Mortgages – Page 2 – Fuller Realty Lake Martin Alabama

Should You Refinance Even If You Plan to Sell Your Home?

On August 27, 2015 / Home Finance

Tags: adjustable rate mortgage, HELOC, home equity line of credit, Mortgages, refinance

By: Credit.com

Are you interested in refinancing your mortgage, but hesitant to do so because you’re thinking of selling your home at some point? Believe it or not, refinancing could still make sense. Here are several reasons why you might want to consider refinancing anyway.

Your financial circumstances could change

Let’s say you plan to sell your house in five to seven years. No matter how well you plan for the future financially, things happen. Job loss, illness, death—life inevitably gets in the way of your financial plans. Focus on the here and now, as long as you can financially justify refinancing your mortgage. The longer the horizon of selling the home, the more chances life has of getting in the way. If refinancing can save you money in the meantime, it may just make sense.

Because financial circumstances can change over time, for better or worse, it can be a good idea to calculate how affordable your house really is for you. This free calculator can tell you how much house you can afford.

You could take advantage of lower interest rates

At publishing time, 30-year mortgage rates have edged their way up and are hovering just over 4%. The new outlook for mortgage rates points to continual increases, bringing the cost of debt up. Picture this, if you don’t sell the property or if there is a market correction—and you do not refinance for whatever reason—is your current loan rate and payment something that you can afford to carry for the long haul? If you could save money or better your financial position, it is probably worth investigating. Rates are even better on jumbo mortgage loans, as more investors are pouring into this particular market niche. So if you have a big mortgage on your home, you may want to consider refinancing.

You’re facing a higher rate on your ARM or HELOC

With the increased likelihood of interest rates going up in fall 2015, the subsequent recasting of adjustable-rate mortgages and home equity lines of credit will affect millions of homeowners. Most adjustable mortgage loans were tied to the London Interbank Offered Rate, which closely trails the Fed Funds Rate, the rate at which the Federal Reserve uses to control the U.S. economy. If the Federal Reserve hikes interest rates, LIBOR will soon follow suit, and any homeowners within their adjustment period will experience a higher payment or a future higher payment when their adjustable-rate loans reset.

A HELOC works in a similar fashion to an ARM with a fixed period for the interest rate, followed by a rate reset. For a HELOC, payments are interest-only for the first 10 years of the 30-year term. After 10 years, the loan resets, and for the remaining 20 years the loan payment is principal and interest, so at the end of 30 years, the loan is paid off in full. The payment shock will happen after the first 10 years.

If you have a first mortgage on your home with a HELOC, it very well might make sense even if you plan to sell the home down the road, to roll the first mortgage and HELOC into one, saving money and continuing to make a manageable mortgage payment until you sell.

Mortgage tip: If you have not taken any draws on the HELOC in the past 12 months, you may be eligible for more mortgage programs as the HELOC may be considered a “rate and term,” which allows you to refinance up to 80% of the value of the home.

You want to rid yourself of this dreaded mortgage cost

The one mortgage cost consumers love to hate is private mortgage insurance. PMI is an extra portion of the mortgage payment that not only drives the housing expense higher, but it also doesn’t do anything beneficial for the consumer. PMI benefits the bank to protect against payment default. If you can rid yourself of PMI because you have 20% or more equity in your home, or can qualify for a special mortgage loan program such as lender-paid mortgage insurance, you’ll save money. PMI can average up to several hundred dollars per month in most instances. If you have the 20% equity needed to refinance a new non-PMI loan and are creditworthy, but simply choose to not refinance because the paperwork is too daunting, you’re throwing money away.

If you’re not sure where your credit stands, but you want to refinance, it’s a good idea to check your credit sooner than later. You can get two of your credit scores for free on Credit.com, and they’re updated monthly so you can watch for changes.

How quickly will you begin saving money?

No one should refinance unless the time frame it takes to recoup the closing costs on a refinance is sooner than the time in which they plan to sell the home. The most common form of determining how quickly you can recoup your money when refinancing is performing a “cash-on-cash” calculation. For example, if your closing costs are $2,800, and you’re saving a proposed $300 per month on a refinance, that’s a nine-month recapture. Fees divided by benefit equals recapture.

