Showing posts with label loans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label loans. Show all posts

2007-09-21

Home Refinancing - What you Should Know

Terry Edwards
If you own a home and are drowning in credit card or medical bills, home refinance may be a good idea for you. Maybe your home needs some repairs or upgrades and you don't have the cash. Consider a home refinance to get the cash that you need to improve your home. Read on and discover why refinancing your home may be the answer to your cash flow problems.

First of all, examine what type of home loan you currently have. Do you have a fixed rate or an adjustable rate mortgage? If you have an adjustable rate mortgage, it would probably be a good idea to refinance with a fixed rate mortgage. The market is very volatile right now and you really don't know what is going to happen with adjustable rate mortgages.

The next decision you have to make is how long you want the term of your home refinance loan to be. This is where you need to examine your budget and run the numbers to see if you can swing a mortgage payment on a 15 year loan or if you will have to go 30 years to be able to make the payment.

Obviously the faster you are able to pay off your mortgage the less you will pay in interest. But be careful and don't lock yourself into a monthly payment that is going to be difficult to make. You don't want to refinance your home and then risk losing it to foreclosure.

Once you have decided on the type and length of your refinance loan, don't forget to take a close look at your interest rate. You want to make sure that the interest rate on your home refinance is lower than the original mortgage loan. If it's higher don't commit to this loan. You are trying to put yourself in a better position, not get yourself deeper into debt.

Do some shopping around. Find a company that is reputable and willing to give you a great home refinance loan at a great interest rate. But beware of predatory lenders. These types of lenders will promise you a great deal, but when it comes down to it, they will pull the rug out from under you.

Predatory lenders will not give you a good interest rate based on your credit, they will loan you money based on the equity of your home and not your ability to pay and they will add excessive fees and roll them into the loan, increasing the amount that you owe. Many people who have been the victims of predatory lending have lost their homes to foreclosure.

The most important thing to remember is if you refinance your home to get cash to pay off those high interest bills, do it. Don't use the cash for something else. The goal is to take care of the bills that are draining you dry and to have extra money left over at the end of the month. Don't give into the temptation to use the money for something frivolous.
http://www.articlesbase.com/mortgage-articles/home-refinancing-what-you-should-know-212080.html

2007-09-15

Home Refinancing Q & a

Terry Edwards
Are you trying to figure out if home refinancing is right for you? Here are some of the most common questions people have when it comes to refinancing a home mortgage.

Q. I have an adjustable rate mortgage. Should I refinance to a fixed rate mortgage now?

A. The answer is yes in nearly all cases unless you plan on moving in the next 1-3 years. If you currently have an ARM and you know it's going to go up (which in today's market it most likely is) then you should definitely be looking for a fixed rate mortgage.

Q. How do I know if I should refinance my loan?

A. This is different for everyone, but generally, you should ask yourself:

-How long do I plan to live in my home?

-How much lower of a rate can I get?

-Will the lower payments make up the costs involved in doing a refinance?

By knowing the answers, you can then better determine whether you should refinance your home loan or not.

Q. Is paying points for a lower APR a smart strategy?

A. In most cases the answer is no in refinancing. While it is true you can deduct the points paid on your income taxes, it is only throughout the life of the loan. So it can easily be years down the road before the monetary gains of a lower APR offset the cost of the points.

Q. How long will it take for a home refinance loan to close?

A. Depending upon whether your home will need a new appraisal, you will be looking at 3-4 weeks in most cases. If appraisers are backed up with work, then it could be longer. Unfortunately, you can be at their mercy when there is a glut of refinancing going on.

Q. What about those "no closing costs" loans?

A. As with most everything in life, there is no free lunch so to speak. Keep in mind that the no closing costs loans may actually come with a higher interest rate or even have extra fees put into the total amount of the loan. You really need to watch the fine print and do your due diligence here.
http://www.articlesbase.com/mortgage-articles/home-refinancing-q-a-214513.html

2007-09-13

The Time is Right for Investment Property Mortgage Refinance

Terry Edwards
If you own investment properties, then you may want to consider refinancing them and get a lower interest rate. This may lower your payments, which can mean more money in your pocket. Even though the housing market may be in a slump right now, it is still a good time to refinance while interest rates are still low. Read on to discover how to get the most from your investment property mortgage refinance.

