Is An Interest Only Mortgage What You Need?

Interest only mortgages are becoming more in demand - now that people are learning about them. Recent changes have made them more popular and it could be just the thing that you need. Here are a few tips that will help you determine if you should get an interest only mortgage.

Interest only mortgages give you the opportunity to buy a larger house than you might be able to obtain otherwise. They have an initial period of from 5 to 10 years in which the interest only is being paid. During this time period, your payments are lower because you are paying interest only. In a regular mortgage, each month normally includes some of the principal involved in the payment, and this slowly reduces both the principal and the interest.

An interest only mortgage is often attached to an adjustable rate mortgage, but can just as easily come as a fixed rate mortgage. If you get an interest only mortgage on an adjustable rate mortgage, it will enable an even greater reduction in the payment each month.

The actual idea of an interest only mortgage is a little deceiving. For one thing, there is no such thing as an interest only mortgage - you must pay the principal at some time. This mortgage is generally divided in two sections – the first part being interest only with smaller payments, and then it changes to a fixed rate mortgage with payments that will enable a full amortization.



The individual that is best suited to this type of mortgage is someone who is on a short road to success - or at least believes they are. Not having all the money they need up front, they need to get a larger house, but are quite sure that their financial situation will rapidly be improving - soon. The lower initial payments gives them the opportunity to buy a larger house and the soon coming larger salary should come before the payments increase.

Many are now using an interest only mortgage to get the larger house, but have no real prospects of a larger salary. This could certainly lead to trouble with this type of mortgage. After the interest only mortgage changes to a fixed portion, and you start making payments on the principal, too, what happens is that the payments will now jump much higher. The payments were lower in the first place than what they should have been, but now the balance must be paid in the remainder of the time left.

If you are an investor and know how to take the extra portion of what would be your regular payment, and invest it for a higher return, then this could work well for you. Otherwise, it is probably just a good idea to make a full payment as often as possible, so that you can start reducing the principal before your full payments kick in.

When getting any mortgage, be sure to compare it with several other offers. This way you can see what is available, compare it, and find your best deal on an interest only mortgage.

Understanding Mortgage Basics

Being able to buy that house you have always wanted probably means that you will need to get a mortgage. Another word for a mortgage is loan - which you usually get from a bank or other lending agency. Since most people are not able to buy their house with cash, a loan is the most common practice. Here are some things to help you understand mortgage basics.

Length Of The Mortgage

The size of a mortgage makes the length necessarily longer. Common lengths of mortgages can fall anywhere between ten and thirty years. This means, that if you pay according to the terms of the mortgage, that you will have it entirely paid off at the end of that time. Generally, the lower amount of payment you can afford, the longer the time you will need to pay off the mortgage.

Interest On A Mortgage

The interest rates on buying a house or property change every day - sometimes even more than once a day. It depends on the economy, and the area you live in. You need to shop around and get the lowest amount of interest that you can because even one percent over 30 years means a difference of over tens of thousands of dollars.




Two Types Of Mortgages

All mortgages will fall into one of two types. It will be either a fixed rate mortgage, or an adjustable rate mortgage. The fixed rate mortgage is one where the interest and payment amounts are "fixed." That means it is always the same until the mortgage is paid in full. The other, an adjustable rate mortgage, is, like the name implies - adjustable. That means that the amount of your payments changes in an unpredictable way - according to the economy. If the economy is doing well, then your interest rates on the mortgage are lower - and so are your payments. But remember, it may cover a thirty-year period. No one can see that far ahead. A bad economy also means that your payments can become very high - maybe even too high. These are excellent when the economy is doing well, but you may need to get another mortgage if the economy goes bad.

Paying Off The Mortgage

The best type of mortgage will enable you to increase your payments, or make additional payments in order to reduce the amount you owe. This means that you will be able to pay off the mortgage early, and save a lot of money. Most mortgages, however, have clauses in them that will limit how much you can pay extra each year, or may not allow it at all. You may need to negotiate with the lender in order to get this put in the agreement.

When going for your mortgage, the best thing you can do to help yourself is to understand as much as possible about mortgages. Then, with that knowledge, shop around and get online quotes so you can compare various offers in order to get the best deal.

How Does A Balloon Mortgage Work?

Finally being able to buy your house because you got the mortgage you wanted is an exciting thing. Many mortgage possibilities are available, but a balloon mortgage may be the thing that you need to get moved in. Here are some things you need to know about balloon mortgages that will enable you to decide if this type of mortgage can help you.

A balloon mortgage is taken out for a 30-year period, like an ordinary mortgage, but paid back much sooner. These are often paid back in 5 or 7 years, but recently a 15-year option has become rather popular. At the end of this period of time, the mortgage becomes fully due - it must be paid off. Since most people cannot pay it off because the balance is still quite large, there is a guaranteed option of refinancing - at the market rate at the time.

This makes a balloon mortgage in some ways both like a fixed rate mortgage
and an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM). It is like a fixed rate mortgage in that it has a fixed payment over a certain period of time. On the other hand, a balloon mortgage is like an ARM because the guaranteed level of interest goes to an unknown rate - to whatever the interest rate is when you refinance.

The monthly payment for a balloon mortgage is like the payment for a fixed rate mortgage because it is based on the whole period of the loan - for 30 years. All balloon mortgages are calculated on a 30-year time frame. The difference being that the full payment is due earlier.



The advantage of getting a balloon mortgage is that it enables you to get lower than traditional mortgage costs. Your payment will usually be a little less than if you had a regular mortgage. This also means two things, though. First, it means that you are not paying much more than interest in the brief time span of the loan; and this also means that you really are not building up much equity on the home during that time.