If you can benefit by refinancing by payment reduction, by cashing in on equity, or by interest savings or any combination of these benefits, remortgaging your home very well could make sense. Consider the following scenario: If you can recoup the refinance costs in under two years, and you don’t plan to sell for five years, you’re three years ahead, and the rewards are yours, no matter the future. Ultimately, weighing the pros and cons of a possible refinance in conjunction with selling the home is your decision. A good mortgage professional should be able to suggest mortgage options in alignment with your financial goals and objectives.

A 15-Year Mortgage Can Save You $190K … but Can You Get One?

On June 15, 2015 / Home Finance

Tags: 15-year mortgage, interest rates, Mortgages

By: Credit.com

One of the best ways to eliminate your mortgage debt is moving into a 15-year fixed-rate loan. With the average spread a full 1% compared to its 30-year counterpart, a 15-year mortgage can provide an increased rate of acceleration in paying off the biggest obligation of your life.

Can you pull it off?

In most cases, you’re going to need strong income for an approval. How much income? The old 2:1 rule applies. Switching from a 30-year mortgage to a 15-year fixed-rate loan means you’ll pay down the loan in half the amount of time, but it effectively doubles up your payment for each month of the 180-month term. Your income must support all the carrying costs associated with your home including the principal and interest payment, taxes, insurance, (private mortgage insurance, only if applicable) and any other associated carrying cost. In addition, your income will also need to support all the other consumer obligations you might have as well including cars, boats, installment loans, personal loans and any other credit obligations that contain a monthly payment.

The attractiveness of a 15-year mortgage in today’s interest rate environment has mass appeal. The 1% spread in interest rate between the 30-year mortgage and a 15-year mortgage is absolutely real and for many, the thought of being mortgage-free can be very tempting. Consider today’s average 30-year mortgage rate of around 4% on a loan of $400,000—that’s $287,487 in interest paid over 360 months. Comparing that to a 15-year mortgage over 180 months, you’ll pay a mere $97,218 in interest. That’s a shattering savings of $190,268 in interest, but there’s a catch—your monthly mortgage payment is going to be significantly higher.

Here’s how it breaks down. The 30-year mortgage in our case study pencils out to a $1,909 monthly payment covering principal and interest. Weigh that against the 15-year version of that loan, which comes to $2,762 a month in principal and interest, totaling $853 more per month, but going to principal. This is why the income piece makes or breaks the 15-year deal. Independent of your other carrying costs and other credit obligations, you’ll need to be able to show an income of $4,242 a month to offset just a principled interest payment on the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. Alternatively, to offset the principled interest payment on the 15-year mortgage, you would need an income of $6,137 per month, essentially $1,895 per month more in income, just to be able to pay off your debt faster. As you can see, income is a large driver of debt reduction potential.

What to do if your income isn’t high enough

When your lender looks at your monthly income to qualify you for a 15-year fixed-rate loan, part of the equation is your debt load.

Lenders are going to consider the minimum payments you have on all other credit obligations in the following way. Take your total proposed new 15-year mortgage payment and add that number to the minimum payments on all of your consumer obligations and then take that number and divide it by 0.45. This is the income that you’ll need at minimum to offset a 15-year mortgage. Paying off debt can very easily reduce the amount of income you might need and/or the size of the loan you might need as there would be fewer consumer obligations handcuffing your income that could otherwise be used toward supporting a stable mortgage plan.

Can you borrow less?

Borrowing less money is a guaranteed way to keep a lid on your monthly outflow maintaining a healthy alignment with your income, housing and living expenses. Extra cash in the bank? If you have extra cash in the bank beyond your savings reserves that you don’t need for any immediate purpose, using these funds to reduce your mortgage amount could pencil very nicely in reducing the 15-year mortgage payment and interest expense paid over the life of the loan. The concept of the 15-year mortgage is “I’m going to have to hammer, bite, chew and claw my way through a higher mortgage payment in the short term in order for a brighter future.”

Can you generate cash?

