Posts tagged Home Loans
What are Interested Party Contributions?

Interested Party Contributions are costs or fees paid by a party other than the seller, who has a stake of interest in the sale of the property.

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FHA 5/1 ARM: FHA 5/1 Adjustable Rate Mortgage in Home Loans

A FHA 5/1 ARM is a kind of hybrid mortgage in which interest rates remain fixed for a 5-year period, but can then increase after that due to changes in market interest rates. Unlike regular ARMs, an FHA 5/1 ARM is insured by the government, which can give you some serious benefits.

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What is Pre-Foreclosure?

Pre-foreclosure refers to a specific period of time early in the foreclosure process. Pre-foreclosure is when the property is in the infant stages of being repossessed by the bank. This period begins when the lender files a default notice on the property, effectively letting the borrower know that legal action will be pursued by the lender should the borrower not submit the delinquent payment.

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What is the best type of mortgage for me?

As a future homeowner, choosing the best mortgage for you is like choosing the best career path: there are tons of options, but only a handful that you’ll qualify for, and even fewer that will really make you happy. The good news is that by asking yourself which mortgage is best for you, you’re already thinking like a savvy consumer -- you recognize that you have a choice between many different mortgage products, and it’s just a matter of narrowing them down.

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Home Loans with Bad Credit and No Down Payment

When you were in school, it was horrifying to hear that something would be put on your “permanent record.” But, as it turned out, that wasn’t such a big deal. The only permanent record you have to fear as an adult is your credit file. A rocky start or even a prolonged hard spot can make it very difficult to buy a home of your own. When you couple that problem with having a small or nonexistent down payment, there aren’t a lot of options for purchase.

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First-Time Home Buyer Credits for Home Loans

When you’re thinking about buying your first home, there’s a lot of information to process and way too many financial decisions to make. For a lot of buyers, coming up with money for a down payment or to fund closing costs can be a huge roadblock. These buyers may give up their home search because it just seems insurmountable.

There’s good news, though! There are plenty of home buyer assistance programs out there that offer first time home buyers like you grant money, soft secondary mortgages, or other types of credits to soften the blow of trying to save up a chunk that substantial.

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Are closing costs included in the mortgage loan?

Closing costs are the fees charged for services provided by your lender to assist in closing on a property. The fees are typically required to be paid upfront at closing; however, depending on your specific loan to value ratio, and the equity in your home or loan type, you may be able to roll the closing costs into the mortgage loan. 

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What is a Partially Amortizing Loan?

Many of us are familiar with amortization and fully amortizing loans. But not all amortized loans are fully amortizing. There are actually a subset of loans that are partially amortizing. These loans are not especially common in the home loan market, but they do exist.

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What is the Meaning of Amortization?

Amortization refers to a type of payment schedule that some home loans utilize. The payment schedule is made up of equal payment amounts that are stretched over a designated amount of time (the loan term). For the purpose of an amortization schedule, each payment is divided into two portions. There is a portion that is made up of interest (the cost of the loan), and a portion that is made up of principal (the value of the borrowed sum).

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Amortized Loans in Relation to Home Loans

Amortized home loans have been the mainstream payment method for mortgages for a long time. They were introduced to the housing market thanks to intervention from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which led to the formation of a fully amortizing 30-year fixed rate home loan.

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What is an Interest-Only Mortgage?

When most homeowners get a mortgage, they start paying both the interest and the principal immediately -- but they don’t always have to. One kind of home loan, called an interest-only mortgage, allows the buyer to put off paying any of the principal for a number of years while they save money and strengthen their financial position. But, just because you don’t have to pay principal doesn’t mean you can’t; many homebuyers just like to have an option that frees up more cash for their budget.

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What Credit Score Do You Need to Get a Home Equity Loan?

Can you get a home equity loan with a bad credit score? You’re hoping so, now. When you bought your house, the pink bathroom was cute and retro, but after living with it for years, you’re about ready to spray paint the whole thing just to get a break. But with bad credit, what are your options when it comes to renovating?

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Acceptable Credit Score for a Home Equity Loan

Home equity loans can help homeowners pay for big expenses without having to refinance their homes or take out a personal loan. Instead, the equity in your home acts like a piggy bank, allowing you to take out a separate loan for a specific purpose (or, in the case of a HELOC, establish a credit line) and repay it over a longer period of time than other types of credit generally allow. It’s an affordable option for many people, but there are guidelines for underwriting home equity loans, and credit scores are included in that mix.

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DTI: Debt to Income Ratio in Home Loans

DTI, or debt-to-income ratio, is a measurement that banks and other lenders use to compare an individual’s debt payments to their overall income. They usually use this as a way to determine someone’s predicted ability to repay future debts. You can calculate DTI by dividing your total monthly debt (recurring expenses only), by your gross monthly income.

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Finding Home Equity Loans with Bad Credit

When the going gets tough, sometimes, the tough get a home equity loan. There are always going to be times in life when you could use an injection of cash, whether that’s because you’re trying to breathe life into a startup, needing to update your kitchen, or you just got a little behind on bills. A home equity loan can be an excellent weapon in your life improvement war, but if your credit is on the poor side, it can make finding a home equity loan tricky.

