Posts Tagged ‘Mortgage Payments’
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How To Avoid Mortgage Scams
With record numbers of individuals seeking home loans these days, its no surprise that scam artists have developed new ways to separate borrowers from their money. Mortgage scams are on the rise and typically target people who are overextended, have bad credit, or are in need of financial relief. These scams can cost a lot in fact, they can result in the loss of your home. Guard yourself against con artists with a little background on common mortgage scams:
Slight-of-Hand Signings
There are documented cases of homeowners who unwittingly signed away the title to their homes because they were confused by paperwork. With any decision involving your finances, get everything in writing and insist on reading the documents carefully before signing. Ask questions and make sure you understand the answers. Be sure you never sign paperwork with blank spaces or allow someone to rush you through the process.
High-Priced Home-Buying Seminars
Youve seen ads in the newspaper (and on bus benches) for those home-buying seminars or programs catering to people with less-than-perfect credit. If youre considering such services, check out their fee structure first, and make sure youre not buying into a scam. If youre required to pay large fees in advance, chances are the service is not legitimate. Consult the Better Business Bureau before taking action.
The Reconveyance Racket
Say youre struggling with mortgage payments or in foreclosure. A business or individual offers to buy the property and sell it back to you, once you get your finances back in shape. The process is called reconveyance, and there are legitimate companies offering these services. If you encounter a scammer, however, you could find yourself unable to repurchase your home.
Target: Reverse Mortgages
If a member of your family is considering a reverse mortgage, they should protect themselves against scams specifically targeting reverse mortgages and speak with a HUD-approved counselor first. Make sure they get at least three separate offers in writing, and that they understand the terms and conditions before signing. Remember, borrowers generally have up to three business days in which they can cancel a loan document.
Home Equity Hard Knocks
In this type of scan, the homeowner is approached by a contractor offering home renovations at an affordable price. When the homeowner protests that they cant afford the work, the contractor suggests he arrange financing through a lender acquaintance. The homeowner agrees, the contractor commences work, and then presents the homeowner with a bunch of paperwork. Some of the papers may be blank or incomplete and the contractor threatens to walk off the job unless they are signed immediately. After the fact, the homeowner discovers theyve applied for a home equity loan with high rates and accompanying fees. At this point, the contractor has all the leverage because the work is underway and hes probably received a kick-back from the unscrupulous lender.
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How can I avoid mortgage foreclosure?
Mortgage foreclosure can occur if homeowners, who have taken a VA, conventional loan, or an FHA insured loan, default on the mortgage payments. Foreclosure can lead to the lender gaining possession of a borrowers home. If the value of the home is less than the mortgage amount, the homeowner may have to pay the balance amount to the lender under a deficiency judgment. Foreclosures have a negative impact on the credit score of a home owner.
In order to avoid foreclosure, there are several things that a homeowner can do. These include communicating to the lender ones inability in making payments as soon as possible and requesting assistance. If necessary, homeowners should back their communication with relevant financial figures such as expenses and income from various sources. They should not abandon their premises or they may not qualify for the assistance.
There are several housing counseling agencies approved by the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development; they offer up-to-date information on the various programs initiated by government and private organizations that are designed to help homeowners facing the prospects of foreclosure. Housing counseling agencies, which also provide credit counseling services, provide their services at no cost.
In order to avoid forbearance, homeowners can try and apply for Special Forbearance. This may lead to a revision of the repayment schedule and in some cases the payment may either be revised or suspended. A rise in expenditure and a fall in the monthly income may enable homeowners to qualify for a new monthly plan. Similarly, mortgage modification may result in extension of the period of repayment and may open up refinancing options. Homeowners who have undergone a financial crisis stand to benefit from mortgage modification as they can chart out a more manageable repayment plan.
Homeowners can also take recourse to a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure. This entails voluntarily handing over the property to the lender. Such a deed does not hurt a homeowners credit rating as much as a foreclosure. A homeowner, who is a defaulter on payments, and does not qualify for other alternatives, has not been able to sell the house, and is not in default with respect to other mortgages, qualifies for a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure.