If you can’t borrow less, generating cash to do so may open another door. Can you sell an asset such as stocks, or trade out of a money-market fund in order to generate the cash to rid yourself of debt faster? If yes, this is another avenue to explore.

You may also want to explore getting additional funds via selling another property. If you have another property that you’ve been planning to sell such as a previous home, any additional cash proceeds generated by selling that property (depending upon any indebtedness associated with that property) could allow you to borrow less when moving into a 15-year mortgage.

Are you an ideal match for a 15-year mortgage?

Consumers who are in a financial position to handle a higher loan payment while continuing to save money and grow their savings would be well-suited for a 15-year mortgage. The other school of thought is to refinance into a 30-year mortgage and then simply make a larger payment like you would on a 25-year, 20-year or 15-year mortgage every month. This is another fantastic way to save substantial interest over the term of the loan, since the larger-than-anticipated monthly payment you make to your lender will go to principal and you’ll owe less money in interest over the full life of the loan. As cash flow changes, so could the payments made to the loan servicer, as prepayment penalties are virtually nonexistent on bank loans.

There is an important “catch” to taking out a 15-year mortgage—you also decrease your mortgage interest tax deduction benefit. However, if you don’t need the deduction in 15 years anyway, the additional deduction removal may not be beneficial (depending on your tax situation and future income potential).

If your income is poised to rise in the future and/or your debt is planned to decrease and you want to have comfort in knowing by the time your small kids are teenagers that you’ll be mortgage-free, then a 15-year loan could be a smart move. And when your mortgage is paid off, you’ll have control of all of your income again as well.

Proximity to retirement is another factor borrowers should consider when carrying a mortgage into retirement isn’t ideal. These consumers might opt to move into a faster mortgage payoff plan than someone buying a house for the first time.

Keep in mind that to qualify for the best interest rates on a mortgage (which will have a big impact on your monthly payment), you need a great credit score as well. You can check your credit scores for free on Credit.com every month, and you can get your free annual credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com, too.

This article was written by Scott Sheldon and originally published on Credit.com.

My Offer Was Accepted—Now What?

On March 15, 2015 / Home Buying

Tags: appraisal, closing, home inspection, insurance, Mortgages, walk-through

By: Craig Donofrio

Having your offer accepted feels great—but for most home buyers, it’s just the beginning. There is still a lot more to be done before you’re over the front threshold. Here’s a rundown of what comes next.

1. Apply for a loan

Unless you’re paying in cash, you’ll need to apply for a mortgage loan (if you’re already pre-approved, good for you). If you’re not pre-approved, meet with at least two or three lenders and compare their loan options. Be prepared to ask questions, and be completely open with the lenders about your finances.

2. Home appraisal and inspection

The next step is getting your home appraised and inspected.

Your lender will require your house be appraised by a professional, who is usually provided by the lender. The appraisal gives you a detailed report on the value of the home. If the home’s appraised value is less than the purchase price, you will need to either make a greater down payment or negotiate with the seller to lower the price. A lender won’t give you a loan for more than the appraised value.

A home inspection tells you if the home has any issues. Inspections aren’t always required, but you should absolutely get one even if you’re not getting a loan. Go over the inspection report in detail with the inspector to make sure you’re familiar with any problems, their severity, and the estimated cost to fix them. Additionally, you may also want to get your home checked for radon and pests, which are additional costs.

If the inspector finds problems, you may be able to get the seller to pay for necessary repairs or lower the price to adjust for the cost.

3. Get your funds ready

Make sure the funds you need for closing and in reserves are both accessible. If you need to pull money from an investment, do it right away. Keep the paperwork for the transaction to show your lender you liquidated funds to get your down payment.

4. Find homeowners insurance

In most cases, buyers are expected to pay for homeowners insurance upfront, before closing. Depending on where you live, you might need extra insurance, like flood coverage. Shop around at several different insurance companies for the best rate. Your lender will need proof of insurance before approving your mortgage.

5. Final walk-through

You will be allowed to do a final walk-through of your new home 48 hours before closing.

This allows you to make sure any items that should be there, as per your contract, remain. It also lets you check the condition of the home to make sure no extra damages have occurred. If you find anything different from what you agreed upon, you may postpone the closing to give the seller time to fix the problem.

