Home Loans and Mortgages Time to Consolidate Loans?
Home equity loans and lines of credit are useful tools for homeowners. They allow the homeowner to borrow against the value of his or her home for all kinds of purposes home improvement, debt consolidation, vacations, and more. The loans, backed by the value of the house itself, come with ... more...

How to Compare Fixed Rate Mortgages and Adjustable Rate Mortgages
There are many types of mortgages, and the more you know about them before you start, the better. To compare one Adjustable Rate Mortgage with another or with a fixed-rate mortgage, you need to know about indexes, margins, discounts, caps, negative amortization, and convertibility. You need to ... more...

How Do I Know Whether or Not I Will End Up Saving Money When Refinancing My Home Loan?
To save money, you must live in your house longer than the "break-even period" the period over which the interest savings just cover the refinance expenses. The larger the spread between the new interest rate and the rate on your existing loan, the shorter the break-even period. The more it cost ... more...

Fixed Versus Adjustable Rate Mortgages
Which One Should You Choose?Choosing between a fixed rate loan and aa adjustable rate loan is one of the most perplexing choices anyone can make. With a fixed rate loan, you know exactly where you stand today, and where youll stand any number of years from today. The fixed rate is easy to ... more...

Bad Credit Home Loans - Pre-Approval is Still Possible With Adverse Credit History
If you are among the millions with less than perfect credit, there are many sources available to you in obtaining a mortgage. Lenders that specialize in mortgages for those with bad credit are competing for your business. The lender will analyze your credit report, credit score, debt-to-income ... more...

How To Buy a House After Bankruptcy
You can buy a house after bankruptcy before it drops off your credit record in seven to ten years. Rates can be reasonably low in only two years by rebuilding your credit score. Also, taking time to search for just the right loan can save you thousands on interest payments and fees. These four ... more...

Rate Locks And How They Work
Remember, rates change all the time, and it can be one or two months between the time you apply for a loan and when your sale closes... and rates can have jumped in that time.A lock commits the lender to lend at a specified interest rate and points, provided the loan is closed within the specified ... more...

40-Year Mortgages: An Alternative to Interest-only Loans?
Interest-only loans are quickly becoming a mainstream loan product. Borrowers who were initially turned-off by the perceived risk associated with an interest-only loan are now starting to see the benefits: Lower payments, less money tied up in equity, more flexibility, etc.For the savvy borrower, ... more...

Should You Choose to Refinance?
Refinancing has become a valid option for many individuals with high interest rates on their mortgage. Refinancing is essentially a replacement loan, with a different lender and (hopefully) a lower interest rate.So why would you choose to refinance?You may be able to take advantage of lower ... more...

Is Consolidating Loans Right For You?
Consolidating loans makes sense but only if you can pay a lower interest rate than what you're paying now. This is especially true if you are consolidating mortgage loans. Be aware of your total overall costs to avoid getting deeper in debt than when you started.Have you ever asked yourself why ... more...

Are Option Pay ARM's Risky?
The general consensus about the riskiness of Option Pay mortgage loans is that they are high risk; high risk to both the borrower and the lender. To add even more risk to the loans, consumers and loan officers not only have to understand initial and lifetime caps, various indicies and margins, but ... more...

What to Look for in a Home
Searching for just the right home can be very exciting. You may plan ahead for the number of bedrooms and bathrooms that you want. Or imagine preparing for dinner parties in a sun-filled kitchen. Although these things are important, there is more to a good home purchase than the rooms it contains. ... more...