Archive for September, 2009

Have An Adjustable Rate Mortgage?…Fix it!

Adjustable rate mortgages will be responsible for a new wave of foreclosures over the next 2-3 years. As a majority of the loans that were given to home owners were risky, toxic loans that came with low teaser rates, which are now expiring and as a result home owners, will see their payments sky rocket. This will become overwhelming for a lot of home owners who are already dealing with a job loss or reduced hours at work as the economy declines.

The worst type of adjustable rate mortgage is known as the option ARM, also known as pick-a-payment loan, which gave home owners several payment options per month. They could choose to make a minimum payment similar to a credit card, an interest only payment or a fully amortized principle and interest payment.

Majority of the borrowers that got these types of loans chose to pay the minimum which was normally at a 1 % interest rate, without fully understanding the consequences of doing so, and saw their balance each month increase with this payment option. Some weren’t too concerned as when they got the loan, real estate values were increasing on what may have seem like a daily basis, but got a rude awakening when the real estate bubble burst. So now they are dealing with a home that is worth less than their mortgage amount and now their payment is about to reset which will mean they will see some major payment shock as they have to now make a full principle and interest payment.

And to make matters worst, refinancing will no longer be an option for these home owners, even if they have good credit as they will have no equity in their property to do so. And even if they could qualify for a refinance most home owners would still see an increase in payment especially if they were only making the minimum 1% rate payment.

According to Fitch Ratings, about $134 billion in option ARMs will reset in the next 2 years and home owners will see their monthly mortgage payment increase by 63 %. The home owners that will experience the worst of the mortgage epidemic are the ones that reside in Florida, Arizona, California and Nevada. These states are considered ground zero for foreclosures and are seeing the largest declines in property values fueled by the high foreclosure rate.

Some of the major lenders are starting be proactive with these types of loans on their books and are reaching out to home owners early to see if they can limit their losses by refinancing, short sales and or loan modifications which would include not just rate reductions, but extension for terms from a 30 year loan to a 40 year loan and in some cases principle reductions to make the payments more affordable.

Home owners that have any type of adjustable or exotic mortgage loan need to take action early and not wait on their lender to bail them out. Some home owners will be best suited with a short sale and to start over, while other may qualify for a loan modification that can give them more affordable payment.

 

Marlon Baugh is a nationally-known mortgage expert. Since 2003, he has specialized in Florida FHA Mortgage Loans for people with Bankruptcies, Foreclosure or with other credit issues, as well as Florida Loss Mitigation. If you would like a Free Copy or to get instant access to the remainder of this Insider Mortgage Report, please visit
http://specializedfinancialsolutions.com/lendersexposed.htm or Call 954-678-5796

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Different Type Of Mortgage Rates

Out purchasing a house, you’ll need to apply for a good mortgage that’s suits your needs and income. It would be best to learn the type of mortgages available in the market and then study them before opting for them.  Most known mortgages in Market are the fixed rate Mortgage and Adjustable Rate Mortgages.

There are other options in the market besides these mortgages which could be of your use if you are having a credit rating problem and are unable to opt for the fixed rate Mortgage or ARMs loans, let’s look at them.

Subprime mortgages

Egregious credit problems, such as a recent foreclosure, will prevent you from getting a mortgage. But lesser credit flaws won’t necessarily stop you from getting a home loan. An industry of subprime mortgage lenders has sprung up to serve the vast constituency of Americans who have credit problems.

Subprime defined

Generally, subprime mortgages are for borrowers with credit scores under 620. Credit scores range from about 300 to 850, with most consumers landing in the 600s and 700s. Someone who is habitually late in paying bills, and especially someone who falls behind on debts by 30, 60 or 90 days or more, will suffer from a plummeting credit score. If it falls below 620, that consumer is in subprime territory.

Few lenders will use the term “subprime” to describe you or your loan because it’s considered bad salesmanship. You might hear the word “non-prime” or, more likely, an adjective won’t be used to describe the mortgage at all.

Mortgages for people with excellent credit are somewhat of a commodity, with rates that don’t vary much from lender to lender for equivalent loans. That’s not the case with subprime mortgages. You might receive widely differing offers from different subprime lenders because they have different ways of weighing the risk of giving you a loan. For that reason, it’s important to comparison shop when your credit score is less than 620.