A homeowners qualification for any of the above mentioned alternatives is determined by the lender. However, homeowners should be aware of solutions that are not genuine. It is highly advisable to take the help of housing counseling agencies in such matters. Homeowners in financial difficulties are liable to fall prey to scams such as equity skimming in which a homeowner is tricked into signing the deed of the property to another person. There are several counseling agencies that are not genuine and often charge homeowners for services that can be done for free. It is imperative that homeowners check the background of the counseling agency before deciding to go with a particular firm.
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How a Reverse Mortgage Can Benefit Homeowners 62 or Older
How a Reverse Mortgage Can Benefit Homeowners 62 or Older
Reverse mortgages give eligible homeowners the ability to access the money they have stored up as equity in their homes. They are designed to build seniors’ personal and financial independence by providing funds without the requirement of a monthly payment for as long as they live in the home.
Homeowners age 62 or older may benefit greatly by discussing the possibilities and options a reverse mortgage can afford them with a lender or counselor. These types of loans offer a way to borrow against the equity in your home to create a stable, continuous and tax free source of usable income or a substantial source of supplemental income, all without having to change your current living conditions.
The best part of this type of loan is that you arent required to repay any part of the loan as long as you live in your house and don’t breach any of the terms and conditions of the reverse mortgage. However it is important that you are diligent in researching this unique loan product as it may not be right for every situation. This is why we encourage any potential borrower interested in a reverse mortgage to investigate their options first with a HUD certified counselor or lender.
Other great sources of information include family and friends who have experience dealing with reverse mortgages before, nonprofit organizations offering help to seniors, the AARP, American Society on Aging, and authority sites on the internet that provide helpful articles and resources concerning the reverse mortgage industry.
While simple to understand in theory, it is important to know how reverse mortgages work. The reverse mortgage loan product got its name due to the fact that instead of making mortgage payments, the lender actually pays the borrower creating a kind of inverse relationship compared to the traditional mortgage product. The source of funds for the money received is the equity stored in your home. The unique feature of this loan is that unlike conventional mortgages where the loan balance becomes smaller each moth you make a payment, the loan balance of a reverse mortgage grows larger over time.
The principal on the loan increases with each payment received, this includes interest and other charges accrued each month on the total funds advanced to you. You retain ownership of your home in all reverse mortgages, and many do not require repayment for as long as you occupy your home, pay your property taxes and hazard insurance charges, and continue to maintain the property.
When you leave your home permanently your loan balance becomes due. It is also important to note that your legal obligation to repay the loan cannot be more than the market value of your house at the time you leave the property. This means that your lender can never require repayment of the loan from your heirs or from any asset other than the property itself.
Today the 2 major reverse mortgage loan types provided by the Fannie Mae (Federal National Mortgage Association) are the HECM and Home Keeper. These loans assure the borrower that he or she will never owe more than the loan balance or the value of the property, whichever is less, and no assets other than the home must be used to repay the debt.
Also unlike conventional mortgages these loan types have neither a fixed maturity date nor a fixed mortgage amount. Many borrowers familiar with the home equity loan are often times skeptical about reverse mortgages and simply see it as a different type of home equity loan and sometimes even think its a scam.
For this reason it is important to understand the difference between home equity loans and reverse mortgages. With a HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit) you must make regular monthly payments to the lender in order to repay the loan, in fact, your repayments begin as soon as your loan is made. If you fail to make the monthly payments on a traditional home equity loan, a mortgage lender can foreclose on your home, putting you in a position where you either have to sell your home to repay the loan or lose it to the lender.
Another notable difference is the fact that some home equity loans also require you to re-qualify for the loan each year, and if you fail to re-qualify, the lender may require you to pay the loan in full immediately. In addition, in order to qualify for a traditional home equity loan, you must have sufficient funds and debt-to-income ratio in order to be approved on the loan.