At the end of the specified time period, whether 5, 7, 15 years, or some other arrangement, you must pay off the balance of the mortgage. A balloon mortgage will be of more value to you if you are intending to sell the house before the balloon payment is due, or, plan to refinance. Refinancing, of course, means that you are forced to take a risk on whatever the new interest rates are at the time – could be good or bad. There will be, in the initial contract, terms under which such a contract can be refinanced. This may be, however, non-negotiable. Which means, simply, that you are better off refinancing through another lending agency - in most cases.

A balloon mortgage works well with someone who knows that they may not be staying in an area for a long period of time. Another possibility is if you know you can take the balance of your lower payment, reinvest it in higher interest yielding products, and then pay off the balloon mortgage at the end of the term.

Tips On Using a Mortgage to Consolidate Your Debt

Many homeowners consider the possibility of using a mortgage to consolidate existing debt. If you have already repaid your mortgage, you can take out another primary mortgage. Taking out a second mortgage is an additional option to consolidate debts for those homeowners who still have a primary mortgage. How sound of an idea is it to use a mortgage to consolidate your debts?

You should never use a mortgage to consolidate your debts if the interest rate for your debt is lower than the interest rate you would have on a mortgage. This would mean that you are paying a higher cost for the mortgage than you were paying on your debts. This is not a sound financial decision. There is a slight exception to this rule. If you your current debt has some kind of introductory rate that will expire and leave you with an interest rate that will be higher than that of the mortgage, then a mortgage to consolidate debt is worth considering.

There are other factors, in addition to interest rate, that you should take into account when you consider using a mortgage to consolidate your debt. When you have less than 20% equity in your home, you are required to pay private mortgage insurance. If these premiums plus the amount of your mortgage without consolidating your debts is the same as or less than the amount of your mortgage with consolidating your debt, then you do not incur extra costs by consolidating. However, if the private mortgage insurance causes your monthly payment to increase, then consolidation is costing you.



A lot of homeowners make the mistake of thinking only about the monthly payment of their mortgage in addition to what they are paying on their debts without consolidating in comparison to the mortgage with debt consolidating. Take into account that when you consolidate debt with a mortgage, you are paying it over a longer period of time, which accounts for the lower monthly payment.

Before you apply for a mortgage, you should find out your credit score. Chances are if you are having trouble with credit, then you have a less than perfect credit score. Remember that your credit score will affect the interest rate and terms you receive on a mortgage. If your credit score is below 600, the likelihood of you receiving favorable loan terms is low; not impossible, just low.

Keep in mind that when you use a mortgage to consolidate your debt, that the debt is not eliminated. Instead, you are transferring your debt from one form to another.

The best way to determine what it will cost you to consolidate your debts using a mortgage or pay them straight out is to use a mortgage calculator as well as a debt repayment calculator. Logic can be flawed, but numbers never lie. There are calculators available that will assist you in both of these calculations. Use the calculator to test out different loan amounts and mortgage rates to get a good picture of how much consolidating will cost you.

Things You Should Know About Adjustable Rate Mortgages

An adjustable rate mortgage (often referred to as an ARM) is a type of loan that offers a varying rate of interest at different times during the repayment period. These rate changes often occur on an annual basis, and depend on market conditions as to whether the rate will increase or decrease. ARMs are attractive because they usually offer lower initial rates of interest than comparable fixed rate mortages. The 5 things you need to know about adjustable rate mortgages are:

1. Know when the rate is subject to change. Some common examples of an ARM include:

* 3/1 ARM - Rate is fixed for the first 3 years, then subject to change once per year thereafter.
* 5/1 ARM - Rate is fixed for the first 5 years, then subject to change once per year thereafter.
* 7/1 ARM - Rate is fixed for the first 7 years, then subject to change once per year thereafter.

2. Know what the rate increase ceiling is (if the loan even has a rate ceiling).

Typically, adjustable rate mortgages will offer a contractual maximum increase per year so the loan doesn't get out of control. I have seen some offer around 2% for an annual rate increase ceiling (meaning if your rate was 6%, then the rate could not increase to more than 8% the next year). Many ARMs also offer a total rate ceiling, usally offered as a fixed addition, e.g.the rate cannot increase more than 6% for the life of the loan. These are very important conditions that anyone interested in an adjustable rate mortgage should look for and evaluate.



3. Have a plan for the future.

If you plan to sell the house before the adjustment period of the ARM begins, then maybe it is a viable option to consider. If you want to buy a little more house, and you think you will obtain better employment or a higher salary later, adjustable rate mortgages offer a lower initial monthly payment due to the lower initial interest rate. If you are looking to buy a house to live in for some years to come, think twice before getting an ARM; fixed rate mortgages tend to be better for this situation.

4. Ask the lender about market conditions.

Have rates been falling or increasing in the last 5 years? What does the lender think will happen over the next five to ten years? At the time of the writing of this article, rates were at 40 year lows, and are expected to increase over the next few years. Not the best time for an ARM in my opinion. If rates were substantially high, and expected to decrease in the coming years, adjustable rate mortgages would be more attractive to the borrower.

5. Review the worse possible scenario.

Using the information obtained from the lender, get an understanding how bad it could be. If the loan increased to the maximum interest allowed in the contract, how much would that cost me per month? Can I really afford it? Ask the lender as many questions as you can think of. Review the truth in lending (typically referred to as the good faith estimate) provided by the lender. Specifically, review the total interest over the life of loan, and compare to other mortgage options.