Can Rates Go Even Lower?

That really is question on everyone’s mind. I recently was in the process of getting a mortgage for some rental property and was quoted a rate of 3.75 for a thirty year mortgage. Impressive. The question is whether or not we have hit bottom though. If you are thinking of refinancing or if you can wait to buy that new home is now the time or should you wait a bit longer catch rates at the very lowest possible?

That is always going to be a tough question to answer but if you ask me I would wait a bit longer. The economy is showing a few signs of reviving but unemployment is still not really breaking in the right direction. Between that and Obama’s administration announcing that they don’t see interest rates climbing up again until the end of 2013. So if you do wait a bit then they might go even lower! The upside though is that it doesn’t appear that rates are going to climb at all so even if you wait and nothing happens you are still breaking even!

So if you must move forward with a new mortgage or refinance right now, it is definitely a good time because rates have really never been lower right now. If you can wait though I really think they are going to fall a bit further too. It’s definitely worth waiting at this point, especially if the rate fall could mean the difference between being about to afford a 15 year mortgage over a 30 year mortgage!

Best Mortgage Advice

If you are looking to get a new mortgage and are in search of advice there there is one of two things that you are likely curious about. It’s either that you want to know how to get the best rate, or you are looking to find out how to get approved.

If you are looking to figure out how to get approved then the advice is going to be much different these days then it would have been just a few years ago. 6 years ago my wife and I purchased a house at a great rate and put no money down. I remember out mortgage guy saying, “Only in America can you sign some papers and exchange no money and get the keys to your new house!” Truer words were never spoken!

I recently couldn’t get a mortgage for a rental property I was looking at. I was offered a really great rate (3.75 for 30 years) but my debt to income ratio was too tight. That and I was looking to put down as little as possible by using a seller concession, which was pushing up the amount I was borrowing. Those two factors sunk it.

So if the advice you are looking for is how to get approved, the first thing you should do is check your credit report and make sure it’s accurate. Then I would suggest working with a mortgage broker so that they can shop you around to banks to get a deal that will work for you. If you are still having trouble then shelf the idea of a new home for 6 months to a year and pay off some of that debt, then make another run at it. It may be tough to hear that the best mortgage advice out there is for you to not get a mortgage right now, but sometimes the truth is what the truth is. The good news is that rates don’t look like they are going to be increasing for years, so you’ll still have time to get a great rate!

 

On the other hand if the mortgage advice you are looking for is how to get the best rate that is different answer. Assuming you don’t have bad credit (if you do then see the advice for how to get approved) then it’s really going to be a matter of shopping around. You are going to lose 5 credit points when you apply for a mortgage. But unlike other forms of credit you are going to have a 14 day window to apply to as many banks for a mortgage as you want with no additional penalty. Don’t try this with credit cards because you’ll get dinged each time!

So if you are looking for a great rate then get all your information together and apply to as many banks and brokers as possible right away. Then just sit back and see what they best offer is going to be!

Home loan modification – Better option to save your home

Save your homeAre you facing problem in making your mortgage payments every month? Has your financial condition fallen down due to which you cannot manage to make your mortgage payments? If your answer is yes, then you must be looking for a suitable option as to how you can manage to make your mortgage payments within your affordability. You may opt for home loan modification with the help of which you can change the terms and conditions of your loan. With the help of home loan modification, you can reduce the interest rate on your loan and, at the same time, extend the loan repayment period.

Importance of home loan modification

When you are planning to purchase your dream house, it is quiet obvious that you will not have the required cash in your hand instantly that you need to buy the house. In such a situation, you take out a loan so that you can get the required amount of money in order to purchase your dream house. To take out this loan, you are bound to agree to the terms and conditions that the lender may impose upon you. In case, you do not agree to follow it in future, the lender has every right to forfeit your house in order to get back his money if you make default in repaying your loan amount. However, it may happen that your financial condition does not permit you to mange the monthly installment and pay off the loan amount that you’ve taken out. In such a situation, you can discuss the matter with your lender. By convincing your lender, you may opt for home loan modification so that you can make your mortgage payments properly and, in turn, save your dream house.