Reverse mortgages however, such as the HECM and the Home Keeper Mortgage, do not require monthly repayments, saving you from the need to qualify through the traditional and often times difficult loan process. In fact, repayment of these loans is not required as long as your property remains your primary residence and you stay current in paying your property taxes and hazard insurance charges. Another stipulation that makes the reverse mortgage so special is the fact that your income does not become a factor in qualifying for these loans, nor are you required to re-qualify each year.
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Getting the Best Mortgage Rates in Florida with a Poor
Getting the Best Mortgage Rates in Florida with a Poor Credit History
Florida is a lovely place to have a house in; unfortunately the real estate prices are rather forbidding for most. And for someone with a bad credit past, it gets tougher. However, if Florida real estate has is in your dreams, you can still get a mortgage loan, even with a bad credit if you know how to look for it.
Before we get into shopping for the best mortgage rates, let us understand how the credit score of a borrower determines the scope of his search. Most lenders will willingly lend to a person with A credit score but someone with a C or a D grade wont get so lucky.
Fortunately, recent entries into the Florida lending industry have led the industry into being more liberal when approving loans. For instance, if there are more than 4 late mortgage payments in a period of 12 months, it calls for a B score, however if these delays have a plausible explanation the lender may excuse the default and consider a score of A.
There are companies who specialize in giving loans to high-risk borrowers and they are known as Sub-Prime lenders. Even though loans from the Sub-Prime source continue to dominate the high-risk borrowers segment, the government-sponsored agency, Fannie Mae too is beginning to acknowledge the potential in this category. With the availability of more options, a borrower with bad credit can afford to get choosy and not jump at the first approval he gets for the fear of not getting another chance.
The Internet is a good place to look for multiple mortgage options and even for specifically Florida Mortgage Loans, without the borrower having to reveal his credit status. One may even go to a mortgage broker in order to locate the best quotes, but they can be expensive. Ask for reference from friends and colleagues for a good mortgage lender, since a recommendation is always assuring.
Once you narrow down your choice, here is a checklist that you must go through.
1.First analyze your financial status, if you find you have come out of your past credit blues and can commit more you can consider an Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM). An ARM allows for a lower rate of interest in the initial years with an option to refinance at a lower, fixed rate after the first couple of years. However, if you find yourself financially burdened, a fixed rate payment would be more appropriate. Search, negotiate and settle for a rate of interest and for terms and conditions that suit your financial status.
2.Find out how much penalties are imposed for pre-payment. Heavy penalties will take away the advantage of any timely payments that you may be able to make and that may get you a refinance on better terms in the next few months.
3.Most Sub-Prime lenders exploit the vulnerability of high-risk borrowers and slap on high closing costs at the end of the loan. There are more lenders out there willing to do business than one would have you believe and a little negotiation can always add to some cost shaving.
4.Avoid paying any upfront or processing fees; the only fee acceptable should the one you pay for your credit application.
5.Ensure that everything goes on paper in writing, from the rate of interest, to the closing costs to the pre-payment penalties and that nothing comes as a surprise after you have signed the contract.
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Get a Mortgage With Bad Credit
In the old days if your credit history was less than perfect, the only mortgage you would be offered would be one with extortionate interest rates from a shady broker.
Nowadays, there are more sympathetic lenders who will offer you a bad credit mortgage without charging you sky-high interest charges. And because there are more lenders out there now offering these non-standard mortgages, it has driven the interest rates on them down which is good news!
The term Bad credit can be anything from County Court Judgements (CCJs) on your credit file to something like having missed a mobile phone payment or made a few mortgage payments late.
More and more people now have a bad credit file. Rising inflation and credit companies making it easier for people to borrow means that just because you have a bad credit file, you are not rubbish with money!
So, what can you do to get a mortgage, without being ripped off by greedy lenders?
First of all, if you are considering using a mortgage for debt consolidation, do bear in mind that it will probably cost you more in interest in the long run. And also the debt will be secured against your home, so you must really ensure that it is affordable to you.
And when it comes to choosing a mortgage, do not apply for the first mortgage that you see. TV adverts saying that they can help people with bad credit are all very well but many of them charge as much as a 3% fee to arrange a sub-prime mortgage. So, on a 150,000 mortgage, they get 4,500!