The first thing you should do is to shop around for a good mortgage broker. They are the professionals when it comes to financing matters. A good mortgage broker can hook you up with the right lender to help you get the best loan for your circumstances.

A very important point to remember is to do your research before you do anything. Learn everything that you can about the loan refinance process and interest rates. Make sure that you check out the mortgage broker thoroughly before committing to anything. Most are honest, but as with any business, there can be a few unsavory characters out there.

If you go into this venture knowledgeable and fully prepared, the process will go a lot smoother and you have less of a chance of being taken advantage of. The goal is to get the best interest rate that you possibly can. Make sure that you are keeping current on the changing interests rates.

Another good idea is to buy down. What this means is that, if the current interest rate on your mortgage is 7%, you could pay a few thousand at closing and end up with a 6.5% interest rate. This is sometimes known as paying points. It is a good way to save thousands of dollars over the term of your loan and end up with a lower monthly payment to boot.

Never be afraid to walk away from a deal if you can't get the interest rate that you want. If you have studied the market and you know what the current rates are, then you have the ammunition that you need to negotiate a great deal.

There is nothing that says you can't use more than one mortgage broker or more than one lending service. Don't be shy about using them against each other for competition. If ABC mortgage broker says he can give you a 7% interest rate, call up XYZ mortgage broker and ask them if they can beat it. You may be surprised at the results.

The bottom line is to never go into any type of business deal blind. Research, research, and then research some more. Become familiar with the investment property mortgage refinancing business. Then, negotiate for the best interest rates. Pay down your points and come out a winner!
www.HomeRefinancingA-Z.com

2007-09-09

Home Equity Loans - 3 Tips to Smarter Borrowing

Terry Edwards
There is no question that home equity loans have become the biggest tool for homeowners to get their hands on the cash they need. And used correctly, these loans are also a smart way to borrow needed funds for things like medical expenses, debt repayment and home improvements. With that said, here are 3 tips to help you in finding a great deal on a home equity loan.

1. Shop For Rates And Avoid Fees

Many home owners don't realize that lending rates on loans are different. They mistakenly believe that all lenders will loan money at about the same interest rate. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Home equity loan rates could vary by up to 5% in some cases, and on a $100,000 loan that is serious money. Get at least 3 different loan comparisons before making a decision. Yes, that may take extra time, but it could be worth thousands of dollars. Thousands of dollars of your money.

Also, be aware of loan fees. Lenders should not be charging you for an application fee or an appraisal fee. Nor should they add fees into the loan amount. Where a lender may add on a fee is with a home equity line of credit. They may charge an annual fee.

2. Understand Tax Rules

Many borrowers mistakenly believe that interest on any home equity loan will be tax deductible each year. This just is not true.

Interest on loans up to $100,000 may be tax deductible, but any amount over that will not be deductible.

Also, in order to deduct the interest you will have to be able to itemize your tax return. Will you have the deductions to be able to do this?

3. Understand Your Home Is On The Line

Not only are you putting your home on the line in the event you are unable to repay your loan, but you are also sucking out your home's equity. Be sure that you are not planning on moving in the next few years or you could be in financial trouble.

Be careful in using the money for home improvements. Ask yourself if you will be able to get the value back out of your home when you go to sell it. In some cases the answer may be no.

By following these tips you can make a smarter decision in taking out any type of home equity loan.

http://www.articlesbase.com/loans-articles/home-equity-loans-3-tips-to-smarter-borrowing-211112.html

2007-09-06

Do We Need To Refinance?

Jason Roberts
There are plenty of reasons why people chose to refinance. The needs for home improvements, sending a child to college or simply lower their monthly mortgage are a few. You need to find a loan company that offers you the best rate when you chose to refinance. Comparison-shopping is a wise thing to do before you refinance.