It’s important that you catch every issue during the final walk-through. If you spot them after closing, they’re going to be your problem.

6. Closing

This is the day when you sign the mortgage documents and officially gain ownership of the property. Most likely your Realtor® will be there, as well as the seller, the seller’s Realtor, the closing officer, and perhaps the mortgage broker.

You will need to bring ID and a cashier’s check to pay closing costs, which you will know in advance (and if they look different, don’t be afraid to walk away). Your spouse will also need photo ID. (In some states, spouses are required to attend and sign papers even if they aren’t on the mortgage.) Check with your Realtor about the details of your closing.

Updated from an earlier version by Laura Sherman

10 Home-Buying Costs You Need to Know About

On February 22, 2015 / Home Finance

Tags: appraisal, closing costs, credit, earnest money, escrow and title, first time home buyer, good faith estimate, home inspection, insurance, Mortgages

By: Craig Donofrio

If you’re a first-time home buyer, you might get a little queasy when the last line of your good-faith estimate comes in at several thousand dollars. And after the color returns to your face, you might also be a little more than perplexed by some of those fees.

Knowing what you’re paying for—like these 10 common costs—can ease that check-writing pain.

1. Earnest money

To prove you’re “earnest” in your purchase commitment, expect to plunk down 1% to 2% of the total purchase price as an earnest money deposit. This amount can change depending on market factors. If demand in your area is high, a seller could expect a larger deposit. If the market is cold, a seller could be happy with less than 1%.

Other governing factors like state limitations and rules can cap how much earnest money a seller can ask for.

2. Escrow account

An escrow account is basically a way for your mortgage company to make sure you have enough money to cover related taxes and mortgage insurance. The amount you need to pay varies by location, lender, and loan type. It could cover costs for a few months to a year.

Escrow accounts are common for loans with less than a 20% down payment and mandatory for FHA loans, but it’s not required for VA loans.

3. Origination

The origination fee is a hefty one. It’s the price you pay the loan officer or broker for completing the loan, and it includes underwriting, originating, and processing costs.

The origination fee is a small percentage of the total loan. A typical origination fee is about 1%, but it can vary. Use your good-faith estimate to shop around.

4. Inspection

You want to be assured your new home is structurally sound and free of surprises such as leaks or pests living in the walls. Those assurances come with a price.

Home inspection: This is critical for home buyers. A good inspector will be able to notify you of structural problems, flooding issues, and other potentially serious problems. Expect to pay $300 to $500 for a home inspection, although cost varies by location.

Radon inspection: An EPA-recommended step, this inspection will determine whether your prospective home has elevated levels of the cancer-causing agent radon. A professional radon inspection can cost several hundred dollars.

Pest inspections: Roaches are one thing. Termites are a whole different story. Expect to pay up to $150 for a termite inspection.

5. Attorney

Some states, such as Georgia, require an attorney to be present at closing. In some other areas, this is optional. If you use a lawyer, expect to cover the costs, which vary by area and lawyer.

It’s typical for mortgage companies to have a lawyer on their end, although they should cover the bill.

6. Credit check

Just because you can get your credit report for free doesn’t mean your lender can (and it will actually pull all three). You have to reimburse the lender, usually around $30.

7. Extra insurance

If you live in a hazard-prone area, you might need to purchase extra insurance, like for flood.

8. Appraisal

Your lender won’t loan you money for a home without knowing what its fair market value is. An appraisal will cost $200 to $400, depending on location and property size.

9. Title company

You pay this to the title company to make sure the property’s title is free and clear. Your lender will recommend a title company, but you can also shop around for one.

10. Survey

It’s not required in all instances, but your lender may require a professional surveyor to determine exactly where your property lines are drawn. Prices vary widely, but expect to pay at least $100.

Remember: You have bargaining power. Shop around to get a feel for what rates and fees apply in your area. If you aren’t sure what a lender is charging, ask for an explanation—the charge might not be set in stone. If you’re unhappy with a charge, negotiate.

Posts Tagged Mortgages