What Is A Mortgage

Every homeowner knows what a mortgage is but do you Many people have heard that term on movies, television shows, and commercials but dont really know what it really means.

To put it simply, its a loan where you are using your house as collateral. The difference between this and a normal loan is that your house becomes your backup just in case something happens and you are unable to continue payments.

Mortgages come in many different forms depending on what you are looking for with regards to financing. Some examples are the fixed rate and adjustable type.

These differ in how the payments are set up and whether or not each payment will be influenced by current interest nrates across the country.

There are also commercial loans if you are planning on buying an apartment complex or other type of real estate that has the potential to make you money.

Before you decide to buy a home, its very beneficial to do as much research as possible. You should try to learn about each different type of mortgage and what the payments actually consist of.

Do they change each month Should you put a lot of money down before setting up payments It can be very complicated and stressful for almost anyone due to the sheer ending cost of it all.

Owning a home is a dream for many people and you will want to make sure you are well educated on home ownership before you even speak to a broker.

Variable Rate Mortgage

Variable rate mortgage is another term for adjustable-rate mortgage. Variable rate mortgage is a type of loan where the initial payments are low. After some time though, the interest rates of variable rate mortgage changes on a regular basis. These changes on variable rate mortgages are affected by several factors, such as changes in investor markets.

Because of its low initial payment, a lot of people like to take on a variable rate mortgage. Financial reports suggest that the risks you assume in taking a variable rate mortgage are considerable but the gains are even more so. This is because variable rate mortgages may turn out to be cheaper than fixed rate mortgages in the long run.

Several lenders offer variable rate mortgages among their product lines. Some of these lenders are listed below, along with a brief outline on their variable rate mortgage product.

Variable Rate Mortgage by ING Direct Mortgages

The ING Direct line of variable rate mortgages offers one of the lowest rates available in the market today. With a variable rate mortgage interest rate of less than 0.60% for a full five-year term, ING Direct variable rate mortgages are among the top-sellers.

As an added bonus, consumers who buy their variable rate mortgages from ING Direct have the option to convert their variable rate mortgage into a fixed rate mortgage of 3 years or more. This conversion from a variable rate mortgage to fixed rate can be done any time without penalties.

Every 3 months, ING Direct variable rate mortgage interest rate will be adjusted to reflect their prime rate.

Variable Rate Mortgage by CanEquity Mortgage Canada

The variable rate mortgage of CanEquity is based on a five year term. However, in this variable rate mortgage, only the first three years are closed, leaving years 4 and 5 open. This means that the 2 remainder years leave you absolutely free from any variable rate mortgage pre-payment penalty.

CanEquitys initial interest rate for their variable rate mortgage is 1.74%. After this initial rate, payments for your variable rate mortgage will be based on CanEquitys Prime rate of less than 0.40%.

Variable Rate Mortgage by National Mortgage

National Mortgage has three variable rate mortgage programs on its product lists. All three variable rate mortgages have initial payment rates based on current Prime rate of 4.00%. These variable rate mortgage programs have varying terms from 3 months, 6 months, to 5 years.

The 5-year variable rate mortgage has an initial payment rate of 4.25% but for the duration of 5 years, the rate would be less 0.75%. The same goes for the 6-month variable rate mortgage. Prime (4.25%) is less 1.40% for 6 months followed by prime less 0.40% for the remainder of the term. The 3-month variable rate mortgage on the other hand has prime less 2.25% for 3 moths followed by Canadian Bank Prime less 0.375% with 1% cash back and airmiles.

Variable Rate Mortgage by Scotiabank

The Scotia Ultimate Variable Rate Mortgage offers their consumers a Cap rate guarantee. Consumers are given the choice of buying the variable rate mortgage for a rate discount of 0.50% off Scotias Prime rate for the full three-year term. They can also opt to pay upfront cash back of 1.50% of the variable rate mortgage loan amount for the full three-year term.

Types Of Mortgage Which One Is Right For You

So, you are planning to buy your perfect house or commercial property but dont know what your options are in the mortgage department.

Well, there are tons to choose from and they are all tailored to your specific needs. If you have a great job and money isnt an issue, you can make higher payments and possibly pay off your loan in as little as 10 to 15 years.

For many people though, they dont have great jobs and need to best plan for their budget.

Most mortgages differ in just a few ways. They may require balloon payments up front or toward the end of the loan period or they might be influenced monthly by ever changing interest rates.

