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Adjustable Rate Mortgages |
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Written by Administrator
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Saturday, 28 November 2009 01:31 |
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Most have an initial fixed-rate period during which the borrower's rate doesn't change, followed by a much longer period during which the rate changes at preset intervals.
Adjustable rates start low
Rates charged during the initial period are generally lower than those on comparable fixed-rate mortgages. After all, lenders have to offer something to make it worthwhile to assume the risk of higher rates in the future.
The initial fixed-rate period can be as short as a month and as long as 10 years. One-year ARMs, which have their first adjustment after one year, used to be the most popular and were the benchmark. Recently the standard has become the 5/1 ARM, which has an initial fixed-rate period that lasts five years; the rate is adjusted annually thereafter. That type of mortgage, which mixes a lengthy fixed period with an even lengthier adjustable period, is known as a hybrid. Other popular hybrid ARMs are the 3/1, the 7/1 and the 10/1.
After the fixed-rate honeymoon, an ARM's rate fluctuates at the same rate as an index spelled out in closing documents. The lender finds out what the index value is, adds a margin to that figure and recalculates the borrower's new rate and payment. The process repeats each time an adjustment date rolls around.
Interest-only ARMs
Around the turn of the 21st century, lenders began to market interest-only mortgages to middle-class borrowers. Formerly the preserve of affluent clients, interest-only mortgages are usually adjustables. The borrower is required to pay only the interest for a specified period, often 10 years. After that, it adjusts to the going interest rate, as tracked by a specified index. After that, the loan amortizes at an accelerated rate. During the interest-only period, the borrower can choose to pay some principal, too. By providing flexibility in the size of monthly payments, interest-only mortgages often are a good match for people with fluctuating monthly incomes: salespeople who are paid by commission, for example.
Variety of flavors
Some ARMs come with a conversion feature that allows borrowers to convert their loans to fixed-rate mortgages for a fee. Others allow borrowers to make interest-only payments for a portion of their loan terms to keep their payments low. But no matter the exact terms, most ARMs are more difficult to understand than fixed-rate loans.
To keep your financial options open, make sure to ask the mortgage lender if the ARM is convertible to a fixed-rate mortgage. Also, ask if the ARM is assumable, which means that when you sell your home the buyer may qualify to assume your existing mortgage. That could be desirable if mortgage interest rates are high.
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Written by Administrator
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Saturday, 28 November 2009 01:29 |
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 Generally, subprime mortgages are for borrowers with credit scores under 620. Credit scores range from about 300 to 850, with most consumers landing in the 600s and 700s. Someone who is habitually late in paying bills, and especially someone who falls behind on debts by 30, 60 or 90 days or more, will suffer from a plummeting credit score. If it falls below 620, that consumer is in subprime territory.
Few lenders will use the term "subprime" to describe you or your loan because it's considered bad salesmanship. You might hear the word "non-prime" or, more likely, an adjective won't be used to describe the mortgage at all.
Mortgages for people with excellent credit are somewhat of a commodity, with rates that don't vary much from lender to lender for equivalent loans. That's not the case with subprime mortgages. You might receive widely differing offers from different subprime lenders because they have different ways of weighing the risk of giving you a loan. For that reason, it's important to comparison shop when your credit score is less than 620.
How subprime mortgages differ
Subprime loans have higher rates than equivalent prime loans. Lenders consider many factors in a process called "risk-based pricing" when they come up with mortgage rates and terms. This makes it impossible to generalize about subprime rates. They are higher, but how much higher depends on factors such as credit score, size of down payment and what types of delinquencies the borrower has in the recent past (from a mortgage lender's standpoint, late mortgage or rent payments are worse than late credit card payments).
A subprime loan also is more likely to have a prepayment penalty, a balloon payment or both. A prepayment penalty is a fee assessed against the borrower for paying off the loan early -- either because the borrower sells the house or refinances the high-rate loan. A mortgage with a balloon payment requires the borrower to pay off the entire outstanding amount in a lump sum after a certain period has passed, often five years. If the borrower can't pay the entire amount when the balloon payment is due, he or she has to refinance the loan or sell the house.
Researchers contend that prepayment penalties and balloon payments are associated with higher foreclosure rates. The subprime mortgage industry contends that borrowers get lower interest rates in exchange for prepayment penalties and balloon payments, but that point is debatable.
Predatory loans
Subprime customers have to be on the lookout for predatory lenders who set out to cheat borrowers. There are several predatory tactics, and sometimes a lender will combine them. Some lenders soak naive borrowers with outrageous fees and sky-high interest rates. These lenders are likely to tell the borrower that his or her credit score is lower than it really is.
Another predatory tactic is to pressure a homeowner to refinance the mortgage frequently, charging high closing fees each time and rolling the closing costs into the mortgage amount. That goes hand in hand with another predatory tactic: Issuing a loan regardless of the borrower's ability to repay it. When the borrower inevitably defaults, the predatory lender forecloses and sells the property.
An ethical mortgage lender doesn't want to foreclose on a property because it is a money-losing process. An ethical lender makes money by charging interest and loses money by foreclosing. A predatory lender, on the other hand, profits by repeatedly collecting closing fees, then seizing the house.
To defend yourself from predatory lenders, find your credit score before shopping for a mortgage, and ask people whom you trust for referrals to mortgage lenders. And comparison shop by going to at least two mortgage brokers or lenders.
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Written by Administrator
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Saturday, 28 November 2009 01:25 |
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Mortgage insurance sometimes is referred to as private mortgage insurance, or PMI, to distinguish it from FHA and VA insurance, run by government programs. The cost of mortgage insurance varies depending on the size of the down payment and the loan, but it typically amounts to about one-half of 1 percent of the loan.
With mortgage insurance, the borrower pays the premiums, but the lender is the beneficiary. The coverage protects lenders against default by the borrower. If a borrower stops paying on a mortgage, the insurance company ensures that the lender will be paid in full.
Mortgage companies pick insurance providers for their customers, but the borrowers have to foot the bill. Usually, they do so in monthly installments. But some lenders offer programs whereby the borrower pays the entire insurance premium in a lump sum at |
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Written by Administrator
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Saturday, 28 November 2009 01:04 |
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Lenders offer several types of mortgages, but the most common are fixed-rate mortgages. These loans feature fixed rates and monthly payments, generally for 15-year and 30-year periods.
They're popular because:
1. Consumers balk at the thought of their house payment rising and falling with interest rates.
2. Whenever rates are low, fixed-rate mortgages are very affordable.
Fixed-rate borrowers face one major choice: 15-year or 30? For some, a 30-year loan makes more sense. For others, a 15-year one does. Here are some pros and cons of each.
Fixed rate advantages:
- Offers the chance to borrow money on a long-term basis without having to worry about the interest rates or payments changing.
- Monthly payments are lower than those on 15-year loans because the interest is amortized over a longer period.
- Lower monthly payments free up money that borrowers can pour into investments that yield more than their homes.
- Higher interest bill increases the amount consumers can deduct at tax time, potentially reducing or eliminating their federal income tax liabilities.
Fixed rate disadvantages:
- Borrowers build equity at a very slow pace because payments during the first several years go largely toward interest rather than principal.
- The overall interest bill is much higher because of the long amortization term.
- The interest rates are higher than on 15-year loans.
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