With the rising cost in college tuition choosing to refinance is becoming more popular. No one wants to deny sending their child of to college to better their education and become successful in life. This is why people look into refinancing their home or mortgage. There are a few different options, consulting a loan specialist would better help you decide which option is for you.

Another reason people chose to refinance is to lower there monthly mortgage payments or interest. This allows them more room to breathe when coming up with the money to pay for your mortgage or interest. When you chose to refinance it is also a way to get money to make improvements to your home.

You could just want to pay off your car loan. That is another reason that you would decide refinancing is right for you. Knock out that monthly payment and focus on other expenses. If you don't already have a car you would use the money to purchase one. Either for yourself or as a gift for your high school graduate.

A very popular reason that you would choose to refinance with a loan is debt consolidation. Pay off accumulated debts, such as credit card or medical bills. This reason may be increasing in the near future with the new bankruptcy law soon to go into effect. It gets rid of the frustration of bill collectors calling and mailing your home. It is an uncomfortable thing to deal with debt and no one likes to stress over bills that they can't pay. So choosing to refinance to knock out those bills is a wise step to take. This will also help you to improve your credit rating.

You may not even be concerned with any of the above reasons. You could just be looking for a way to take a family vacation or some kind of long awaited trip. Whatever your reason there is no wrong reason if you chose to refinance with a loan. As long as it is something that will benefit you and paying it back will not be a hassle.

There are plenty of competitors that will offer you a chance to refinance for what ever your reasons may be. Look for them on the Internet or call around and compare quotes. Some lenders will even match the lowest quote you can find.

www.aprefinance.com

Home Loan Refinance When is a Good Time to Refinance a Home Loan

Walter Shkolnik
If you have a home loan, and you think that your property went up in value by ten percent or more since your took out that loan, you might be a good candidate to refinance. It can save you money on your mortgage payments; improve your terms, or both. Here is why:

When you take out a home loan, bank uses your home as collateral for the loan. The more expensive the collateral is, the lower the bank’s risk that you will default on the loan and walk away from that collateral. So, if over the years, the collateral grows in value, bank’s risk is reduced and therefore you should be able to qualify for a lower rate. If your home went up in value by ten percent or more, banks will consider your home loan to be a less risky investment, and therefore should be able to offer you a lower rate. This is assuming that you kept the same job and income, made all of your payments on time, and market interest rates are the same or lower.

Lower interest rate can benefit you in several ways. You can either refinance and lower your monthly payments, or refinance into a shorter loan term, which means you would be making the same monthly payment, but you would pay off your home sooner. For example, if you have a 30 year fixed loan, you could refinance it at a lower rate in to a 25 or even 20 year loan, and keep your payments about the same.

Before deciding to refinance your home loan, you need to consider the cost of doing the refinance, and then compare it to savings. If it is costing you $5,000 to refinance, and your savings are only $25 per month, it is not worth it because it would take you over 16 years to just brake even. But if your savings are $250 per month, or 5 years worth of mortgage payments, it is probably a good idea to refinance you home loan at that time.

Walter Shkolnik is a Loan Consultant employed by Express Capital Funding Group, www.expfunds.com. He has over ten years of experience Financing Real Estate transactions.
http://www.articlesbase.com/mortgage-articles/home-loan-refinance-when-is-a-good-time-to-refinance-a-home-loan-128678.html

2007-08-10

Need to know what is refinance loans

by Anirban Bhattacharya
Refinancing is usually done to capitalize on lower interest rates. Lower interest rates translate into lower mortgage loan rates and by refinancing at the time when prevailing interest rates are lower, you can substantially lower your monthly payments. Refinancing loans offer an excellent opportunity to pay off existing debts and reduce periodic payment obligations. You may even liquidate equity that has accumulated in real property over the period of tenure by refinancing.

Extending the tenure of a refinancing loan is another effective way of lowering monthly payments. This is a widely accepted tactic of saving, and using the saved amount to pay off the principal of the loan. Therefore, extending a loan works as a two-way process, it lowers your monthly payment and reduces the payment burden since you use the amount saved to payback the principal amount.