Fixed rate loans are very popular because you are guaranteed to have the same bill every month regardless of interest rates. If you are on a budget, this is a great option.

Adjustable rate loans differ from fixed rate as they fluctuate with current interest rates. Dont worry though, they usually have a cap so you wont be paying twice as much as the month before. The cap is usually just a couple percent.

These are just a couple of popular types of home loans. If you plan on getting a commercial loan, you will have many more mortgage types available.

Some of these have very low payments for the first year until your business is established and they they increase so you can pay them off quickly.

The best bet is to research the different types of loan you are interested in and discuss them with your broker.

Take Over Mortgage

A take over mortgage is a loan where the terms and conditions of the loan can be transferred from one borrower to a new borrower. The term take over mortgage is also used to refer to assumable loan.

Home buyers can assume a sellers mortgage when purchasing a home with a take over mortgage payment. The approval of the lender is usually required before you can have a take over mortgage. With take over mortgages, the interest rate and the monthly payment schedule is assumed by you. This means you can save a lot with take over mortgages, especially if the interest rate on the existing loan is lower than the current rate on new loans. However, lenders can change the loan terms of take over mortgages so you must be prepared for that.

Along with the interest rate and the monthly payments, you also inherit the liability of the take over mortgage. If for instance, you cannot make the payments for the take over mortgage, the lender will foreclose. And if the property sells for less that the balance of the take over mortgage, the lender reserves the right to sue you for the difference.

A take over mortgage is not a free ride either. In order to get a take over mortgage, you still need to undergo a pre-qualifying process. Closing fees will still need to be paid before you can get a take over mortgage. Also, a take over mortgage requires payment for appraisal costs and title insurance.

For example, a friend of yours wants to sell his home to you for 95,000 and has a take over mortgage of 90,000 with 7% interest. With a take over mortgage, you only need to put down 5,000 to assume your friends home and mortgage. Along with the 5,000 take over mortgage down payment, closing fees are applicable.

Another example is when one of your friends got a take over mortgage for 80,000 with 6.5% fifteen years ago. The take over mortgage loan balance left is 70,000. This means that the property is now worth 160,000. For a take over mortgage, you only need to come up with 90,000 plus money for closing costs.

Take over mortgages have been around the market for years. Because take over mortgages allows the consumer a chance to assume a loan with lower interest rates, take over mortgages became popular.

Take over mortgages experienced an all time high in the 1970s and 1980s when interest rates soared. Existing mortgages had interest rates at 5 percent to 7 percent but when the rates rose, the original percentage rose also, forcing a pay out of 10 percent to 15 percent in interest on deposits. These forced buyers to use take over mortgages so they could assume loans with lower rates.

If you want a take over mortgage, remember that if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Sellers offering cheap take over mortgages are also offering something of significant value. With take over mortgages, sellers are likely to charge more for their houses. This could mean that you would have to come up with more funds to cover the difference between the asking price and the take over mortgage loan balance. However, the assumability feature of take over mortgages can also give you a chance to cash out later, especially since the property you are assuming could increase in value with the growing rates over time.

Second Mortgage

A second mortgage is a mortgage whose terms are subordinate to the first mortgage. Loans with a second mortgage are usually done when the homeowner needs money in order to pay for an existing loan.

Second Mortgage or Refinance?

This is a question every homebuyer is faced with when shopping for mortgages. Take this scenario: A homeowner is facing a credit card debt of 50,000. Should he take a 190,000 second mortgage to refinance an existing mortgage with a balance of 140,000? Or should he borrow the money from a 50,000 home equity loan?

In most cases, borrowers who took a mortgage when rates were lower will find a second mortgage better than a home equity loan. But to be certain, some factors need to be considered.

You need to compare the interest rate and points of the first mortgage with that of a second mortgage. Second, find out if there are any PMIs (Private Mortgage Insurance) involved with the second mortgage. Find out what loan term is most favorable for you on your second mortgage. Your income tax bracket and amount of cash you need from your second mortgage are also necessary factors.

Consider the case above. If the first mortgage at 14,000 was acquired two years ago, the interest rate would be 7 percent for 30 years without PMI. Lets say your income bracket is 39.6% (the highest) and you are capable of earning 5% more on your investments. Your house is now worth 213,000.

A second mortgage for 190,000 with settlement costs will require PMI. If you decide to get a home equity loan instead, you will get 30 years loan term at 8.25% and one point. For 50,000, your second mortgage will include additional costs for 15 years at 11.5% and one point. The result will be that over the course of five years, your second mortgage will have saved you 11,361 more than what refinancing will.

