What is the best home loan for a short term mortgage?
Home Mortgage
Tom W asked:
It is for an investment property and I am only planning on holding on to it for 3-5 years. What is the best home loan available with the lowest payment without any differed intrest?
Stacy
It is for an investment property and I am only planning on holding on to it for 3-5 years. What is the best home loan available with the lowest payment without any differed intrest?
Stacy
March 4th, 2009 at 10:12 am
Allen
Types of Mortgages
How much house you can buy also depends on your mortgage’s term and interest rate. The term is the length of time (usually 15 or 30 years) over which payments will be paid. The rate can be fixed (meaning it doesn’t change over the loan’s term) or adjustable (it fluctuates with market conditions). Thirty-year fixed-rate mortgages remain the most popular. The longer term lowers the monthly payment, while the fixed rate provides stability over the life of the loan. Given relatively low interest rates, these mortgages are attractive to buyers planning to stay at least six or seven years in their new home. The drawbacks are low principal payments in the early years, and the risk that market rates will decline over the term. However, if your credit history is sound and you have sufficient income, you can usually refinance your mortgage when rates decline.
A 15-year term lowers the interest rate, reduces total interest payments, and increases principal payments. But it also increases monthly payments. If you can’t afford the higher payments now, you might opt for a 30-year mortgage. If there are no prepayment penalties, you can make additional principal payments as your income increases. Making just one extra monthly payment a year will pay off a 30-year mortgage in less than 22 years and can save tens of thousands of dollars in interest costs. If you plan to stay in a home no more than three years, you might want an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM). ARMs offer initial rates that are lower than fixed mortgages. At some point, usually after the first year, rates are tied to market conditions and are subject to potential rate increases. Most ARMs include a cap on rate increases in any given year, as well as over the life of the loan. Some ARMs offer initial rates at least 2% below fixed rates and limit increases to 1% annually and 5% to 6% over the life of the loan. Many home buyers are attracted by the affordability of an ARM during the initial period. However, you should be confident that your future income will be sufficient if both interest rates and your monthly payments increase.
Another popular mortgage involves a balloon payment. A balloon is a lump-sum payment that pays off the loan in full after a fixed period of time. Generally the rates on balloon mortgages are 1/4% to 3/4% less than on 30-year fixed mortgages, but during an initial period of between 3 and 15 years, payments are similar. After this period, the remaining outstanding principal balance is either due in full or subject to refinancing. This is a good option for home buyers who plan to sell before the final payment is due. But because property values fluctuate, you may not be able to sell when you want. You may also face higher payments if you are forced to refinance at a higher rate, and there is also a risk that you may not be in a position to refinance when the balloon becomes due.
Three Steps to Finding the Right Mortgage
Estimate how long you expect to live in the house. If the answer is less than three to five years, consider an Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM), which typically starts out with a lower rate. If you plan to live in your new home longer than five years, a fixed-rate mortgage offers protection against rising interest rates.
Shop around for mortgage rates. Banks, credit unions, and mortgage companies all offer mortgages. Compare at least six lenders in your area.
Add up all the costs for each lender. Include fees, points, closing costs, etc., to arrive at the total mortgage cost for each lender.
March 7th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Joe
the very BEST loan is the one you can always afford…talk to your local banks and financial institurions.
in todays market you want to stay away from ARMs (adjustable rate mortgages)…the monthly payments will start to climb and before you know it the monthly payment will be out of your reach and you will be in a foreclosure.
this is what is happening all across america right now…forclosures are up up up due to ARMs.
stick with your local financial inst. and
30 yr fixed rate no prepay penalty (20% down)
….this should be good..if your credit is good enough you will get a low rate.
good luck
March 11th, 2009 at 1:09 am
Jessie
If you only plan to hold the property for 3-5 years, they do have ARM programs that last 5 years. Meaning you get a low introductory rate for 5 years, then the adjusts, generally based on LIBOR, every 6 months to one year, with a cap on how high it adjusts. It will never adjust during your initial ARM period, and if it looks like you’ve decided to hold on to the property, you can refinance into a fixed rate before the ARM rate expires.
You’re the perfect example of when an ARM loan is a good choice–as opposed to the ARM loans given to subprime lenders that are defaulting.
March 12th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
Marie
I would look into a 5/1 interest only. Just make sure there are no pre-payment penalties on the loan if you decide to sell before the 5 years are up.
March 14th, 2009 at 4:22 am
Tim
mortgage is a loan that is taken for buying a house or a property by using the same property as collateral. Home mortgages are very common in many countries, and are generally used for buying a house. Taking a mortgage allows the borrower to defer the payment of the house for a few years. The borrower has to pay a part of the principal and some amount as interest every month to the lender. Home mortgage refinancing is an option where the borrower exchanges one loan for another. He can sell off the loan, or a part of the loan, and take another loan at a lower rate of interest. This is an effective way to reduce the burden from existing loans.
Home mortgage refinancing is ideal when the current interest rates are lower than the rate of interest on the existing loan. With increasing real estate prices and more options for mortgage loans at lower prices, refinancing is increasingly being considered as an option by many borrowers. There are several advantages to home mortgage refinance loans apart from the lower interest rates: lower monthly payments, conversion of an adjustable rate mortgage into a fixed rate mortgage or a long-term mortgage into a short-term mortgage, consolidation of debt and generation of additional cash that can be used for home improvement, which would increase the value of the house. With refinancing, the borrower can save hundreds of dollars every month.
Refinancing can be ideally considered when the current interest rates are at least 2% less than the rates on the loan. However, even a 1% difference can mean significant savings. There are certain aspects to be contemplated while considering home mortgage refinancing: the value of the house may actually come down, instead of going up, thus making repayment difficult; there could be additional costs of refinancing; or you may have to move out of the house sooner than expected. Home mortgage refinance costs include application costs, appraisal costs, and legal fees. Nevertheless, with increasing competition, most lenders are offering low-cost and no-cost refinance options for home mortgages. However, waiver of these costs may mean accepting a slightly higher interest rate.
Home mortgage refinance loan rates are different in different states and range between 5.875% and 6.375% or higher, depending on the kind of loan.