How subprime mortgages differ

Subprime loans have higher rates than equivalent prime loans. Lenders consider many factors in a process called “risk-based pricing” when they come up with mortgage rates and terms. This makes it impossible to generalize about subprime rates. They are higher, but how much higher depends on factors such as credit score, size of down payment and what types of delinquencies the borrower has in the recent past (from a mortgage lender’s standpoint, late mortgage or rent payments are worse than late credit card payments).

A subprime loan also is more likely to have a prepayment penalty, a balloon payment or both. A prepayment penalty is a fee assessed against the borrower for paying off the loan early — either because the borrower sells the house or refinances the high-rate loan. A mortgage with a balloon payment requires the borrower to pay off the entire outstanding amount in a lump sum after a certain period has passed, often five years. If the borrower can’t pay the entire amount when the balloon payment is due, he or she has to refinance the loan or sell the house.

Researchers contend that prepayment penalties and balloon payments are associated with higher foreclosure rates. The subprime mortgage industry contends that borrowers get lower interest rates in exchange for prepayment penalties and balloon payments, but that point is debatable.

Predatory loans

Subprime customers have to be on the lookout for predatory lenders who set out to cheat borrowers. There are several predatory tactics, and sometimes a lender will combine them. Some lenders soak naive borrowers with outrageous fees and sky-high interest rates. These lenders are likely to tell the borrower that his or her credit score is lower than it really is.

Another predatory tactic is to pressure a homeowner to refinance the mortgage frequently, charging high closing fees each time and rolling the closing costs into the mortgage amount. That goes hand in hand with another predatory tactic: Issuing a loan regardless of the borrower’s ability to repay it. When the borrower inevitably defaults, the predatory lender forecloses and sells the property.

An ethical mortgage lender doesn’t want to foreclose on a property because it is a money-losing process. An ethical lender makes money by charging interest and loses money by foreclosing. A predatory lender, on the other hand, profits by repeatedly collecting closing fees, then seizing the house.

To defend yourself from predatory lenders, find your credit score before shopping for a mortgage, and ask people whom you trust for referrals to mortgage lenders. And comparison shop by going to at least two mortgage brokers or lenders.

Other types of mortgages

The mortgage market is much more diverse than some borrowers think.Besides the standard fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgages, there are other types of mortgages and ways to finance a home.

1. Jumbo mortgage

This is considered a nonconforming loan because it exceeds the loan limit set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two publicly chartered corporations that buy mortgage loans from lenders, thereby ensuring that mortgage money is available at all times in all locations around the country. The single-family limit changes annually and the current limit are always posted in related websites. If you need to borrow more than that, you will need a jumbo mortgage, which generally has a higher interest rate than a conforming loan.

Pro: Opportunity to buy larger, more expensive home.

Con: Pay a higher interest rate in exchange for the lender’s higher risk.

2. Two-step mortgage

These are  mortgage rates combine elements of fixed- and adjustable-rate mortgages. They go by confusing names such as 2/28, 5/25 or 7/23. A two-step mortgage features a fixed rate and payment for an initial period, followed by one adjustment, then a fixed rate and payment for the remainder of the loan term. A 7/23, for example, has an initial fixed period of seven years, an adjustment and then 23 more years of payments following the adjustment.

Pro: Opportunity for damaged-credit borrowers to buy homes and to establish better credit.

Con: If your credit does not improve, you could be stuck in a high-rate loan for much longer than two or three years.

Sanjay Kumar writes content about Banks Massachusetts , Online banking MA and Mortgage Rates .for more information visit at: Mortgage Rates

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Lenders lower mortgage rates

Mortgage borrowers were given some good news earlier this week as falls in the interbank lending rate triggered a surge of rate cuts.

However those with the largest deposits remain in the best position as it is this group that are exposed to the most attractive deals.

On Wednesday HSBC revealed details of its cheapest mortgage ever offered by the lender, a two-year discount deal starting with a rate of 1.99%, while Cheltenham & Gloucester and Woolwich cut rates on their fixed-rate mortgages.

