February 24, 2010
How To Pay Off Your Mortgage Faster
For most people a mortgage loan of 30 years is the only way for them to affordably own a home. The monthly payments are all they feel they can afford. If they were to be told they could pay their mortgage off faster and not have to come up with more money or make changes to their budgets do you think they would go for it?
Most people do not realize how easy it is to pay a mortgage off faster than the bank states. The first rule should be to have the best possible interest rate. If your credit score is better now than when you obtained the loan refinancing might be in order. The lower the interest rate the easier to pay the loan off quicker and you also save thousands in interest payments.
The easiest way to pay the mortgage off faster is to split the payments. Instead of making a monthly payment of $1000 you should make bi-weekly payments of $500 each. This method allows you to make 2 extra mortgage payments each year without ever noticing it in your budget. The two extra payments that are made are going directly to the principle of your loan and will reduce your loan life.
There are some who pay a large lump sum to the loan at the end of the year. The regular payments are made and then a portion is paid towards the principle. The lender may have limits as to how much can be paid without being penalized so you need to find that out before paying this way. This may be an impossible method for some but for those who do it they pay 15% of the loans balance towards the principle each year and have an extremely early payoff.
For the average person coming up with 15% of the loan amount each year is impossible. To be able to still reap the benefits of over payments and not kill yourself coming up with the money you can pay an additional amount with each months payment. The amount you decide on is up to you and what you can afford as well as the lenders penalization limits.
If you are looking for a way to truly reduce the size of the loan and want to see more results than just a mere five years drop off you can combine methods. If you choose the bi-weekly payments then include an additional payment with each. A small amount will show you results so you do not have to go overboard here. The larger the amount the sooner the payoff obviously but even with a modest amount you will see a ten year difference in the lifetime of the loan. If you are lucky enough to have a lender who does not penalize for over payment then you can easily reduce your loan by 15 years or more with over payments. The weeks you have more you can send more and when you don?t have much just send a few dollars over.
Graham McKenzie is the content coordinator for a leading South African leading Home loans and Bond Origination portal which provides access to ABSA Home loans.
Filed under Loans by Graham McKenzie
February 2, 2010
Who Needs A Subprime Home Loan?
A subprime home loan is a loan with dramatically high interest rates, made for the high liability borrower. These types of loans are often considered ‘high risk” as they often include fine print terms involving fees and high interest. The bonus is that these types of loans are available for people who have bad credit, no credit, or records that keep them from getting other loans.
The settings of loan amounts are usually affected by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae associations, however, this is not right when it comes to a home loan. In this sort of loan, the rate of interest can be as much as the issuer wants it to be and they are free to add any type of fine prints that they wish. Therefore it is highly essential to carefully read your signing document. It is also recommended that you let you lawyer take a look at it.
A subprime house finance loan is usually too risky for the one who borrows it. Many people having bad credit score and low income get loan these days, but the financing company ensures that they make profit out of it. This is done by keeping the rates of interest very high and by including several hidden charges.
Don?t loose heart, as there are some advantages of getting a subprime home mortgage. In a case if your credit record is too terrible to be considered by other lenders but you have enough funds to pay for monthly bills, then a home credit may be suitable for you. It may take several years to get your credit score fixed, and at time you emergency require the amount. If you timely make all your payments then you may be able to perk up your credit and refinance your mortgage.
This is when many mortgage agents propose home loans for you. If later, you feel that you plan doesn’t suit your needs then you can get it refinanced. However, this may not be feasible if the rates are mentioned in your original documents. These rates would be so high that it would become nearly impracticable to get your loan refinanced and this may keep you trapped with bill that you are too high to pay.
The easiest way to avoid getting scammed, and to find the best loan out there for you, is to find a quality mortgage broker. Before choosing the broker to handle your loans you will want to search around and meet with several different brokers. By doing this you will get a good idea of their practices and be able to choose the one that is less likely to give you a bad deal. You can investigate a specific broker by searching their name online, at the Better Business Bureau, or by calling the company that they work for.
Get a subprime loan only if you are certain that it is the most suitable choice for you. Your agent will inform you about diverse other ways to get a loan on the basis of your financial condition. Don?t hurry and take enough time to explore all options and different types of loans available. Also ensure that you read the agreement well before accepting it.
Graham McKenzie is the content coordinator for South Arica?s leading Homeloans portal which amongst others offers Bond origination services for all major banks.
Filed under Loans by Graham McKenzie
January 26, 2010
Mortgage Application Tips
Are you anxious about your mortgage request getting rejected? There are various precautions you can take to make sure that your loan application gets accepted, most of them just need good research and some time.
First step for getting your mortgage application approved is to ensure that you have a good credit score. Though regular checking of your credit score is not recommended, it’s vital to identify its nature and how to solve the problems, if any. A good credit score ensures that you your loan request won’t be rejected.
Next step is to ensure that all important papers are with you. For a mortgage application, you would need several documents, and you may need some time to get them ready. See if you have all your tax file records, bank statements, proof of income, and details of investments, before filling up the application. For self employed people, this process may have some hurdles. You will have to show proof of old tax returns to verify that your business runs well and you earn money. Technically, you are known to be self employed if earn by getting commissions, have your office at home, or if you have 25% share of the business.