Benefits of home loan modification

You may choose to opt for home loan modification when you find it very difficult to manage your mortgage payments. Read on to know the 3 benefits of home loan modification process.

1. Extend loan repayment period – By opting for home loan modification, you can extend the loan repayment period. This way, it becomes easier for you to manage your mortgage payments and thus, you’ll be able to repay your loan amount much easily.

2. Reduction in the interest rate – The home loan modification gives you the advantage of reduction in the rate of interest on your loan amount. With reduced interest rate, you’ll find it much convenient to repay your mortgage loan amount.

3. Decrease the principal amount – In the worst situation, you’ll find that your mortgage lender agrees to decrease the principal amount of the loan that you had taken out. This makes it much easier for you to repay the loan amount.

Thus, it can be said that home loan modification is a better option that can help you manage your mortgage payments and save your dream house that you have purchased in case you find it almost impossible to pay off your loan amount within the specified time period.

New Record Low Mortgage Rates Set Again Today

30 year fixed rate mortgageSo for a few years now the silver lining on the bad economy is that mortgage rates (and lending rates in general) have been falling. A few months back they hit historic lows never seen in the mortgage lending industry before. That is true again today! Again it’s a give and a take, often really great mortgage rates are a reflection on a really bad economy because often lower credit interest rates are how the government works to shore up the economy. With that said though if you are looking to buy a new home there has never been a better time!

30 Year Fixed Mortgage Rates

30 year fixed mortgage rates today hit an all time low. The going rate for a 30 year mortgage is now 3.94 which is down from 3.99 just last week. This is the lowest rate on record, and those record go back to the 1950′s when they started keeping track. These 30 year fixed mortgage rates are often the barometer for interest rates in general for mortgage because that is the most common home loan used.

15 Year Fixed Mortgage Rate

15 yr mortgage rates also his a new historic low as well today. The average on the 15 mortgage rates fell to 3.21 down from 3.27 just a week ago. 15 year mortgage are the second most common term for mortgages in the US. Typically the average rates for 30 year and 15 year mortgages fall and rise at the same time, which was again the case this week.

So if you are looking to lock in on a new mortgage or even a refinance of an existing mortgage there quite literally has never been a better time. The good news is if you aren’t quite ready to pull the trigger on the new mortgage there isn’t an indication right now that rates are going to rise anytime soon. It’s hard to say they will fall much further then they are now (although they could) but I also don’t see them rising very quickly. If they do fall in the future it isn’t going to be significantly lower then they are now, so if you are really move forward. If you aren’t really keep a close eye on the rates and be ready as soon as possible.

 

Bank Rate Mortgage Calculator

bank rate mortgage ratesBankrate.com is a blog similar to this one, which follows trends within the mortgage industry and attempts to help you find the best deal on your new mortgage. The have a really extensive mortgage calculator which I like to use when I want to see things in detail, including the full amortization schedule.

Bank Rate Mortgage Calculator

You’ll notice a basic mortgage calculator at the top of the sidebar of this blog. I use it all the time when I am doing quick calculations to see what a mortgage payment might look like. If you would like to see you payment down to the penny and the dates down to the day then this one from bankrate.com is a really good one (bank rate calculator).

Extra Payment Calculator

Bankrate also offers a really nice add on to their basic mortgage calculator to show you the effect of making extra payments. They will give you the detailed effect if you pay either a one-time extra payment, and annual extra payment, or increase you monthly payment for all payments. It is really interesting to see how much sooner you can pay off your mortgage if you pay extra, especially if you start doing it early on a 30 year mortgage.

Get a Mortgage

There are also plenty of links for all different kinds of loans, so in this way you can get a bank rate mortgage. Essentially Bankrate is a mortgage broker which will attempt to find you the best deal on a mortgage. You can use the bank rate monitor to see what they can find for you from a network of over 4,000 lenders.