Take a second mortgage or get a new one and pay PMI?

Getting a second mortgage has more advantages when it comes to taxes than a separate loan. But usually, this depends on many other factors.

Getting a second mortgage is better than getting a separate loan when the rate difference between the second mortgage and the first mortgage is small. If the loan term is short, then getting a second mortgage probably makes more sense than getting a separate loan. Balance is paid off faster with shorter term loans. Since second mortgages have considerably higher rates, the shorter the loan term is, the better it is to get a second mortgage loan.

Other factors that affect the advantage of second mortgages over separate mortgages are tax brackets, closing costs, and expected appreciation rate.

For example, you have a tax bracket of 15% and a 30-year first mortgage for 160,000 and a second mortgage for 20,000 at 11.75%, zero points, and to be paid off in 15 years. A separate mortgage would be for 180,000 with down payment at 10%. Interest rate for this separate mortgage would be at 8.25%, zero points, and 0.52% PMI.

When you calculate this, you can see that over the five years, a second mortgage will have saved you 16.97% more than a separate mortgage would.

Second Mortgage Loan

A second mortgage loan is a subsequent loan and subordinate to the earlier mortgage. In other words, a second mortgage loan is used as collateral pledged for the first loan.

Length of Second Mortgage Loans

Second mortgage loans have varying lengths with which they are eventually paid off. Some second mortgage loans may last for as long as 15 or 20 years. Other second mortgage loans only require one year for repayment.

When youre thinking of taking on a second mortgage loan, you will need to know what term best suits you. Discuss the repayment terms of the second mortgage loan with your bank or lending company. For instance, you get a second mortgage loan worth 20,000 to make some home repairs. With this amount, you might want to take on a second mortgage loan that will allow you to repay the entire amount in one or two years. If you pay a second mortgage loan that has a shorter term, the monthly payments may be too high.

Payment Calculations for Second Mortgage Loans

Before taking on second mortgage loan, be sure that you understand a couple of things first. Know how much your monthly payments will be for that second mortgage loan. Moreover, it is also helpful if you also have an idea as to where those second mortgage loan payments will cover.

Some second mortgage loans require you to make monthly payments on both interest and principal. Other second mortgage loans only require you to pay the interest of the borrowed amount.

The former type of second mortgage loans will allow you to significantly shorten your payoff period since with each payment you make, you are also chipping away at the principal. With the interest-only second mortgage loan however you will be required to pay back the entire amount that you borrowed as soon as the term ends. This type of second mortgage loan is also called balloon payment loans.

Second Mortgage Loan Costs

Fees may be charged by some lending companies for the money you borrow on second mortgage loans. The fees, referred to as points, are usually a percentage of the second mortgage loan. One point on your second mortgage loan is equivalent to one percent of the amount you borrow.

So, if you were to get a second mortgage loan of 10,000 with an eight-point fee, then you would have to pay 800 in points. Second mortgage loan companies may charge you in varying number of points so if it might be helpful if you do a comparison first.

Second Mortgage Loan Rates

Second mortgage loans have different payments plans. Most second mortgage loans have a fixed rate payment included in their payment plans. If you have a fixed rate second mortgage loan, the interest rate will be set for the whole loan term. This means that your monthly payments for your second mortgage loan will not be affected by any outside changes.

Some companies also offer second mortgage loans with variable rate payments. These variable rate second mortgage loans periodically experience rate adjustments. A variable rate second mortgage loan might be cheaper than a fixed rate payment in the long run. But this is only provided if the interest rates of second mortgage loans go down. If interest rates rise, then your monthly payments for your second mortgage loan will rise as well.

Reverse Mortgage

A home loan that you do not have to pay back for as long as youre alive or for as long as you live there? That sounds too good to be true, but thats what reverse mortgages do.

A reverse mortgage is a loan that you make where you do not have to pay back anything for as long as you still possess that property you have purchased. Reverse mortgages provide you with cash which you can use for other investments. By turning the value of your home into cash, reverse mortgages gives you virtually unlimited funds without having to move and even without repaying the loan every month.

There are several ways to give you the cash from reverse mortgages. You can get cash from a reverse mortgage all at once or in a single lump sum. With a reverse mortgage, you can also opt to receive a regular monthly cash advance.