Among the frequent mistakes that people commit when applying for finance is that they request for a huge amount. Even though applying for a certain amount doesn’t take much, but if your financer feels that you may not be able to pay back then your loan application may be rejected. Do some research and get pre-approved for a mortgage so that you know accurately how much the bank can offer you. You can also let the bank decide the amount.
While applying for a mortgage application you must communicate properly to get what you look for. A lot of individuals are involved in finance, like your agent, real estate broker, attorneys, the seller, and inspectors. You need to ensure that you communicate with all s that the procedure goes well. Without this your application may get rejected and you may have to reapply.
Before you apply for a mortgage get a good idea of what you are getting into. Learn all you can about interest rates, mortgage types, and down payments. The goal is to get a payment plan that works for you so you don’t have to refinance in the future. Take care in choosing your broker as well, as there are some that are more interested in making money than getting you a good deal.
After you have clearly understood the mortgage deals available then you must choose the one that suits your needs the most. You needn’t worry abut your loan application when you have done the proper research on mortgages and taken all steps to get the suitable loan. Very soon, your application would be accepted and you would be able to buy your new house and easily make your monthly mortgage installments.
Graham McKenzie is the content coordinator for South Arica?s leading Homeloans portal which amongst others offers Bond origination services for all major banks.
Filed under Loans by Graham McKenzie
January 22, 2010
Get Help With Your Decision About Mortgage Refinancing
Like so many people you may be deciding if mortgage refinancing is for you at this time. There are several factors to decide on. And you need also to get some objective help in your decision. You will also want to determine the pros and cons before deciding to do it.
And you have to also keep in mind that your credit score is the determining factor in what interest rate you will get. And with these economic times a great credit score years ago may only be an average score now. You will want to get a copy of your credit score to make sure there are no errors on it that you can change before you apply for a loan.
Some refinance and then go with a variable loan. For some this is the only option for lower mortgage rates. But if you have a choice between a fixed and a variable loan you have to decided which is the better of the two for you.
The variable is attractive because it has a lower initial rate and lower monthly payment. But it will go up make certain of that. And this is where some people have gotten in trouble. They think that they will have more money when it does go up. But you cannot count on a raise every year in this economy.
But you have to be realistic. You do not want to later on find it difficult if not impossible to pay the higher monthly payment down the road. If you are refinancing your fixed rate loan now that is let us say a thirty year fixed loan realize that you are starting all over again.
And if you take money out with the refinance you are taking the equity out of the home and spending it. This is plain and simple and should be a sobering thought for you. Some people thought that their home would continue to grow in value but instead their home went down in value. This is where so many people got in trouble.
When they sell their home for whatever reason they realize that they will either have to pay the bank money because their home is worth below the amount they owe the bank because their home may have gone down in value since they refinanced. Some people believe that the value of their home will continue to go up so they will always have a growing equity amount in their home; but as the economy has shown that this is certainly not the case.
You might have a great need for the money you take out in a refinance. But if you want to use it for a new car or vacation that is up to you. But in any case you need to consult with an independent third party like a financial advisor to make sure you make the right decision.
In addition to having less debt by refinancing a mortgage, also look at GIC rates to get higher fixed income returns. Mortgage rates vary from lender to lender so ask around.
Filed under Loans by Adriana Noton
January 12, 2010
Nedbank Homeloans
Do you want to own your first house? How about upgrade or move to a bigger one? Nedbank understands these needs and realizes the importance of a home loan. After all, it is one of the biggest investments you will ever make.
One feature buyers want in a home loan is flexibility. Nedbank is dedicated to providing flexibility to its home loan customers. Nedbank home loans can be tailored to suit the individual needs of the home buyer. This flexibility makes Nedbank very attractive, especially to first time buyers. However, veteran home buyers will also find a Nedbank product to suit their needs.
Nedbank home loans can be used to buy either an existing home or vacant land. Home loans for 100% of the purchase price are available as well, depending on the property value and buyer?s credit history. Nedbank will also finance between 70-100% of a vacant land purchase, which once again depends on the value of the property and the buyer?s credit history.
Nedbank offers both fixed and variable interest rate home loans, as well as Nedbank Accelerated Payments, which enable the buyer to pay off their home loan faster than what is agreed upon in the home loan contract. This is an excellent way to say money on capital and interest.
In order to qualify for a Nedbank home loan, you must be a South African resident with a good credit record. Also, minimum monthly income requirements exist. Before you ever think about apply for a home loan, make sure you check your credit report.
If high credit balances are lowering your score, pay down your balances before you apply. The higher your credit score, the better home loan terms will be offered to you. You also want to make sure you have two or three months? worth of mortgage payments in the bank. These are called reserves.
Buying a home means paperwork, too. You will need proof of identity, income verification, bank statements and the offer to purchase agreement. Make sure you have all the necessary documentation gathered before you apply for a home loan in order to speed up the process and not delay. A delay could cause you to lose out on your home purchase.
Home loans require monthly payments, which are calculated beforehand. They will fluctuate or remain fixed, depending on the type of loan you have.
The first step in making your dream a reality is finding a qualified lender. At Nedbank, your search for the best lender and quote may end there.
Tom Martens is the content coordinator for South Arica?s leading Homeloans portal which amongst others offers Bond origination services for all major banks.
Filed under Loans by Tom Martens