 

So if you are looking for a good mortgage calculator bank rate style then they are the place to go. The mortgage calcs really seems to be their specialty and they way they bring you in. They are very useful so that is fine, and if you find a good deal along the way, then that’s all the better!

Get A Lending Tree Mortgage

Lending Tree MortgagesThere are many different places in the market where you can get your mortgage. There are mortgage originators, mortgage brokers, banks, and other lenders. Lending Tree is essentially a mortgage broker.

What is a Mortgage Broker?

A mortgage broker is a service that is going to take all your information and look to find you the best mortgage from a list of banks that offer mortgages. The trick of course is that they don’t work with ALL banks out there, so while it is nice that they are shopping for the best deal for you, they are not shopping all avenues. They are only going to shop the banks that they have set up relationships with and are going to get paid from.

This doesn’t mean it’s bad, it just means that you need to be aware that there could be better offers out there. But this is true when you go directly to a bank as well, and they aren’t shopping around anywhere. At least when you got to a broker you are shopping 10, 20, or more banks all in one stop.

Lending Tree is one of the bigger mortgage brokers out there. The bigger the mortgage broker the more likely they are shopping you at more and more banks, so the chances of you getting a better deal are likely higher. Like I always say you need to read the fine print and make sure you are indeed doing well, but that aside a broker can really be a good way to go.

How do they make money on a Lending Tree Mortgage?

So the first question that most people have when they first hear about a mortgage broker, is how they make their money. The assumption is that you are going to have to pay a fee for them to do the work of finding you a mortgage. And if that were the case then can they really find you such a good deal that it is worth paying that fee instead of just looking for a mortgage on your own?

Well that question doesn’t really matter because that isn’t how a mortgage broker really works. A mortgage broker is going to get paid by the bank, not by you. So the broker is going to shop you around and when you pick the bank and go with the mortgage that winning bank is going to pay a fee to the broker for bringing your business to them. So there is no out of pocket cost to you.

Like always you do need to be aware that the fees these banks are willing to pay brokers vary, and they over course know this. So a broker is going to want to get you in a mortgage with a bank that is willing to pay them the most. Whether that is the absolute best deal for you may or may not be the case. You should definitely look over the fine print of all the offers that come back from the broker, not just the one that they are pushing.

What is the best way to deal with a Mortgage Broker like Lending Tree

Mortgage brokers can really be a great way to go when it comes to looking for a mortgage deal. I personally would be upfront with them and let them know you are also shopping elsewhere. You can shop around like you normally would and that would include brokers like Lending Tree Mortgage. If they come back with the best offer then take it. If you find something that is better for you on your own then take that. It’s that simple. At the end of the day what is best for you is obviously the way to go.

Let Your Renters Pay Your Mortgage – Two Family Homes

buying vs renting a homeIf you are looking at the difference between buying a house vs renting then you might want to also consider buying a two family home. It’s a perfect situation where you can buy the home and live there at the same time be renting the other side to a tenant. Depending on the original price of the home to you and what you can charge for rent you can sometimes live for free. Even if the rent of the one unit doesn’t cover the total cost of the monthly mortgage it is going to be very discounted when you factor in the rent.

Another big perk to doing a two family home is that it is a great starter home. In time as you start making more money and you are ready to buy a large home for just yourself you can do that. The best part is you can keep the two family home and rent out both sides and turn the property in a a profitable business. Over time you can just keep renting it and making money or you can sell it and cash out the equity when you need a big chunk of money for things like kids going to college, or daughters getting married.

The Down Side to Two Family Homes

The downside of course is that you are going to be a landlord and that can be difficult at times. You of course hope to get a great tenant that never causes any trouble and stay for as long as you want them, but in reality that isn’t the norm. Even great tenants often will only stay for a few years, then you have to work to find someone new to rent your place. Or there are always headaches where you end up with horrible tenants that end up being time consuming pains, and they could end up wrecking the place. Sure you get a security deposit but sometimes damage can be more expensive then the deposit. There is always a chance it doesn’t go well.