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FHA 7/1 ARM: FHA 7/1 Adjustable Rate Mortgage in Home Loans

An FHA 7/1 ARM is a kind of hybrid home loan that’s insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). If you get a FHA 7/1 ARM, your interest rate will be fixed for the first seven years of the loan, and can then be adjusted afterward when the variable interest rate portion of the loan begins. Like other ARMs, FHA 7/1 ARM variable interest rates are based on a index rate -- which is usually the rate at which banks in a certain area lend money to each other.

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10/1 ARM: 10/1 Adjustable Rate Mortgage in Home Loans

A 10/1 ARM is one type of hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage. Much like other hybrid loans, a 10/1 ARM has a fixed period (in this case, 10 years) during which your interest rate won’t change. That makes it one of the safest types of hybrid mortgages, as it gives you a lot of time to figure out your financial situation and determine whether you want to continue owning your home after the adjustable-rate period begins.

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7/1 ARM: 7/1 Adjustable Rate Mortgage in Home Loans

A 7/1 ARM is a kind of adjustable rate mortgage -- in this case, one that has a fixed interest rate for seven years. After that, the interest rate can change, usually depending on changes in the market interest rate. Like its cousins 3/1 ARMs and 10/1 ARMs, a 7/1 ARM is considered a hybrid mortgage because it has both a fixed-rate and a variable-rate interest period.

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HELOC: Home Equity Line Of Credit in Home Loans

A Home Equity Line of Credit, also known as a HELOC, allows you to use the value you’ve built up in your home in order to secure a revolving line of credit. Individuals and families often use a HELOC to pay for serious expenses (like healthcare or college tuition) or to consolidate high-interest loans (like credit card debt).

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How Do You Get a Home Loan?

Getting a home, and the mortgage that comes with it could be the most important financial transaction you ever make. But how do you go about getting a home loan?

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Home Loans for First-Time Home Buyers

Buying your first home is a challenging but important first step in securing your future. There are many financial products available on the market for first-time homebuyers. Each product has its target market, so it’s important to understand your needs so as to match them to the products on offer.

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How FHA Home Loans Work

A Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan is a loan with less stringent qualifications and low down payments. It’s part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s programs to help first-time homebuyers buy a home.

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What is a Home Equity Loan?

A home equity loan (HEL) uses the part of the home that you own as security for a loan. For example,  if your home is valued at $300,000 and you have a $200,000 mortgage outstanding,  then you can use the $100,000 ($300,000 --$200,000) as collateral for a loan. Home equity loans are also known as equity loans and second mortgage loans.  

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Applying for a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan

Like with most housing assistance programs, you can start at your local housing agency. You’ll be provided with a breakdown of the FHA loan-approved lenders in your area, whom you can apply to. If you qualify for the program, simply apply to these lenders. If you get more than one quote, you’re more likely to find a better deal.

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7/1 ARM: 7/1 Adjustable Rate Mortgage

The 7/1 ARM is a hybrid mortgage, it comprises years with a fixed interest rate followed by years with a variable rate. The “7” is the number of years with a fixed interest rate, the “1” represents the annual adjustment period.

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Home Equity Loans (HEL) vs Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC)

The interest on both HELs and HELOCs are lower than credit card rates as they are secured by your home, which makes them an attractive source of funds. The main differences between the home equity loans and home equity lines of credit are:

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HELOC: Home Equity Line Of Credit

A home equity line of credit (HELOC), is a pool of credit you can draw from using your home equity as collateral. Your home equity is the difference between the value of your home and the mortgage balance. So if your home is valued at $250,000 and your mortgage is $150,000 then your home equity is at $100,000 ($250,000-$150,000).  

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Home Equity in Relation to Home Loans

Home equity is value built up from paying down the mortgage of a home while it appreciates in price. It is the difference between the market price of a home and the debt attached to it like a mortgage. Home equity is the portion of your home that you actually own.

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Qualifications for Home Equity Loans

A home equity loan is a second mortgage. It uses the equity in your home as security for a loan. The low-interest rate and substantial loan amount make it an attractive source of funding for various needs. To qualify for a home equity loan generally requires you to have the following:

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Cash Out Refinance in Relation to Home Loans

A cash out refinance uses your home equity to issue a new loan to replace the old one and give you a cash payout. Say your home is valued at $400,000 and your mortgage stands at $250,000 which means that your home equity is $150,000 ($400,000-$250,000). Using your home equity as collateral you can take out a new loan of $320,000, which will cover the $250,000 mortgage and get a cash payment of $70,000 ($320,000-$250,000).

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Calculating the Value of a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC)

The value of a home equity line of credit (HELOC) is determined by the home equity and the lenders acceptable level of combined loan to value (CLTV). The home equity has to be large enough to cover the requested loan, and the CLTV has to be at a sustainable level

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A Complete Guide to Balloon Mortgages

Balloon loans are usually short-term and only a small portion of the principal will be paid by the end of the term. They look something like this, a $400,000 loan is to be amortized over 30 years but due in 5 years. The borrower will make payments like they are on a 30-year amortized payment plan, but the loan will be due in 5 years. The amortized payments will pay for mostly interest and a small portion of the principle, the balloon payment is likely to be close to the principal.

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Conventional Home Loans

A conventional loan is a loan that is not insured or guaranteed by the government. A conventional loan may be a fixed rate mortgage, variable rate mortgage or a hybrid ARM. Conventional loans are either conforming or non-conforming loans.

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Applying for a First Time Home Buyers Grant

First time home buyer grants are issued by federal, state and local housing agencies to help borrowers purchase a home easily. The programs are designed to lower the hurdles of acquiring a home,  by paying the down payment.

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