pre-approved mortgages, MI Michigan

pre-approved mortgages - MI Michigan: mortgages, loans of any type, refinancing, quick easy online quotes, home equity loans, See if you could save on your mortgage today.

What should you look for in a rate lock? Make sure it allows enough time for your loan to be processed. And get it in writing. This is important because some lenders offer rate protection for just a week or 10 days — not long enough for many loans or home sales to be completed. If you exceed the lock-in period and your rate expires, you may see your loan rate go up.

Fixer-Upper -- Buying a fixer-upper is a good way to own a home that you ordinarily wouldnt be able to afford. If youre a handyman or a handywoman, or you know someone who is, this could be the home for you. The real estate industry has placed an annoying little word on the difference between the improved homes value and the price you paid plus the repairs -- sweat equity. For instance, if the improved house is worth $150,000 and you paid $130,000 for the house and $10,000 in repairs, your sweat equity (arghhh) is $10,000. Again, you should definitely have a home inspection with this house, and have a contractor give you an estimate on repair costs. Also, ask your lender about special loans with which you can build the repair costs into your mortgage.

Fannie Mae: This major publicly-chartered corporation that buys mortgages from lenders and sells them to investors offers a mortgage known as Fannie Mae97, which features a loan-to-value (LTV) percentage of 97 percent. It requires a 3 percent down payment on either a 25- or 30-year fixed mortgage. It is primarily a loan for people with modest incomes who want to become homeowners. Borrowers must take a pre-purchase homebuyer education session to qualify for this loan.

As you would expect lenders apply an Early Redemption Charge with cashback mortgages. Typically a borrower will be locked-in for 5 to 7 years where a substantial cashback has been paid.

This chart gives other examples: the house price range for a monthly payment of $1,060. How much house you can buy depends on the interest rate and the size of the down payment.

But before you finish buying the house, there are other typical closing costs. You need to have enough cash to cover these basic costs plus your down payment. Lenders estimate 3 percent to 6 percent of the loan amount in closing costs. On a $100,000 mortgage that would be $3,000 to $6,000.

Private Mortgage Insurance Youll have to pay private mortgage insurance if you end up borrowing more than 80 percent of your homes value. It might be cheaper to take out a home equity loan.

Interest Rates On Mortgages When you have chosen the right mortgage for you, whether it be a repayment or an interest only mortgage, you will need to consider the 4 main mortgage rate options available.

A hybrid or fixtable loan is an ARM, that behaves like a fixed-rate loan for the first few years. A north american mortgage company may offer a fixed rate for three, five, seven, or even 10 years. You can enjoy the stability of a fixed-rate without paying the premium interest rate associated with it.

After looking at all the costs involved in buying house, you may have begun to have second thoughts: Perhaps, it is better to rent a home. Real estate in most areas today is not a top investment compared with investment securities. Youre not going to get a 30 percent return on your house, said Steve OConnor, senior director of residential finance at the Mortgage Bankers Association of America. In the past decade, people have been advised to think of a home as shelter not investment OConnor said. Wealth accumulation is secondary.

Your monthly mortgage payment -- including principal, interest, real estate taxes and homeowners insurance -- should not be more than 28 percent of your gross monthly income (before taxes). This is your housing expense ratio.