Cash refinancing is another important technique to save. Using cash refinancing, you can capitalize on the equity that has been accumulated in your house over the years, and use the ready cash to utilize on projects that are more important.

You can even lessen out your risks by opting for refinance loans. However, this is applicable only in case of adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs)...in markets characterized by fluctuating interest rates. You can even refinance to convert an existing ARM into fixed rate. People across America are increasingly using a refinancing loan to pay off high-interest debts such as credit card debts, with lower-interest debts such as that of a fixed-rate home mortgage and other debts down the line. You can also save substantially on taxes by refinancing. Interestingly, non-tax deductible debts such as credit card debts can be easily transformed into tax-deductible debts such as home mortgage debts. This substantially lowers tax liability, and helps in putting the owner into a lower tax bracket.

Check out castlemortgagegroup.com for to know about refinancing loans in Georgia, and Florida. We are a leading supplier of refinancing mortgages and do offer a variety of refinance loans in Florida, Georgia and other types of home mortgages for these two states.



castlemortgagegroup.com

2007-08-09

Understanding low doc home loans

by Vicky Edema
The Australian mortgage industry has matured considerably over the years and has started offering some of the best mortgage options to residential or commercial loan seekers. The old tag of the mortgage industry being too rigid and overall having a painful cumbersome loan process has been almost completely wiped out and a new trend has emerged which has seen a lot more home loans or mortgages being approved in a record amount of time.

It has never been better for the Australian consumer to apply for any kind of home loan or mortgage with the mortgage companies themselves making life much easier for the person applying for the loan. Mortgage consultants now go above and beyond helping their customers choose the right loan for themselves. Each type of loan is carefully explained and it is made sure that the consumers ultimately choose the loan that is best for his or her situation.

One of the options that most mortgage corporations in Australia offer to their customers is the low doc home loans option. This is a loan that has seen a lot of activity recently and is gaining popularity with consumers.

Low doc home loans are a mortgage or home loan where there is no requirement to verify your income. But all other documents are required as they are with any other type of home loan. This loan is ideally suited to self-employed individuals, contractors who are working independently and investors. This loan type also suits people with enough income but who don't want to waste time in bank verification and other time consuming processes. Borrowers should be aware that with low doc style loans a default or similar negative listing on your Credit Reference will make you ineligible for low doc finance.

A low doc home loan has an interest rate a little higher than normal types of loans and mortgages. This said, with some lenders the rate will reduce to their standard variable rate after say a 2 year period, provided you have meet all your interest payments on time. This loan is largely for those who want to buy investment properties, refinance their existing property and who do not have current taxation returns on their income. This normally prolongs standard investment loans. There are mainly three types of low doc home loans available.

NO RATIO LOANS: this loan is for those who don't want to declare their income before anyone. Hence, there is no debt for income ratio for the consideration of the loan lender. This type of loan can give a very quick and easy process for those who think that an income citation is going to be their worst nightmare while applying for a loan. As the lender is taking added risk by not requiring any verification of income they will generally not lend as much against the value of the security property.

NO DOC LOANS: for obtaining this loan, the 'no doc loan' requires the minimum number of documents and documentations. The loan lender goes through the loan request from the borrower with no financial documents at all and maximum privacy is given to these loan candidates as well.

STATED-INCOME (LOW DOC) LOANS: for someone whose income is fluctuating every day, week or month, the stated income loan is the best. But this type of loan requires the borrower to show his earnings for the minimum of two years initially and he also has to show tax returns and all other bank statements.

Although low doc loans obviously have appeal for those who perhaps don't have their financial documents in order or have privacy concerns, those who have low incomes that would not be sufficient to qualify for a standard variable rate loan, should not resort to overstating income on a low doc application in order to borrow. Lending guidelines are there to protect both the lender and the borrower - defaults traumatic for both parties and a mortgagee sale is almost inevitable if income is grossly overstated, particularly when the borrower is already under financial stress.

By consulting with your experienced mortgage lender you can find out whether low doc home loans are a good option for you. They are in the best position to check which type of loan is best for you and make your life that much easier.


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