first time home buyers, TN Tennesseefirst time home buyers - TN Tennessee: mortgages, loans of any type, refinancing, quick easy online quotes, home equity loans, See if you could save on your mortgage today. Loans for People with Less Than Perfect CreditOnce you have a better idea of the area youre interested in, its time to find out more about it. Thanks to the Internet you can take a virtual tour of almost anyplace in the world from the comfort of your La-Z-Boy. Q. What are points? A. Points are costs that need to be paid to a lender in order to receive mortgage financing under specified terms. A point is a percentage of the loan amount (one point = one percent of the loan). One point on a $100,000 loan would be $1,000. Discount points are fees that are used to lower the interest rate on a mortgage loan (you are discounting the interest rate by paying some of this interest up-front). Lenders may express other loan-related fees in terms of points. Some lenders may express their costs in terms of basis points (hundredths of a percent). 100 basis points = 1 point (or 1 percent of the loan amount). Variable Rate Linked to the Bank of England base rate, this type of mortgage can have variable monthly repayments depending on whether base rates are increasing or decreasing. In recent months the trend has been for an increase in rates, although they still remain relatively low and appear to be stable at present. It is thought by many analysts that further increases may be in the pipeline before rates start to decrease. Learn which loan fits your needs with our Purchase, Refinance, and Home Equity loan tools. Mortgage ratesFixed or adjustable rate mortgage?With a $10,000 down payment, one mortgage of $90,000 at 7.50 percent has a monthly payment of $629, plus PMI of $31.45, making a total payment of $660.45. ARMs are attractive because they offer start rates that are lower than the interest rates of fixed rate home loans. This typically enables you to begin with lower monthly payments and qualify for a larger loan. One Time Close Loans Youre looking to build a home and do not want the extra cost of two closings (construction loan and permanent loan). One application, one closing and one set of closing costs. Interest rate is protected up to 12 months with a built-in Roll Down Option. Endowment The most common type of interest only mortgage which also provides life assurance cover and a fixed payment for investment. The fixed payments are based on the amount of the loan together with the mortgage term and are designed so that, at maturity, the amount invested and earnings are sufficient to pay off the mortgage. Much maligned in the press because of the poorer investment growth rates achieved in a low inflationary environment this form of investment is less popular these days. Note there is no guarantee that, when the endowment matures and ‘pays out’, the balance will be sufficient to repay the mortgage. Property Insurance and, often, private mortgage insurance, known as PMI. PMI gives the lender protection if the homeowner should default on the loan. The mortgage company charges insurance if the down payment is less than 20 percent of the sale price or appraised value. PMI usually can be eliminated once the principal balance of the mortgage reaches 80 percent of the sale price or appraised value, which is known as the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio. Bad Credit? No Credit? Bankruptcy? No Problem! The U.S. Government and Private Foundations are NOT interested in your past. This is Free Money, Never to be Repaid. Check out! What should I be looking for? Youve finally found a place you like. Ask to see it again, and go round with someone you trust. Most people only take in a small amount of the property first time they see it. On the second visit be methodical and take notes if you like. Dont be sidetracked by colour schemes or furnishings - these are superficial and can be changed. Instead check what state the kitchen and bathroom are in - a new kitchen or bathroom suite can cost thousands - and if there is central heating. Be aware that a house with no furniture can look deceptively large. Ask the seller how much council tax bills are, and if there are any service charges. One good place to look besides credit card spending is automatic debits to your checking accounts or credit cards Mortgage lender databanks, referral services, and locators can be found on the web and are often free and easy to use. Whether your seeking a commercial or residential loan, you can look into a lender you’re interested in, or locate one in your area; even have one referred to you by a professional. Save cash with a no origination fee loan Some lenders charge an origination fee to cover the administrative costs of processing a loan. If you havent much available cash beyond the down payment, you might want to look into a no origination fee loan. First stop is Yahoo!s Get Local. Enter in the name of a town or even a zip code and the search engine will come back with just about everything you can imagine about your new area. Not only will it give you a list of all of the businesses with websites in that town, it also has information on the current weather forecast, the local sports scores, and even links to the mayor and dating services. Refinance Questions and AnswersWho pays for the broker youre using? Thats a tricky question. And the answer is, it depends on where you live. Real estate law is controlled (for the most part) at the state level. In the last few years, there have been a lot of changes aimed at protecting the house-hunting consumer. Your best bet is to call your countys or states real estate board and ask about the guidelines that govern brokers. |