The price cuts were sparked by sharp falls made to banks’ wholesale funding costs, and follow recent reports from lenders that both the mortgage and housing markets are showing definite signs of recovery.

The interbank lending rate determines the rate at which banks and brokers buy and sell money to each other.

However, margins continue to ride higher than before the credit crunch first emerged and lenders are still saving the most competitive rates for borrowers that have access to substantial deposits.

HSBC has launched a new loan with a discount deal offering a rate 1.95% below the bank’s standard variable rate. However, this borrowers can only qualify for this deal if they can put up at least 40% on the value of the property. Those with 25% deposits can get a rate of 2.49%, while a 10% deposit will provide a significantly higher rate of 3.89%.

Martijn van der Heijden, head of mortgages at HSBC said the new mortgage was more attractive to those looking to remortgage, but the bank is now looking to help first-time buyers.

“We have also made our higher loan to value mortgages even better value to support the increasing number of home purchasers who either move, or step on the housing ladder for the first time,” he said.

Fixed-rate mortgage deals have also begun to fall, as the rates upon which they are based, have also fallen. Woolwich cut the price of its two-year fixed-rate mortgage by 0.2% to 4.09%, with a fee of £999. It also launched another lower fee loan offering a rate of 4.19% with a £499 fee.

Cheltenham & Gloucester also made similar cuts to its mortgages, lowering the cost of its two and three-year fixed-rate mortgages by 0.1% – 0.2%.

UK Price Comparison website Which4U – Compare Credit Cards, Savings Accounts, Fixed Rate Bonds, Bank Accounts, Individual Savings Accounts, Loans, Mortgages, Insurance, TV & Broadband and Gas/Electric bills to find the best UK deals

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When it comes to your home loan, you may have many questions. You will be interested in getting the best deal for your money. If you have heard about interest rates, you may be wondering whether you want an arm rates or fixed rates. There are pros and cons to both and you will want to make sure that you fully understand what the consequences can be in the long run.

Interest rates can be very confusing and you may not know where to begin. You may want to talk to your prospective lender to see what their advice is. They will be the most knowledgeable in the whole process. You may also want to use a mortgage calculator to compare each type of rate to see what rate will give you the best payment and the shortest term.

A mortgage calculator will also let you compare lengths of terms. You may want to have a shorter loan that will have a higher payment, but you will be able to pay off your loan a lot faster and this can help secure your future. If you need a lower payment each month, you will want to explore a longer term to find out if this will give you a payment you can afford.

A calculator might also help you discover what your debt to income ratio is and this can be very eye opening. You may not understand how much debt you have incurred over the years and this type of calculator can help make you aware and you will then be able to take the steps to change it.

A mortgage calculator will also help you to compare lenders to see which one will offer you the best rates. You may then be able to narrow your lender choices down to a few and do the rest of the elimination from there. A mortgage is something you will have for many years to come, and you want to make sure that you prepare yourself for this very long experience.

You may also want to obtain a copy of your credit report before you apply and make sure that there is not any negative information being reported. If you have some debt, it may be a good idea to correct this before you apply to ensure that you get the best rates.

A mortgage calculator can help you prepare for the loan process and allow you to compare interest rates. The house of your dreams may be just within your reach and if you prepare for this journey, you will be one step closer to the goal.

A <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="“Mortgage”>http://www.thefreemortgagecalculator.com/index.html””>Mortgage Calculator is very easy to use and it will save you a lot of money. It will tell you the difference in your monthly payment for an <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="“ARM”>http://www.thefreemortgagecalculator.com/ARM_Rates.html””>ARM Rate VS a <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="“Fixed”>http://www.thefreemortgagecalculator.com/Fixed_Rate_Mortgage.html””>Fixed rate Mortgage. It will help you make an informed decision about the correct mortgage loan to get.

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There are multitudes of reasons one may decide to remortgage or refinance their loan. However, prior to actually making the move, you must understand the Remortgage Fees or Refinancing Fees that will be involved.

Moreover, one must evaluate the benefit of refinancing their loan versus just leaving it alone. For instance, the Remortgage Fees involved my out weigh any benefit you would gain by obtaining a lower interest rate. In many instances, it takes years paying a lower monthly mortgage payment to cover the total cost of the refinancing fees endured when remortgaging.

