvious answer, just be careful you are not stuck holding the bag if rates shoot up.

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Interest Only Loan

Interest Only Mortgages is a risky product and does have its disadvantages it a tricky form of mortgage because it can be misleading as the payment is very small for the first 1,2,5,7 or even 10 years. The Interest Only Mortgage will have a balloon payment for the entire principal balance at the end of the loan term. Interest only mortgages might be beneficial for people in markets where houses appreciate rapidly and the plan is to remain in the house for only a couple of years.

Interest only mortgages are available in both fixed rate and adjustable rate varieties, but most interest only mortgages are of the adjustable rate variety. Since only an interest payment is due, interest only mortgages usually have a lower monthly mortgage payment than mortgages that require principal and interest payments.

For example, if you have taken an interest only mortgage loan for 5 years you only pay the interest on your mortgage for 5 years. The interest only mortgage rate is an adjustable rate determined by the current interest rate. This preset margin will stay fixed throughout the remaining term of the loan while the interest only mortgage rate added to it will change (generally on an annual basis) with the fluctuation of the current index rate. So after the interest only mortgage payment period is over you will be paying the adjusted interest only mortgage rate and the principal, which will increase your interest only mortgage payments.

Interest only mortgages usually have an interest only payment option during the first 1, 3, 5, 7, or 10 years of the mortgage. Interest only mortgage payment does not mean negative amortization on your loan it does mean however that the Interest only mortgage payment are only for a short term. Interest-only loans are the latest tool aimed at offsetting high home prices and it does represent a somewhat higher risk for lenders, and therefore are subject to a slightly higher interest rate. It is however a popular ways of borrowing money to buy an asset that is unlikely to depreciate much and which can be sold at the end of the loan to repay the capital. It helped homeowners afford more home and earn more appreciation during this time period. Interest-only loans may turn out to be bad financial decisions if housing prices drop, causing those borrowers to carry a mortgage larger than the value of the house, which in turn will make it impossible to refinance the house into a fixed-rate mortgage.

It is important to keep in mind the nature of interest only mortgages. Although interest only mortgages play a vital part in the mortgage industry, often providing the only means for first time buyers to hold the key to their own front door, misusing this type of loan is counter-productive. A sample of the 3 payment options on a loan amount of $250,000 would be: Minimum Amount Due $804, Interest Only Mortgage $989, 30 year payment $1304, 15 year payment.

In summary, an Interest Only Mortgage Loan can save you thousands of dollars and possibly earn you thousands more with the right diversified investments over time. An interest only mortgage loan gives people the tools necessary to manage their debts as carefully as they manage their assets. 30 year interest only mortgages typically come with a ten year (often referred to as a 30/10year interest only loan) or fifteen year fixed (30/15) interest only period. Best for people who: Are very focused on money management Want to reduce their monthly mortgage payment and do not intend to be in their homes more than a few years Interest only mortgages and loans as the name suggests, means you pay interest only for the first three, five, seven, ten years of the loan, thereby lowering your monthly mortgage payment by quite a lot. But it is important to also look at the other side of the interest only mortgage if the base interest start to rise your payments can start to rise with it. So have a close look at the relationship between the interest rate and your mortgage payment today before you jump into an interest only loan.

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What is FHA loan?

Home mortgages are important part of the loans universe but we will concentrate here On a specific one called FHA. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), a wholly owned government corporation, was established under the National Housing Act of 1934 to improve housing standards and conditions. Its goal was to provide an adequate home financing system through insurance of mortgages, and to stabilize the mortgage market.

FHA is not a loan, It’s an Insurance! If a home buyer defaults, the lender is paid from the insurance fund. An FHA loan allows you to buy a house with as little as 3% down payment, instead of the higher percentages required to secure many conventional loans. Taking advantage of the FHA loan program is a great way for first time buyers, or anyone with a shortage of down payment funds, to buy a home. It is not a program reserved only for first time home buyers. You can buy your third or fourth home with an FHA loan. The only stipulation is that you may only have one FHA loan at a time.

FHA helps low and moderate-income families purchase homes by keeping the initial costs down. By serving as an umbrella under which lenders have the confidence to extend loans to those who may not meet conventional loan requirements, FHA's mortgage insurance allows individuals to qualify who may have been previously denied for a home loan by conventional underwriting guidelines. It also protects lenders against loan default on mortgages for properties that include manufactured homes, single-family and multifamily properties, and some health-related facilities.

The two very basic terms you need to understand is PITI and Long Term Debt. PITI stands for Principle, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance.  It is with relations to your Mortgage and property housing total monthly cost. Your maximum PITI should not exceed 29% of your gross monthly income.

Long term debt includes such things as car loans and credit cards balances.
In order to qualify for FHA loan your PITI + Long Term Debt should not exceed 41% of gross monthly income.

This is much lenient terms compared to conventional loan terms of maximum
PITI of 26% - 28% and Total PITI + Long Term  Debt of 33% -36%.

Qualifying for an FHA loan you need the followings:

- Good credit history that shows you meet your financial obligations.
- PITI + Long Term Debt not to exceed 41% of gross monthly income.
- Sufficient cash down payment at time of closing. 3% of the total cost.
- Closing expenses cost of 2%-3% of the price of the house.
  (Homeowner’s Insurance, Attorney’s fees, title fees, and title insurance,
   Private Mortgage Insurance if you are paying less than 20% down, the loan
   origination fee, and a fee that goes into the FHA insurance fund).

The FHA ARM - Adjustable Rate Mortgages is a HUD - US Department of Housing and Urban Development, mortgage specifically designed for low and moderate-income families who are trying to make the transition into home ownership. At the time it is issued, the ARM usually has an interest rate several percentage points below a fixed rate mortgage. The interest rate can change as market conditions change. If interest rates go up, so does your mortgage payment. If they come down, your mortgage payment comes down, too.
The reverse mortgage is often of interest to senior homeowners. This loan provides cash for living, health or other expenses. Payments are made to the borrower in a lump sum or monthly. Most reverse mortgages are issued to those 62 and older who own a debt-free home with no tax liens.
A Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) lets you use equity in your home to pay for home improvements, debt consolidation or other financial goals. With an acceptable debt, credit and employment history, you may be able to borrow up to 85% of the appraised equity in your home.

Balloon Mortgage - the buyer pays interest for three to five years on a balloon mortgage. After that the entire principal comes due all at once.

Source: http://www.loans-money-infoweb.com/

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