 

So when you find yourself in that, should I rent or should I buy, kind of place then also think about doing both. Buy a two family and rent one side so you can be making some money. Of course keep some money set aside for the months in between tenants when you don’t have someone living in the other unit. Other then that, typically you can do quite well with tenants in a two family if you are living there because you are always there to see what is going on. Tenants don’t feel like they can get away with as much trouble or damage when the owner is right there.

Auto Loan Calc – Find The Best Auto Loan For You

bank rate auto loan calculatorSo your jalopy finally left you standing on the side of the road for the last time today? You are either going to get a new car or start riding you kid’s ten speed to work from now on, right? I’ve been there. There are some really great auto loans out there if you are looking for a brand new vehicle because the manufacturer will finance it for you at a loss so they can sell more cars. If you are look to buy a used car because you think it’s smarter, or because it’s all you can afford, the rates are a little less impressive. If you credit is less then perfect that rate can really go up. But if you need to get to work sometimes you just don’t really have any options, you have to buy the car.

Save up

The hardest but smartest thing to do is to start saving up sooner then later. If you own you car right now and don’t have payments then it might be a really great time to start putting some money away for when you need your next car. Maybe you treat it like you are making a car payment now, just put the money in a savings account. So put $200 a month in the bank every month and consider it what you car costs now. Then when you just can’t wait any longer you guy and start car shopping. You are going to get a better deal for two reasons. Anytime you are dealing with cash when you are looking for a car you are going to get a better deal. Cash is King! Also, you are going to be financing much less then if you had no money to put down so you will likely be able to get a better rate because it’ll be considered less risky to the bank that is offering you a loan.

Auto Loan Calculators

So if you are wondering what your auto loan is going to cost you the easiest thing to do is look for an auto loan calculator. You just plug in the variables and it’ll show you all the information about your proposed loan. So you tell it how much you want to borrow, what rate you think it’ll be at, and how long you need to borrow it for. Then the auto loan calculator is going to show you what you monthly payment is going to be as well as some over all stats like the total amount of interest you’ll end up paying.

You can then do some what-if analysis by changing the variable to see what effect it will have on your loan. For instance you might have tried a 5 year car loan at first. But then you decide to try it at 4 years. This is going to increase your monthly payment because you are paying it off quicker, but you can usually get a better rate when you agree to pay it back faster. Plus, it might hurt financially in the short run, but if you can do it you will really love when it’s paid off, and all of the sudden you no longer have a monthly auto payment! Remember though, you might want to start right away putting some away each month to cover the next vehicle you’ll inevitably need to buy.

Rent vs Own – Which Is Right For You?

renting your houseThere is an interesting intersection where the amount of monthly rent and the monthly mortgage payment are very similar. This is usually for lower to mid prices houses when compared to average apartments. If you find your self in the situation the inevitable questions starts to come up, should I buy a house instead of renting this apartment? Especially since the mortgage vs rent is basically no difference. Renting vs buying a home can be an important decision for your financial future as well as your address.

Why Buy?

If the monthly cost to you is going to be the same then you are almost always going to be better off buying a house. There are some things that you should be aware of though before you pull the trigger on your new mortgage. First there are some costs associated with owning a home that aren’t part of the mortgage payment that don’t apply when you are renting. For the most part these are physical things that go wrong with houses. First instance let’s say that the hot water tank goes in the new house that you buy. You are going to have to pay to get it fixed. If you were renting you would just call the landlord and not have to think more about it. To offset this inherent cost of ownership though you are going to enjoy a nice tax deduction which usually is more then your actual costs during the year.