Also, if you have less than perfect credit your remortgage fees for a Poor Credit Remortgage may be higher.  You can get more information by clicking the links at the bottom of this article.

Possible fees that need to be considered include valuation fees. Although your property has already been valued, the new loan agency will want their own and updated valuation performed. An Appraisal is just one of the remortgage fees that will be encountered when beginning this process.

Your new financial institution wants to avoid situations of negative equity, meaning that the loan is worth more than the property. Reassurance of the value of the property will in turn secure your mortgage for both you and your new financial institution.

On the other hand, your former loan agency may charge early repayment fees. When you initially sign a contract for a loan, many times in the small print there will be a predetermined amount of time that you are required to keep the loan with said institution. If for some reason you decide to move the loan or refinance prior to this date, repayment penalties can incur. These are also included in your remortgage fees and can be substantial.

In addition, arrangement fees or initiation fees that are charge to create and maintain the loan. Moreover, remortgage fees also include higher lending charges (HLC). These charges are usually 1%-1.5% of the total loan and are based on Loan – To – Value (LTV). LTV is determined by the amount one borrows. If you borrow 100% of the value of the property then the LTV is 100%. However, if you borrow 75% of the value of the property then the LTV is 75%. Not only does the LTV affect the HLC, they also assist in determining the interest rate of the loan. The higher the LTV the higher the interest rate.

As one can see, there are a number of remortgage fees that may not be obvious. When choosing to remortgage, carefully consider your situation and ask questions.  Refinancing can saved you money on your monthly mortgage payments.  But you have to understand the how long it will take to recoup the cost of all of the remortgage fees with the saving on your mortgage payments.  

If you are planning on moving soon then it may not be wise to refinance your home loan.  An example would be if you remortgage your home loan and you will save $50 a month on your mortgage payments.  If you refinancing fees are $1,800, it would take three years to recoup the costs of the remortgage fees with the $50 savings on the monthly mortgage payments.  You would have to live in your home more than three years for refinancing would be right for you.

You can get a good estimate what your refinancing fees will be from lenders if you decide you want to refinance your home loan.  But do get more than one estimate because Remortgage Fees will vary in cost from lender to lender.

For more free advice on Remortgage Fees, visit us at Remortgage Advice Online where we provide that and much more in regards to remortgaging your home loan. You can also find more information if your have less than perfect credit at Poor Credit Remortgage

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Mortgage Rates Predicted to Rise in 2010

Fannie Mae (fanniemae.com) and the Mortgage Bankers Association (mbaa.org) published economic forecasts in August 2009 that indicate rising rates.

According to Fannie Mae’s forecast, 30 year fixed rates are predicted to increase from the current quarter of 2009 through the end of 2010, with mortgage rates eventually reaching 6% or more.

Also, the 10-Year Treasury Note has been commonly used as a barometer of the direction of mortgage rates, and based on their economic forecasts of the 10-Year Treasury Rate, there is an indication of a corresponding upward trend in mortgage rate increases coming at a steady pace per quarter, which could amount to an increase of 1% or more by the end of 2010.

If the forecasts turn out to be accurate, the 30 year fixed rates may increase to 6% or higher by the third or fourth quarter of 2010. Rising mortgage rates could slow demand for buying homes and mortgage refinancing. The number of qualified borrowers may be reduced, slowing the housing market, and homeowners with adjustable loans could see payment increases, adding to the risk of more defaults.

The information appears to be credible, considering the sources: Fannie Mae is a government sponsored enterprise chartered by Congress with a mission to provide liquidity, stability and affordability to the U.S. housing and mortgage markets. The Mortgage Bankers Association is a national organization that represents the real estate finance industry, including mortgage companies, mortgage brokers, commercial banks, life insurance companies and others in the mortgage lending field.

The following quote applies to forecasts “Predictions are difficult, especially about the future”, but in light of this information, those who have been sitting on the fence waiting for mortgage rates to come down may want to reconsider their strategy.

(ArticlesBase ID #1181065)

Written by Rick Smith Current mortgage rates, home loans and refinance, and information on Carlsbad new homes

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