In addition, a reverse mortgage can offer you cash as a creditline account. This creditline account from a reverse mortgage will let you get the amount of money you want whenever the need arises. And if none of these methods suits you, reverse mortgage cash may be given to you using any combination of the abovementioned methods.

Whether or not you want your cash from a reverse mortgage be paid to you in lump or in installment, the main thing is that you do not have to pay anything back until you die, sell your home, or permanently move. Reverse mortgages usually cater to homeowners who are 62 years old and older.

Reverse Mortgage vs. Other Home Loans

In most other loans, a systematic check on your income and assets is done in order to pre-qualify for the mortgage. This is done as an assurance to the lender that you will be able to afford the monthly payments tied with a loan. Since reverse mortgages do not involve any monthly payments, you not have to go through these tedious prequalification procedures. Qualifying for a reverse mortgage is easy and hassle-free. There is no minimum income required and no monthly repayments. And whats more, with a reverse mortgage, you do not stand the chance of losing your home.

The downside to a reverse mortgage

In every story, there is always the other side of the coin. While reverse mortgages have their advantages, they also have a downside. As you know already, reverse mortgages do not require monthly paybacks. This means that with reverse mortgages, you are actually taking out equity from your home and turning it into cash. This does not bode well for your debt or your home equity for that matter.

Heres how it works. Other mortgages require a person to make a down payment when buying a home. As years go on, they use their income to pay back the money they borrowed in making the purchase. This decreases their debt and increases the value of their home.

With a reverse mortgage, everything works in the reverse. You have your home. You convert its value into cash. And then you take out that cash every now and then, thereby increasing your debt and reducing your home equity.

Of course, this is not always the case with reverse mortgages. If your home value grows rapidly or you only one loan on your home, theres every chance that your equity could increase over time.

Refinance Mortgage

There are several reasons why a refinance mortgage might just be the right option for you. Getting a refinance mortgage is a smart move for any home buyer. With refinance mortgage, not only do you lower down your interest rates but you also reduce your monthly repayments. Refinance mortgages will also allow you to change loan terms from a long one to something shorter. In this way, you can pay off your refinance mortgage loan much quicker and save more on your overall interest bill.

What Refinance Mortgage Does for You

Typically, the first home loan that you have was probably closed on high interest rates. Refinance mortgages can lower those rates for you. By taking on a second refinance mortgage, you close the new loan at lower interest rates and pay off the existing loan.

The impact of refinance mortgages on the amount of funds you accumulate is especially big if interest rates are as low as 2% to 1%. Imagine if your existing principal loan balance is 150,000 with an interest rate of 6%. Your monthly payment for this loan is 899.30. If you take on a second refinance mortgage with 5% annual interest rate and a 30-year term, your monthly payment would be 805.23. The refinance mortgage you take actually saves you 93.77 on your monthly payments.

Now, you might think that 93.77 of savings on refinance mortgages is hardly worth anything. But this amount, when accumulated, can be a nice addition to your funds. Take the above example. If you use a refinance mortgage calculator, you will be able to find out how much are the total interest bills of each loan. The first loan would have an interest rate bill of 173,757.28 after a year. The refinance mortgage however would only have an interest bill of 139,883.68. This allows you to save up to 33,873.61 on your refinance mortgage interest alone.

Just imagine what you can do that amount of money in your savings. A new home? A new car? All that is possible with a refinance mortgage loan.

Aside from giving you big savings, refinance mortgages also allows for greater loan satisfaction. If the terms of your current loan are unsatisfactory, you can make the switch and may the pay off with a refinance mortgage. Refinance mortgage gives you the option of changing your lending company whose services or programs make you unhappy. Perhaps you would like to change the duration of your loan? A refinance mortgage makes it possible for you to take on a shorter loan term yet still be able to repay your existing loan.

Tired of receiving several bills at the end of each month? Refinance mortgages will help eliminate that. Free of hassle is what you will be when you get a refinance mortgage loan. Just think. Getting a second refinance mortgage will allow you to consolidate all your debts into one single monthly bill. One bill means less confusion and less possibility of a bill forgotten or a debt going unpaid. With a refinance mortgage, you can even remove yourself from collections and the harassment of collection agents.

Refinance Mortgage Rate Calculator

Refinancing is a smart move if you want to lower your monthly payment and overall interest bill. With refinance mortgages, you are also able to change the term of the loan to a shorter one so you can pay off the loan earlier and save more on interest.