You are also going to start building equity each month you pay your mortgage. This is a HUGE benefit to owning your own home. So as time goes buy you are going to own more and more of your home as a percentage until the point where you pay off your mortgage totally and own 100%. Now let’s say you need to move after 10 years and are gong to sell you house. When you sell you are going to pay off your mortgage and have a sizable chunk of money left to keep which you can reinvent into a new home (or do anything you want for that matter). If you had rented for 10 years, it would be a little easier to move because you don’t have to worry about a real estate agent but you are not going to walk away with any money in your pocket at all.

Why Rent?

There are some costs involved in just getting a mortgage, known as closing costs. This is usually going to amount to a few thousand dollars. So if you are going to go the mortgage route then you want to make sure you are going to live there for at least a couple years. Otherwise you are spending that couple thousand in closing costs and losing it. So let’s say you buy a house now, and then need to move out of town and sell the house 5 months later. Even though you have built a little bit of equity it he 5 months, most of the original payments are mostly interest so it’s very small. The amount of equity that you did build in those 5 months won’t be anywhere near the amount you spent on closing costs. So if you are going to buy make sure you are going to be around for a few years at least.

The other reason you might consider renting when considering a mortgage vs rent is your job. You are obligated to pay your rent just the same as you mortgage but there is less pressure when it comes to your rent. This is mainly because your rent is usually a one year lease. So if you did lose you job then you would have less then a year to last before you were free of the obligation. Also, if you do lose your job, you can work with you landlord to find a new tenant to rent the place an possibly get out of the lease. If you had decided to buy then you are looking at a 30 year obligation. If you can’t find new employment then could be looking at foreclosure and a very serious hit to your credit report!

Time To Stop Renting And Start Owning?

buy to rent mortgageSo you graduated from college a few years back and like all your other friends you got yourself an apartment. Otherwise you would have moved back home to your parents house and that was more of an adjustment then you were willing to make, even if it would have saved you a bundle. Not to worry though because you landed the job at the company you interned at and you are doing well. It’s been 5 or so years and you salary has come up a little bit and you’ve adjusted to the expenses of a real grown up life. Before you know it you are thinking maybe you should be paying monthly toward a mortgage instead of renting, but is it really the right thing to do right now?

The Economy and Your Job

One of the first things you need to think about is the effect of the economy and you current job standings is going to have on your ability to pay a mortgage if you buy a house. If there is any real reason to think that you might get laid off in the next year or two then obviously taking on a mortgage payment probably isn’t the smartest thing to do right now. Of course you never know what is going to happen for sure, but if you feel pretty safe with your job or that you could easily land a new job if need be, then you can move forward with your mortgage plans.

What is a mortgage going to cost?

With interest rates as low at they are right now it is a really good time to buy. Home prices are also low right now because of the economy. You are specifically situated to really benefit from the current conditions because you don’t have to worry about selling an existing home and taking a hit. You best bet when it comes to planning is to use a mortgage calculator to see what a mortgage payment would look like for you at different purchase prices. With the current interest rates being so low you may well find that a decent house can be had for about the same monthly payment as you are spending on rent. If that is the case then you really have nothing to lose.

Down Payment

The other factor that is going to come into play when you are considering buying a home vs renting is whether or not you have enough savings for the down payment. The economy is bad and it’s causes interest rates to fall to historically low levels, but the days of zero down payment mortgages are gone. You are going to need to have at least 3%-5% of the purchase price saved up for a down payment. If you don’t then start saving right now toward your new goal, because it is going to be necessary!

When should I just keep renting?

There are times when you do the analysis and you find that, at least for now, it is just smarter to keep renting. If your job may be at risk or you simply don’t have the down payment cash on hand then you are better off renting until you situation gets a little better. It also may depend on what you credit score looks like. If you have been behind on payment or just have a little too much debt for you income level this is going to affect your mortgage interest rate. If that’s the case for you then it might be smarter to wait a little while and keep renting while you repair your credit.

 

No matter how you slice it, it is almost always going to be a benefit to you to own instead of rent. Sure there are times when it doesn’t make sense to buy, but for the most part those are temporary reasons that you should be working on so that you can get to a point where you are on better financial footing and ready to buy a home.