We’re all fully aware of the crisis in the world housing market, especially in the United States, it’s practically impossible to have missed it with all of the coverage on the news.  Unfortunately, this situation has affected Canadians as well.  It’s more difficult than ever for a person with no down payment to get a mortgage in Canada.  With the cancellation of the zero down mortgage programs, many people now believe that if they don’t have 5% down payment to buy a house they won’t be approved for a mortgage. Although it’s a little more stringent, it’s still possible to get zero down mortgages, however it’s in the form of what the banks call cash back mortgages.

Cash back mortgages are a great alternative for someone who wants to take advantage of the low price of housing in Canada right now but doesn’t have 5% down payment to purchase a home.  Alternatively, some people have saved for their down payment but don’t quite have enough.  A cash back mortgage would be a good option for this situation as well.  You’re probably wondering what’s the difference between a cash back mortgage and the zero down mortgage programs?  The banks would like you to believe that there is essentially no difference between these two mortgage products, but that is not the case. Although cash back mortgages are a fantastic alternative to the zero down mortgage products, there are significant differences.

The first and most important difference is the interest rate.  When the banks were offering zero down mortgages the interest rates were the exact same as if you had 5% down, with a cash back mortgage, the interest rates are usually about 1% higher than a traditional mortgage product.  However, this is offset by the fact that the bank is giving you your down payment.  That means if you have a cash back mortgage for $100,000 the bank will give you 5% down, and you only have to pay back $95,000. Banks would like you to believe that they are giving you the 5% out of the goodness of their hearts, but the fact is the interest rate is higher on this product so they can recoup that 5%. The good news is, at the end of your 5-year term with that bank, you are free to shop around again for the best rates.
 
The second difference between cash back mortgages and the zero down mortgage programs is the penalty if you break the mortgage before the 5-year term is up.  On a traditional mortgage at 100% financing, if you break the mortgage the penalty is the same as any other mortgage, the standard 3-month interest penalty would apply.  With a cash back mortgage they also charge a 3-month interest penalty, in addition to that you have to pay back a portion of the cash the bank “gave” you.

I know it seems like I am trying to deter you from a cash back mortgage but that isn’t the case, I just think it is important to enter into cash back mortgages fully aware of the product.  It is important to weigh your options carefully.  If you decide to wait and save up a down payment for your house because you don’t want to pay a higher interest rate, one very important point to consider is. Every year on average houses increase in value by approximately 5%, so,  if you were to purchase a house for $100 000 today that same house would cost you $110 000 in two years. 

If you consider waiting because the interest rate seems a little high you should know that a cash back works out to about a quarter of a percent higher than a traditional mortgage, when you consider that you are not paying back the cash back portion.  On a $100 000 mortgage over five years you will pay approximately $4,800 more in a cash back mortgage than if the zero down mortgage program was still available.  However, if you consider that waiting two years to save would cost you $10 000, the cash back mortgage would cost less than waiting and would be an excellent option to get into the housing market.  Cash back mortgages are excellent options for homebuyers, but you should make certain that you are fully aware of the conditions in your mortgage. 

The first step to dealing with your debts is admitting that you have got a problem. Only then can consolidating debt be the solution to your debt problems.

Debt Consolidation can happen in a number of ways, the most common are through either a <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://www.debtconsolidation.co.uk”>debt consolidation</a> loan or through a no loan consolidation.

Lets looks at the two ways for consolidating debt in more detail:

1: Debt Consolidation Loan – Allows you to consolidate your existing unsecured debt into one single loan. Choosing a debt consolidation loan for consolidating your debt can reduce your monthly payments, lower your interest rate and make it easier for you to manage your debt.

Debt Consolidation Loans are usually secured against your home, but this will offer you a number of additional debt consolidation terms which you just could not get with unsecured consolidation.

2: No Loans Consolidation – A secured loan is not suitable for everybody, but there ways to consolidate debt without the need for any further loans. These are otherwise known as Debt Management Plans and allow you to make just one reduced payment to your debts, no matter how many unsecured creditors you have.

Remember, you can consolidate a number of debts choosing the above methods, such as credit cards, store cards, unsecured loans and overdrafts.

Discover more about what YOU need to know about debt consolidation, see the following recommended reading:

<a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://www.debtconsolidation.co.uk/page-Advantages-and-Disadvantages-of-Debt-Consolidation.html”>Advantages and Disadvantages of Debt Consolidation</a>. The only way for you to understand debt consolidation is to be aware of both the advantages and disadvantages of consolidating debt.

