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With so many different types of mortgage available, it’s difficult to determine the right one for you. Before you start looking at available mortgages, however, it’s important to first evaluate your finances, as your financial situation is an important factor that will dictate the type of loan you need, and how much you can afford to borrow.

Step One: Evaluating Your Finances

Before you even think about the type of mortgage you should obtain, it’s important to evaluate your financial situation. Check your credit rating and FICO score, evaluate your income and debt level, figure out the size of the down payment you can afford, and determine how much mortgage you can afford and what your credit rating will allow you access to.

When it comes to your credit rating, know that between 620 and 699, you’ll probably pay a higher interest rate than if your credit rating is over 700, due to a slightly higher perceived risk on the part of lenders. If your credit rating is below 620, you may find it’s better to wait and improve your credit rating rather than be forced into a sub-prime mortgage with a high interest rate.

Step Two: Choosing the Best Mortgage

Once you have completed an evaluation of your financial situation, you’re ready to start thinking about the kind of mortgage you want. The mortgage that best suits you will depend on a long list of factors, not all of which are related to the amount of money you have for a mortgage. Think not only about how much mortgage you can afford, but also your credit rating, how long you plan to stay in the home, and whether you think your plans or financial situation might change in the future.

So what are your main mortgage options?

Fixed rate mortgage

Normally a 10, 15, or 30-year mortgage, you pay the same interest rate over the life of the loan.

Good for: If you like the security of paying the same amount every month and you’re planning on owning the home long-term, this is definitely the best option. There are some variations on this theme, including jumbo mortgages, which are larger-than-standard loans with a slightly higher interest rate.

Adjustable rate mortgage

These are mortgages with adjustable interest rates, which come in several different varieties. When you first get an adjustable rate mortgage the interest rate is lower than that you’d get with a fixed rate mortgage. However, at intervals, the interest rate can increase or decrease according to current market rates. This means your monthly repayments aren’t fixed, so these types of mortgages are more risky in comparison to fixed rate mortgages.

Good for: If you want a mortgage with an initial low rate and you’re prepared to take a risk on later rates (or you only plan to own the home for a few years), this may be a good prospect.

Interest-only mortgage

The standard type of mortgage is amortized, meaning your monthly repayments include both principal and interest. An interest-only mortgage is just what its name suggests – your monthly repayments don’t have to include principal (but you can pay off principal amounts at any time). This means you are not building up equity in your home while you’re only paying interest, but there are no pre-payment penalties.

Good for: This type of loan can work well if your income is at a consistent level overall but is subject to highs and lows, since you can pay off extra principal when you can afford to do so, and pay interest only when your income is at a lower level.

Balloon mortgage

This type of mortgage has a fixed interest rate and stable repayments over the life of the loan, with lower repayments in comparison to a fixed rate mortgage. However, the terms of the loan are generally short, with three, five, and seven years being the most common options. At the end of this time period, the entire balance of the loan is due. The final payment is typically very large, so a balloon mortgage is one which shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Good for: This type of mortgage can be a good option if you plan to stay in the home long term, want to get your mortgage paid off quickly, or if know you can afford the balloon payment. Alternatively, a balloon mortgage can be useful if you know you’ll be moving or refinancing before the balloon payment is due.

30-due-in-7

For the first seven years of the mortgage you have a fixed interest rate which is generally lower than that of a standard fixed rate mortgage. In the eighth year of the mortgage, the interest rate changes to be in line with whatever the current rate is at that time. For the remaining 22 years of the mortgage, the interest rate stays fixed at that rate. Another option is a 30-due-in-5 mortgage, where the interest rate changes in the sixth year.

Good for: These mortgages can be a good option if you’re planning to stay in the house for more than five or ten years and you are willing to risk the possibility that your monthly payments may change substantially when the second interest rate is due.

If you have experienced a loss of job or an injury it is very easy to become over loaded in debt. This is something that happens to people everyday. They get hurt, get laid off, or go through a divorce and end up using credit cards to make up for the cash they don’t have and end up in debt that they find hard to get out of. Using credit cards like they were cash is not a wise solution and with the high interest rates they charge you will find it difficult to get them paid back. If you have found yourself in this situation then this article will give you some help on getting out, if you aren’t there yet, maybe it will prevent it from happening to you.

As I said above it is never a good idea to use credit cards to get through tough times or even as your own form of debt reduction. The high rates will just take you deeper into the abyss of debt and make it harder for you to get out. For most people that file bankruptcy or looking for help with debt consolidation it is credit card debt that caused the problem.

If you are in a program of debt reduction, self imposed or otherwise, you need to concentrate on figuring out ways to lower your cash outflow and the amount of bills you have to pay. Credit cards will do the exact opposite; they will increase your bills and make it even harder.

