Real Easy Mortgage

A home is the single most expensive thing most people will ever purchase. In addition, paying off a home loan can take as long as forty years and will involve paying an amount of interest that exceeds the cost of the house itself. In short, buying a house is not something to be done without a lot of forethought. With the average American living in their homes for seven years or less, most mortgages are probably offered to people who have purchased a home before. But there are always people who are buying for the first time, and for them, knowing how the process works is important.

Here are some useful tips for first-time homebuyers:

Know how much you can afford to pay. This includes not only the total price of the house, but the monthly payments, as well. Do not be fooled by the monthly amount the lender tells you that you can afford; that number is usually high enough to be well beyond most buyers’ comfort zones. If the lender suggests that you can pay as much as 2000 per month but you only feel comfortable paying 1500 per month, then that is your limit. You should buy a house that will allow you to pay that amount, and no more.

Check your credit ahead of time. No one wants to be denied a home loan because of errors on your credit report. You can check it for free at annualcreditreport.com. Get a copy and make sure the information is accurate.

Shop around for a good lender. The interest rates and terms will vary from lender to lender, so you should seek out the best terms. Additionally, you should try to find a lender with whom you feel comfortable. You will be paying on your mortgage for decades to come, so find a lender and terms with which you are comfortable.

Be aware of closing costs. The amount of money that a buyer is expected to bring to closing can be astonishing. Don’t be caught off guard when it come time to close and the lender asks you to bring a certified check for 15,000 that you do not have. Find out ahead of time exactly how much it will cost you to close on the loan and have those funds ready.

Most of these items will seem like common sense, especially to those who have financed a house before. But anyone who is buying a home for the first time should be prepared for the process. By being prepared, the process should go smoothly.

Home Refinancing Rates – When Is It Worth It To Refi?

When interest rates were two points below your current mortgage rate, it was considered a good rule of thumb to refinance. But with todays low closing costs, a difference of one percent can save you money on your interest costs. Even with low fees, it only worth it to refinance when you can be sure you can recoup the mortgage costs.

Figuring Up Costs

Refinancing is simply paying off one loan and taking a new one. The same fees that you paid with the first mortgage, you will probably have to pay for the second mortgage. Usually, loan cost range between 2000 to 6000 for a 200,000 loan. You will also have to add in points for lower interest rates, adding additional thousands. The only way to recoup these costs is to keep your mortgage for several years.

Interest Rates

To make refinancing worth it financially, you need to be sure that interest rates are low enough to pay for the cost of refinancing. One simple way to figure this out is to use a mortgage interest calculator from one of the lending sites. These calculators will give you an estimated monthly payment and the total cost of the interest. By punching in different interest rates, you can see your potential savings.

Short Term

Besides interest rates, you also need to compare terms. The shorter the loan the less you will pay in interest. Ideally when you refinance, you should choose a loan with a shorter term. You can also choose a biweekly mortgage, where you pay half a mortgage payment every other week, which can reduce your loan by years.

Finding Low Cost Lenders

Not all lenders charge the same fees or interest rates, so you can save thousands by searching for lenders. You can easily go to the big name mortgage lenders and request quotes, but some smaller financing companies offer better deals. The easiest way to find them is through an online mortgage broker site. Basically, you enter some basic information about yourself and income, and then you receive several different quotes. From this list of offers, you can decide who is offering the best refi package.

Title:
Consolidate Your 1st And 2nd Mortgages.

Refinancing both your first and second mortgages will result in one low monthly payment that could save you thousands in interest charges. By marrying both mortgages, you qualify for lower rates instead of refinancing separately. You can see substantial savings through your second mortgage refinance, which is often several points higher than your first mortgage rates. Not to mention considerable savings on application fees and other closing costs.

You have a couple of options to lower your mortgage payment when refinancing. The first obvious task is to find a low rate mortgage. You will still see a savings in your monthly mortgage bills if you still choose the same length of your loan.
The lowest payments comes from an adjustable rate and interest only loans at the beginning of your home loan. But a fixed rate loan can also give you quite reasonable rates with an assurance that they wont rise in the future.

You can also extend your loan term in the case of a second mortgage which usually is for five to ten years. By consolidating your loans to a 30 year loan, you extended your payment schedule in order to have a smaller payment. However, it will be done with higher interest rate and charges for short term cases.

Getting The Best Loan

Once you determine the type of loan and terms you want, do your shopping for a good lender to save even more money. Lenders charges vary quite dramatically sometimes on how much they charge for closing costs and interest rates. The APR will show you how the loans compare overall in terms of rates and closing costs.

But if you are planning to relocate or refinance again in the future, then be aware of paying high closing costs. Even if they are able to secure you a lower rate, you can only see your savings if you keep the mortgage for several years.

Dont use your lender’s decision as a point of reference based on posted loan rates. Ask for a customized loan quote based on your general information. With more accurate numbers, you can make an informed choice as to who has the best financing for you.

If you are looking for a mortgage refinance, it never hurts to shop around for the best rate and deal. Shopping around could mean the difference between paying or saving thousands of pounds in closing costs, and interest fees.

If time happens to be on your side, and you dont need to refinance your mortgage immediately, take some time to educate yourself about the mortgage industry.

By educating yourself about the mortgage industry, you are essentially putting yourself into the drivers seat.

There is so much mortgage jargon, terms, and definitions that will be thrown at you when considering a mortgage refinance, that it is impossible for any one person to understand everything.

It is not necessary to become an expert in the mortgage industry. You just need to have somewhat of an understanding. This way, while you are shopping around for a mortgage refinance, your decision on which lender you want to work with, will be all the more educated.

The mortgage industry is a very competitive one, so by shopping around, and making it clear that you are shopping around to the lenders or brokers you are dealing with, they will be forced to come back at you with the best deal possible. They know that they are competing with other mortgage companies, and they will not want anyone else to get your business, so they will offer you the best rate available to them in order to keep your business.

Keep in mind when a loan officer or broker offers you a deal that sounds too good to be true, it just may be, so be careful. You dont want to get to the closing table only to find out you are not getting what you thought you were getting.

Remember, before you commit to a lender, ask for everything they told you to be sent to you in writing, this way you wont have any surprises at the table.

This is why it is so important to educate yourself about the mortgage industry.

With just a fair amount of knowledge, you will have a general understanding of what you are being offered, and you will be able to determine whether or not the deal is reasonable.

My suggestion to you would be to allow for up to four loan officers or brokers to assess your situation. Whichever one comes back with the best, and most reasonable deal, should be the one for you to consider.