I heard a friend saying that he no more feared debts because of
the ease with which he can repay them through a debt
consolidation loan. Is it so easy to counter debts through a
debt consolidation loan? Are there any issues attached to this
method of debt settlement that needs appropriate consideration?
The following article is a guide to debt consolidation loans in
the UK and discusses important issues that linger in the mind of
borrowers related to it.

It is really easy to avail of debt consolidation loans. Almost
every lender in the UK would willingly offer you the necessary
finance to eliminate your debts. This is even when there is no
collateral to back the loan amount. Gone are the days when the
persons in debts were considered pariah. Debt is an accepted
fact, which with the present materialistic lifestyle crops up
because of increasing expenses. Thus, debtors are able to get
finance easily to settle their debts.

However, there is a limit to the times that one can push his
finances to the edges. Accumulating a huge mound of debts every
time to be cleared through a debt consolidation loan will be
unwise. When the debt consolidation loan has been secured on
ones home or certain moveable or immoveable assets, the stake is
directly on the asset pledged. Incapability to repay loan
instalments will result into repossession of the asset. Even
when the debt consolidation loan is unsecured, lender has the
right to recover the amount unpaid through court proceedings.

Another argument for a judicious use of Debt consolidation loan is
that the equity in home so consumed could have been used for
other important purposes. Equity in the home makes the borrower
eligible for better deals in whatever loan that he approaches
for. Having consumed the whole equity will force the borrower to
accept deals at par with the non-homeowners or at comparatively
higher rates of interest.

Doesn’t that make up a good case against the misuse of debt
consolidation loans? The first step in preventing the misuse of
debt consolidation loans is deciding when to allow the
interference of a debt management agency. This step will involve
gauging ones capability in relation to the debt amount. An
accurate measure of the capability must be reached to avoid
future repercussions. Engaging the services of a debt management
agency when the debts can be easily eliminated through ones own
resources will amount to a misuse of debt consolidation
opportunities. On the other hand, not involving a debt
management agency knowing that the debts are beyond reach will
only give debts a greener pasture to grow without bounds. Thus,
a proper appraisal of ones capability must precede any decision
to draw debt consolidation loans.

Having accepted the intervention of the debt management agency,
the next important task will be to decide the amount to be drawn
as debt consolidation loan. No, you are not to quote an amount
randomly. The best measure of the appropriate amount of debt
consolidation loan can be had by consolidating or clustering the
various debts. Debts include debts on account of credit cards,
store bills, bank overdrafts, etc. While listing the debts for
settlement, debtors must ensure that no debt is left unattended,
whether big or small. The amount drawn under debt consolidation
may exceed the amount of debts. Cheaper finance available for
debt settlement can be saved for use in other purposes.

What distinguishes a debt consolidation loan from the other
loans is the guidance provided by the lender in eliminating
debts. This facility is purely optional and borrowers can
themselves conduct the repayment. However, the facility that is
being talked of is for individuals for whom it is difficult to
take time out of their busy schedules. Moreover, they would
willingly engage the services of the debt management agency to
avoid confrontation with the creditors. Lastly, and the most
important of all, debt management agencies have better faculties
to deal with these situations. They are good negotiators and can
bargain a deal that can save several pounds for the borrowers.

Like in any financial matter, the structure of the debt
consolidation loan should be decided with prudence. By the
structure of the loan is meant the terms on which the loan is
taken. This includes the rate of interest, amount of monthly
instalment, prepayment facility, etc. Do not hesitate in
questioning the terms that you find unjustifiable. Take
independent advice if necessary from independent financial
advisors. This would be helpful because they have a specialised
knowledge of the field. The independent financial advisors
provide guidance on important matters related to the loan. Many
easy to use softwares like debt consolidation loan calculator
have also come up to help borrowers in the decision making
process.

These steps, though being time consuming will ensure that the
debt consolidation loan eliminates a burden and does not turn
into one. A strict adherence of the steps ensures but not
guarantees against the bad effects of the debt consolidation
loan. However, there is the assurance that you took sufficient
steps though the debt consolidation loan turned bad because of
certain unavoidable factors.

Andrew baker has done his masters in finance from CPIT.He is
engaged in providing free,professional,and independent advice to
the residents of the UK.He works for the Secured loan web site
loans fiesta for any type of loans in uk,secured loans,unsecured
loans,debt consolidation loans please visit http://www.loansfiesta.co.uk