Mortgage Loans - Which one is right for me?
by Dave Zwierecki
There seem to literally be thousands of mortgage programs out there so how do I know which one is best for me? Finding the right mortgage program to fit your needs and your financial goals can be difficult to do unless you are working with the "right" mortgage professional and asking the "right" questions.
Which mortgage program is right for me? This is a very common question asked by many consumers. There is no one answer fits all type response that can be given. Each and every individual person has their own specific financial situation and their own financial goals and dreams. With the number of mortgage programs out there to choose from being in the hundreds and maybe even the thousands, this can be a difficult decision trying to figure out what is going to be best for you. There are interest only loans, ARM loans, Pay Option ARM loans, balloons, fixed rate loans, extendable balloons, conventional loans, FHA loans, and many, many others to consider. Therefore, so what do I need to think about when choosing a loan program then?
Some of the main factors that you will want to consider when choosing which mortgage loan is right for you are: how long will you live in your home, do you have any children attending college currently or within the next few years, is this a starter home, will you have a pre-payment penalty, are you expecting any new family members to be added to your family, how much do you have in liquid assets, are you self-employed or do you work for someone, how much longer until you plan on retiring, do you have enough money for retirement, do you have many other financial obligations besides a mortgage, do you own any other property, and many, many others. Answering these questions, or at least thinking about them before you are ready to finance a home mortgage loan can help to greatly improve your chances of finding the right mortgage loan to meet your demands.
A fixed rate mortgage is always going to provide the most stability in the long run, however since most Americans sell or refinance every 4.6 years a fixed rate does not always make the most sense. An ARM loan can provide a cheaper payment and a lower interest rate upfront for a certain number of years, but there is a lot more risk involved obtaining an ARM loan because of the uncertainty of what will happen after the fixed rate period expires on the ARM. Interest only loans are good for real estate investors and consumers who need the flexibility of being able to make only the interest portion of the monthly payments. Pay Option ARM loans can be a great way to maximize cash flow, especially for self-employed and commissioned borrowers. However, Pay Option ARM loans can incur negative amortization, which is when your balance increases instead of decreases. There are a lot of items that you need to make sure that you understand before entering into a Pay Option ARM loan. FHA loans are usually better for homebuyers, especially first time who may not have the best credit or the best overall financial situation.
Thus, find a good mortgage professional and keep him or her for the rest of your days. The more you work with one person the more familiar they will be with your situation and be able to understand where you are coming from and where you want to go. This will help to insure that you find the proper mortgage loan for your situation.
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