Get independent advice from an independent mortgage specialist as well as doing your own research. Bad credit no longer has the financial stigma it used to, so hold out for the right deal for you.
How the web can help you if you are looking for a bad credit mortgage
If you have a poor credit history, finding a mortgage specifically for people with bad credit can be difficult. And even if you do find a mortgage, how do you know that it is the right one for you?
Using the internet can help. There is tons of information on there relating to bad credit mortgages such as free guides, as well as access to providers of bad credit mortgages.
Going online also allows you to compare multiple providers so that you can look at all the product features and benefits to decide whether it is right for you.
There are also websites that accept online mortgage applications and there are hundreds that offer free and immediate online quotes. This means that you can see how much you can really afford to pay out for a mortgage.
Steps to improve your credit rating
If you have recently applied for credit and have been turned down or you have been offered credit but at higher interest rate than advertised, then this is probably because of your credit rating.
Even if you never miss payments or do not have any debts such as a loan or credit card, you could still have a low credit rating.
This is because you can be penalised if your credit record is empty. Prospective creditors like to see positive entries on your credit fie and if you have no financial history, they are unable to judge how well you manage your credit.
The solution is to develop your credit file by adding positive entries on your record. Running bank and savings accounts as well as paying your mobile phone bills on time are a good start as are well managed credit card and store card accounts.
If you do not have any credit accounts, then gradually apply for them. Dont apply for lots of credit all one go as this will look like you are in financial distress. Instead, get one card at a time with a low credit limit and pay the balance off in full every month. Open up a bank and savings account. And pay your bills on time even the small ones!
Start building a financial history gradually and over time you will find it easier to get credit, and at a better interest rate too.
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Fixed Rate Mortgages: The Ups and Downs
As the title of this article would suggest, I am going to take you on a journey through the ups and downs on fixed rate mortgages. When buying a house, especially the first one, I think that it is literally the most terrifying experience that I have been through, and I have combat experience as a military veteran. For those of you who find yourselves still anticipating the purchase of your first home, let me give you a brief rundown of what it is and what it isnt. What it isnt will be the easies to tell you about. It isnt like going to the store and buying what you want by swiping your card. It isnt even like buying a new car, although the new car buying experience is a little bit closer. It is like looking at dozens of houses that you hate in order to find one that you like, only to learn that it is 10,000 more than you wanted to spend. So you make an offer and wait to see if the seller takes the offer or sends back a counter-offer. Once the game of offercounter-offer is through you set up a closing date. At the closing you sit down and sign enough papers to make Leo Tolstoy quake in his boots. Once that hour devouring procedure is done, the house is yours and you are in debt for 30 years. Sounds appealing doesnt it? Well, actually, it really is. But, before you get to the point where you can sign all those papers, you have to decide on what kind of loan will be best for you. There are a couple of different options and, in this first installment, I will discuss the fixed rate mortgage.
Overview of a Fixed Rate MortgageAs the name would suggest, the fixed rate mortgage is a loan that has constant payments. By constant I dont mean that they will be due every month (although they will), rather I refer to the fact that they do not change. If you get a fixed rate mortgage and the payments are 900 per month, they will remain at 900 for the duration of your loan. Nothing changes, it is set in stone, and you can set your clock by it, 900 a month for 30 years.
Benefits of a Fixed Rate Mortgage.There are a number of benefits to having a fixed rate mortgage. I would like to discuss two of them, the planning power that it gives, and the financial liberty that you can take from it. Lets start with the planning power.
