I once helped a customer cut over $700 off his monthly mortgage payment. That's right, over $8,000 each year and over $40,000 in just five years. Now, not everyone can save this much, but if you have a loan that is over $200,000, you could come close to this, if you refinance your fixed rate mortgage to a new loan program.
What's the secret, you might ask? Don't be afraid to take an Adjustable Rate Mortgage or, perhaps, an interest-first mortgage. The problem, though, is most mortgage brokers or bankers will not encourage you to make this move.
There are many reasons -- the most likely one being their desire to make more money off of you. They do this based on the program and the interest rate you accept. You see, mortgage brokers are not unlike realtors, home improvement companies or car salesman -- they all work on commission.
Mortgage brokers can also make a commission, paid by your lender, if you take a higher interest rate than you qualify for. So, a mortgage broker may encourage you to take a new fixed-rate, 15-year mortgage at 6.5 percent. This might be an improvement of 1 percent over your current 30-year fixed rate loan. Now, most people will think this is amazing.
What you may not realize is that you might qualify for this loan at a rate of 5.0 percent.
This might cost you $50 to $150 per month. Meanwhile, the mortgage broker likely pockets an extra $500 to $1,000 for selling you this bogus rate. Now, if you say you want the adjustable rate mortgage, perhaps a 5-year or 3-year ARM, you can cut your rate by as much as four or five percent. On a large mortgage, like $200,000 to 400,000 you can save as much as $400 each month.
Be sure if you get an adjustable rate mortgage that you learn all about how they work. The wealth-building program, Winning the Mortgage Game will help.
Mark Barnes is an investment real estate and real estate finance expert. Get his free mortgage finance course at http://www.winningthemortgagegame.com and also learn how to gain financial independence through proper real estate investment strategies. Mark is also the author of the new novel, The League, a shocking, sports-related conspiracy. Learn more about his suspense thriller at http://www.sportsnovels.com