Here’s an example that we can look at: If a family has bills including their mortgage, insurance, car notes, and other miscellaneous expenses that adds up to over $2300 per month is there any possible way to reduce this? There are a number of ways that one could look into to accomplish this, one way is to look into a mortgage refinance that will help us refinance the home mortgage and bring the other bills into it for one low payment. One of the advantages of doing this is that the mortgage loans are typically lower interest and in many cases may be written off on taxes.

If you take the time to look around you will find loans that will give you cash back, loans that you can take out against the equity in your home, loans like the one above that will allow you to combine everything into one low payment, and many other options.

Just about any debt you owe can be rolled into one payment or at least combined and reduced but anything like utilities, cable, cell phone bills and the like will have to be paid separately. You may be surprised at how much you will be able to reduce your monthly payments with a debt consolidation loan.

There are many different types of mortgages, each with its own advantages and disadvantages, it is very important that you do your research. Understanding these differences will enable you to choose the right mortgage for your financial situation and housing goals. Now what is a mortgage? A mortgage is a loan secured by a property/house and paid in installments over a set period of time. The mortgage secures your promise that the money borrowed will be repaid. For most of us, a mortgage is the largest and most serious financial obligation we ever make.

You can get a mortgage direct from the lender like banks, building societies and specialist mortgage lenders, or you can use a mortgage broker. You can buy based on ‘information’ only or get advice and recommendation on a mortgage that suits your particular needs.

The two main ways to repay your mortgage are ‘repayment’ and ‘interest only’. With a repayment mortgage you make monthly repayments for an agreed period until you’ve paid back the loan and the interest (30 year-fixed rate being a common example). With an interest only mortgage you make monthly repayments for an agreed period but these will only cover the interest on your loan (example 5 year-fixed rate). You’ll normally also have to pay into another savings or investment plan that’ll hopefully pay off the loan at the end of the term.

Now you know what mortgage is, let’s take a moment to understand reverse mortgage. What exactly is a reverse mortgage?

Reverse mortgages are getting to be more and more common these days. Why? Reverse mortgage loan advances are not taxable, and generally don’t affect your Social Security or Medicare benefits. You retain the title to your home, and you don’t have to make monthly repayments. The loan must be repaid when the last surviving borrower dies, sells the home, or no longer lives in the home as a principal residence. Unlike a regular mortgage, the homeowner makes no payments and all interest is added to the lien on the property.

A reversed mortgage is designed specifically for homeowners who are age 62 and older. Through this product, you can receive loan money from your home in the form of a lump sum, regular monthly checks or a line of credit. The money is typically repaid with interest when you sell your house, permanently move away, or pass away.

You may be wondering how you can benefit from getting a reverse mortgage. Many people have found that the money they got from a reverse mortgage benefited them greatly. With a reverse mortgage you continue to get income, and defer repayment, for as long as you live at home – no matter how long that may be. A Reverse Mortgage maybe is exactly what you need!

There are many benefits that a reverse mortgage can give you. However, here are a few of the most significant. You will remain independent, no monthly mortgage payments are required, and you got freedom and flexibility. The money you get from a reverse mortgage is yours to use in any way you choose.

Exciting isn’t? If you don’t know exactly how much you’ll spend or how soon you’ll need it, a line of credit may make sense. Some reverse mortgage lines of credit are “growing” lines of credit meaning you may have more and more money available to you as time goes on. Reverse mortgages have helped hundreds of thousands of homeowners improve their quality of life in retirement. A Reverse Mortgage can help you retire more comfortably. It can provide you with money when you need it most. No Monthly Mortgage Payments, Easy Qualification, Tax-Free Money and No cash needed for closing costs. Can it get any better? If you’d like to find out how much money you qualify for and if you’re eligible, give us a call at (800)630-0650.

Tim Jacobs
Golden Years Mortgage Solutions
Your Money…When You Need It
www.GoldenYearsMortgageSolutions.com
(800)630-0650
tim@goldenyearsmortgagesolutions.com

Tim Jacobs @ Golden Years Mortgage Solutions www.GoldenYearsMortgageSolutions.com  (800)630-0650 tim@goldenyearsmortgagesolutions.com Golden Years Mortgage Solutions is a reverse mortgage approved FHA Lender. We’ve helped thousands of senior homeowners solve their financial problems. Our agents and brokers collectively have over 60 years of experience in Reverse Mortgage Loans and general financial services, including managers who are industry pioneers with more than 12 years of reverse mortgage experience. Our dedication to providing financial solutions for seniors is evidenced by the number of referrals that come from our existing clients.

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