Planning Power
To take on the responsibility of a 150,000, 200,000, or even 1million pound debt is, as a mentioned before, very scary. But, to know that all you will ever be required to pay is 900 a month (or whatever your payments end up being. I dont in any way want to insinuate that all mortgage payments are going to be 900 if you get a fixed rate.) is a very comforting piece of knowledge. You can plan your budget around that amount and make sure that you can always afford it. It really helps things out to have that amount set in stone. The next thing that most people get out of a fixed rate mortgage is financial liberty.Financial Liberty
What I mean by that would be best communicated in the description of a hypothetical scenario. Picture a young couple, just out of college, just married, and brand new at the jobs in their respective careers. They decide to take out a loan and buy a house. They, because of the salary restrictions that they are working with, can only comfortably afford 500 a month. They know that this wont get them the house that really want so they decide to stretch a lot financially and get a house that will run them 800 a month. After two years they both get promotions and their bills get easier to pay. After another two years they both move into management and get more promotions. Suddenly they find themselves in a position where they can actually comfortable afford to make 900 a month payments, and later on they can make 1000 a month payments, but they dont have to. All they are required to do is 800. Every amount of money that they pay over 800 in a month goes towards paying off the principle and this gets their house paid off much faster. When the house is paid off, there is 800 a month that is no longer being tied up in living expenses. You see, in a fixed rate, 30-year mortgage, it will take 22 years to pay half of the principle because so much of that money is going towards the interest. If you consistently pay more each month than the minimum payment you can pay off a 30-year mortgage in 20 years easily.Final Synopsis
For the young, first time homebuyer with a solid income, a fixed rate mortgage is a pretty good option. It allows, as was earlier stated, predictability and the possibility for earlier financial liberation. For the older first time homebuyer this is the best option. The ability to pay off a mortgage in less than 30 years is something that becomes very important as retirement approaches. For the buyers that are on a much tighter, less predictable budget, this may not be the best option. In that case there are other mortgages that would be better suited for their needs. But, as with all mortgage and real estate decision, sit down with a professional who can assess your individual needs and come up with a plan that is right for you. -
Fixed Rate Mortgage vs. Adjustable Rate Mortgage
The most basic distinction between types of mortgages that are available when you’re looking to finance the purchase of a new home is how the interest rate is determined. Essentially, there are two types of mortgages – fixed rate mortgage and an adjustable rate mortgage. If you choose a fixed rate mortgage, the rate of interest that you are paying on your mortgage remains the same throughout the life of the loan no matter what general interest rates are doing. In an adjustable rate mortgage, the interest rate is periodically adjusted according to an index that rises and falls with the economic times. There are advantages and disadvantages to either, and no easy answer to ‘which is better, a fixed rate mortgage or an adjustable rate mortgage?The main advantage to a fixed rate mortgage is stability. Since the interest rate remains the same over the entire course of the loan, your monthly payment is predictable. You can count on your monthly mortgage payment to be the same amount each month. On the minus side, because the lending institution gives up the chance to raise interest rates if the general interest rates rise, the interest on a fixed rate mortgage is likely to be higher than that of an adjustable rate mortgage.A fixed rate mortgage loan makes the most sense for those that are going to settle into their home for many years. While the initial payments may be larger than with an adjustable rate mortgage, stretching the payments over a longer period of time can minimize the effect on your budget.An adjustable rate is one that is adjusted periodically to take into account the rise or fall of standard interest rates. Generally, the adjustable term is annual – in other words, once a year the lending company has the right to adjust the interest rate on your mortgage in accordance with a chosen index. While adjustable rate mortgages make the most sense in a situation where interest rates are dropping, though it’s dangerous to count on a continued drop in interest rates.Lenders often offer adjustable rate mortgages with a very low first year ‘teaser’ interest rate. After the first year, though, the interest rate on your mortgage can increase by leaps and bounds. Even so, there are limits to how much an adjustable rate can actually adjust. This is dependent on the index chosen and the terms of the loan to which you agree. You may accept a loan with a 2.3% one year adjustable rate, for instance, that becomes a 4.1% adjustable rate mortgage on the first adjustment period.Finally, there’s a new kind of loan in town. A hybrid between adjustable rate mortgages and fixed rate mortgages, they’re known as ‘delayed adjustable’ mortgages. Essentially, you lock in a fixed rate of interest for a number of years – say 3 or 7 or 10. At the end of that period, the loan becomes a 1 year adjustable rate mortgage according to terms set out in the agreement you sign with the mortgage or financial institution.
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