Basic Home Loan Terms Explained
by: Max Hunter
The wonderful world of home buying can sometimes overwhelm the first time homebuyer. They are inundated with information riddled with terms of art. ARMS, points, interest rates, good faith estimates, pay-downs, lock-in dates, so on and so forth. Though some or all of these terms may seem somewhat foreign to you, do not get overwhelmed, there are simple explanations for each and every one of them.
Let us start with the different types of loans there are. Typically all home loans fall into two basic categories: mortgages and home equity loans. Mortgages are simply a loan against property that is secured with a "mortgage". This "mortgage" is basically a lien against the property until such time that loan is satisfied. So a mortgage is a loan against property that is secured with a lien against it.
A home equity loan is a loan that is also secured with a lien against the property. The home equity loan lien is secondary to the first mortgage on the home. This type of loan is based on the amount of equity in the house. Equity is the difference in dollars between the value of the home and the amount owed on it. Equity can be a positive number (the house is worth more than what is owed) or can be a negative number (negative equity) which means that there is more owed on the house than the house is worth.
A lien is simply a legal term that indicates that someone other than the homeowner has a legal right and interest in the property. So, if the property is ever sold, all liens need to be satisfied - any money owed to anyone with a lien must be paid, otherwise the new owner may become obligated to pay the amount owed. A lien is against property, not a person. Typically in all real estate transactions there will be a title search that will reveal any liens against the property. This title search is basically an examination over anyone and anything that may have some legal interest, obligation or right to the property.
If there are multiple home loans on a property the order they are paid in is the oldest to the newest. This is only a factor if the property is being sold for below what is owed. This is either through a "short sale" where the house is being sold by the homeowner for below the amount that is owed in the house. They will need approval from all lien holders in order to do this. This is also an issue if a house falls into foreclosure.
Within these two types of loans you will want to know the difference between a fixed-rate mortgage and a variable rate mortgage. A variable or adjustable rate mortgage is an ARM. Fixed-rate mortgages have the same interest rate from the first day of the loan to the last day of the loan unless it is refinanced. A fixed rate or variable rate loan will generally start off for a period of time at a specified rate and then after that period ends, if the loan has not been paid off or refinanced then the rate becomes adjustable based on specific conditions set forth in advance - typically tied to the federal interest rate. An ARM loan will have typically a 3 or 5 year period during which the rate is lower than the going rate. This is used to entice would-be borrowers or help borrowers have lower payments for the initial period.
"Points" are often discussed in connection with loan packages and interest rates. You can "pay down" an interest rate by paying points for example. What this means is you can pay for a lower interest rate if you pay a specified number of points. Points are simply one percent of the loan amount. So a $100,000 loan equates to $1000 for every point.
Another term you will often here is PMI, private mortgage insurance. PMI is insurance for your lender when the amount you borrow is more than 80% of the value of the property. In these cases the borrower needs to pay for this insurance policy. The calculation for your monthly PMI payment is 0.5% of your loan amount divided by twelve.
Tied to the calculation of PMI, as well as many other factors of the loan is an appraisal. An appraisal is a determination by a real estate professional of what the value of the property is. They will evaluate the property and similar properties in the area. They will consider market trends, recent sales and other factors to give an estimate on what the property is worth and would sell for.
Another potential add-on to your monthly payments is escrow payments. Escrow is money that is being held typically to pay taxes. Your lender will collect 1/12 of your yearly taxes every month in order to be assured that your taxes are paid. Your lender then makes your required tax payments. Typically your lender will have a cushion in the escrow account of 2 - 3 months in case you fall behind in your payments.
Though there are many more terms you may encounter these are the most often used, misunderstood terms. During the home loan process, however, you should never feel embarrassed or ashamed to ask what a term means. The more you know the better off you will be.
About The Author
Max Hunter is the author of many credit related articles. If you are looking for help with Home Loans or any type of credit issue please visit us at http://www.homeloanave.com.
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Subprime Mortgages And A Past Bankruptcy
Subprime Mortgages And A Past Bankruptcy
by: Carrie Reeder
Even with a Chapter 7 bankruptcy in your credit report you can still qualify for a sub-prime mortgage. Once approved, you can then use your mortgage to improve your credit history, qualifying you for lower interest rates in the future.
The Effects of a Bankruptcy
A bankruptcy will affect your credit score based on how long ago it was. So a bankruptcy discharged less than a year ago will qualify you for a D loan. These types of loans usually require 30% down and a high interest rate.
By waiting a year after a bankruptcy, you can qualify for a B or C loan with their lower rates and down payment requirements. If you wait two years, you can qualify for a FHA home loan. In four years, you can qualify for a conventional loan.
Besides your bankruptcy record, financing companies will want to see a steady payment history. This includes your credit and rent payments. Cash reserves...
Subprime Mortgages And A Past Bankruptcy
Mortgages > Subprime Mortgages And A Past Bankruptcy
Mortgage Application Tips
Mortgage Application Tips
by: Suvadip Das
Get a comfortable table or desk and spend the time to fill out your mortgage application neatly and correctly. If you are given a paper application at the bank or credit union, ask permission to bring it home and complete the application when you are not under pressure, and have all of your documents handy. If you are doing it online, use extra caution, watching out for mistypes, misspellings and make sure that you put the correct info into the correct form fields.
One way to smoothly go through the mortgage application process is to create your own application package approximately one year and no later than six months prior to applying for a residential mortgage loan. Gather all of your information, check your credit report and that way you can be aware of any surprises before you speak to a lender. Here are some of the things you should prepare during this period:
List of debts
Make sure...
Mortgage Application Tips
Mortgages > Mortgage Application Tips
Second Mortgage a Good First Step
Second Mortgage a Good First Step
by: Mike Hamel
A second mortgage can be the first step to climbing out of debt, especially for homeowners who have bad credit. A second mortgage is a loan taken out in ?second position? on a property that already has a mortgage. There are fixed-rate loans, adjustable-rate loans and home equity lines of credit (also known as HELOCs). Fixed-dollar-amount mortgages are the way to go when you need all the money at once. A HELOC is a credit line that can be drawn upon as needed up to the limit of the loan.
?Bad Credit? Second Mortgages
Your right to credit is guaranteed by the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. You can?t be denied credit based on race, gender, marital status or ethnicity. But how much money you can borrow and how much interest you will be charged will depend on your credit score.
Credit is easy to get and hard to control. Not using it properly will get you a low FICO score from the three major...
Second Mortgage a Good First Step
Mortgages > Second Mortgage a Good First Step
Subprime Mortgages ? Information
Subprime Mortgages ? Information
by: Dan Lewis
Undoubtedly, you?ve heard the radio commercial claiming you can get a mortgage despite having bad credit. Bad credit mortgages are better known as subprime mortgages.
Subprime
?Subprime? is a euphemism for a borrower who simply doesn?t qualify for a traditional home mortgage.
Subprime loans used to be very difficult to get, but things changed in the 1990?s. Banks began to realize there were a lot of borrowers with less than stellar credit or other problems. More borrowers meant more revenues, so banks started creating subprime mortgages and the game was on. As a result of these new loans, home ownership in the United States has risen to all time highs.
One of the biggest determinants in qualifying for a loan is your credit score. A borrower?s credit history is analyzed using a ?FICO? score, named after Fair Isaac and Company, Inc. Generally, a FICO score below 620 is considered...
Subprime Mortgages ? Information
Mortgages > Subprime Mortgages ? Information
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