There are actually several reasons why people want to take a refinance mortgage. This is also why refinance mortgage rate calculators are important. Refinance mortgage rate calculators help consumers determine the amount of savings they can make on their chosen loan type. Refinance mortgage rate calculators also aid you in finding out how much is your monthly payment for your refinancing loan.

The Internet refinance mortgage rate calculators show you the monthly payments you need to make for your mortgage. Aside from that, these refinance mortgage rate calculators also show you the total interest rate. If youre more concerned on how much saving you will be able to make with a refinancing loan, refinance mortgage rate calculators will also help you on that.

The refinance mortgage rate calculator will ask you for your current loan information. For instance, on the refinance mortgage rate calculator, a field labeled Principal Balance will be provided along with the Monthly Payment and Annual Interest Rate fields. You need fill these up in order to start using the refinance mortgage rate calculator.

To complete the process, the websites refinance mortgage rate calculator will also ask for your new loan information. Another three fields will be provided in the refinance mortgage rate calculator. The refinance mortgage rate calculator fields are: Annual Interest Rate, Term, and closing Costs. By checking on the Finance Closing Costs at the bottom part of the refinance mortgage rate calculator and then hitting the Calculate button, you can determine how many months it will take for your loan to break even on the closing costs.

For example, for the Principal Balance field on the refinance mortgage rate calculator, you put in 150,000 (Take note that the amount you place in this refinance mortgage rate calculator field represents the remaining pay-off balance). The Interest Rate of your current loan is 6% and the data you put in the refinance mortgage rate calculator Monthly Payment field is 899.30.

For the New Loan Information portion of the refinance mortgage rate calculator, you place the following data: 5% Annual Interest Rate, 30-year Term, and 0 for Closing Costs. Make sure that you check the box for Finance Closing Costs at the bottom of the refinance mortgage calculator before hitting the Calculate button.

The results of the refinance mortgage rate calculator would show you that your new monthly payment would be 805.23, 93.77 short of your current loan monthly payment. The refinance mortgage rate calculator would also display the difference in the interest rates of both loans. With the refinance mortgage rate calculator, you will be able to find that the total interest of your current loan would be 173,757.28 while your new interest after refinancing would be 139,883.68. This allows you to save 33,873.61 on interest.

Real Estate Tax Mortgage Calculators

Today, the asking price of most properties is quite large and usually beyond the normal means of the consumer. This is why a lot of people apply for a loan in order to acquire property.

To pre-qualify yourself for such a loan, you would need the help of a real estate tax mortgage calculator. A real estate tax mortgage calculator can calculate a number of things that pertain to mortgages. One of the first things that real estate tax mortgage calculators do is to see if you pre-qualify for a mortgage.

A real estate tax mortgage calculator would need some information from you. Before starting the pre-qualifying process you would have to provide the real estate tax mortgage calculator with your gross pre-tax income, total monthly debts, loan amount, loan interest rate, and loan term. The real estate tax mortgage calculators need all these information so that it can gauge the loan against your personal income. This method of assessment used by real estate tax mortgage calculators is also the method used by banks and other lending companies so you can be assured that the information you get from a real estate tax mortgage calculator is accurate.

After putting in all the relevant information, the real estate tax mortgage calculator will tell you if you passed the pre-qualification by giving a yes/no answer. If the real estate tax mortgage calculator says Yes, this means that you have met the income requirements for that mortgage.

However, if the real estate tax mortgage calculator tells you No, then it means that you were unable to make it to the income cut off. Along with the pre-qualifying test results, the real estate tax mortgage calculator will also show you the minimum income requirement in order for you to qualify. Real estate tax mortgage calculator therefore also gives you an idea on how much you need to earn in order to re-apply for the loan.

After determining that you pre-qualify for the mortgage using the real estate tax mortgage calculator, it is now time for you to contact the bank or lending company. Before signing in for a mortgage though, make sure that you know what Principal, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance are involved. These data are made available to you using a real estate tax mortgage calculator.

A real estate tax mortgage calculator will help you know the value of the mortgage in dollars. Repayments for mortgages can also be determined using a real estate tax mortgage calculator. If you want to know how many repayments there would be, you can also use a real estate tax mortgage calculator for that. A real estate tax mortgage calculator can also help you estimate when you will be able to pay off the balance in full. Whether your are late in making repayments or do it in advance, a real estate tax mortgage calculator will help you determine the circumstances.

Because a real estate tax mortgage calculator can answer those questions and more, you can then give yourself the opportunity to accurately evaluate the mortgage offered and see if you can afford the payments.