Jim Johnson asked:


For most people the mortgage industry seems to speak a foreign language, with terms and acronyms that are vague and unfamiliar. And of course, when dealing with large sums of money such as those found in a home mortgage, you want to try to understand the language as much as possible in order to avoid making mistakes. So here is a little primer on some of the most important terms used when getting a mortgage or home loan.

There are four types of mortgages that are generally available and those are fixed rate, adjustable rate, convertible and special loans.

Fixed Rate Loans – usually these are found in either the 30 year loan or 15 year loan category, and this simply means that you pay a fixed payment each month over the course of either the 30 years or 15 years.

Adjustable Rate Loans – this is where your payment can fluctuate depending on the prevailing interest rate at the time. If interest rates rise, then your payment goes up and if interest rates fall, your payment goes down instead.

Convertible Loans – these are loans that may start out as either a fixed rate or an adjustable rate mortgage, and then can be converted over to the opposite kind of loan instead. Many people will use this type of loan to start out as an adjustable rate mortgage and then convert over to a fixed rate mortgage when interest rates are at their lowest.

Special Loans – these include FHA loans for first-time homebuyers and folks with credit problems, and also VA mortgage loans for veterans of the Armed Forces and their families.

There are other terms that you need to know when it comes to getting a home mortgage as well and they are:

Appraisal – this is where you pay an independent person to correctly assess the value of your home using excepted market calculations.

Closing costs – these are fees that are usually payable when the mortgage papers are signed that pays for the transfer of the ownership of the home.

Points – this is a value that typically relates to 1% of the total cost of the home being mortgaged.

Escrow – this is where money is often held by a neutral third party in a transaction of two or more people.

Pre-qualify – this is where a lending institution will state that you do qualify for receiving a home mortgage for a certain price range of home.

Pre-approval – this is where a lending institution has already run the necessary paperwork and approved a home mortgage loan for a certain amount.

There are other special terms and acronyms used by the mortgage industry, but the ones listed above are perhaps the ones that are most commonly used. Hopefully this will help you be more informed when you try to get your next home mortgage loan.



FORREST

Dean Shainin asked:


Home loan refinancing is a situation whereby a borrower acquires a new home loan in order to replace an existing one.

What are the benefits of refinancing your existing home loan?

The three main benefits of home loan refinancing are outlined below.

1. Refinancing enables you to lower your current mortgage payments.

2. Refinancing your home loan helps you to benefit from a lower interest rate.

3. Refinancing can also help a home owner to consolidate their debt and hence save some money in the long run.

A bad credit means a higher risk from the lenders’ point of view, and it calls for a higher interest rate when getting a mortgage. So basically when one takes a loan with a bad credit history, the interest rate tends to be high. Over time, as one’s credit history improves, once can refinance their mortgages and get better rates. For the bad credit home loan refinancing to be beneficial, the interest rate on the refinanced loan has to be lower than the one on the current loan.

Various lenders have different criteria and requirements for refinancing, and it is recommended that you research and identify where you can get the best deal.

Although refinancing your home loan is generally the best way to consolidate high interest debt, it has to have specific benefits in your particular case for it to be worth it. By refinancing your home loan, you will have to be able to enjoy some benefits, mainly a noticeable lower interest rate. Generally, if you are able to lower your current home loan interest rate by 2%, then is logical for you to refinance.

Mortgage finance packages, interest rates and lending criteria change over time. What was available at the time when you got your first loan may be different from what the mortgages market offers now, depending on the amount of time that has gone by since you first took out a home loan. It is therefore recommended that you take time to research, shop around and compare the various mortgage lenders and the interest rates that are available.

By refinancing your home loan, you can save some money on interest. In addition, you can also benefit from some promotional offers which banks often offer online. You can also take advantage of refinancing your home loan when rates are low. By researching the home refinancing loan market to secure the best interest rates and terms that are available to you from the many different lenders, and also keep on patiently observing how the interest rate go, you may be able to get your refinance home loan when the interest rates are at their lowest.

With the Internet, you can do your research and use the tools available on many websites to compare what is offered by different lenders. By doing this research, you will be able to get the best mortgage refinance that offers lowest rate and that best suit your financial circumstances. It is recommended that you make at least three interest rate comparisons from different mortgage lenders.

If you take some time to do a research and comparison of what the mortgages refinance market offers, and if you also make sure that your credit is in order, you can refinance your home loan and get a lower interest rate that will help you make some savings in the long term.



CLINTON

Ash asked:


I’m hoping to buy a home in the near future. I have a very good job, but I am currently on contract. I have been here for close to a year and have another year still remaining on my contract, at which time I will hopefully be made perminant. I have $25,000 to put down towards a home and have a good credit score. What are my odds of getting a mortgage? How reluctant are companies to give loans to people who work on a contract?
I’m not working for a temp agency, I’m working on a contract at a University. I’m full time and salary, but after 1 year they do not have to keep me on full time if they choose.

ERNEST