One of the most common terms found in a new home loan is a prepayment penalty. This type of penalty says that if the borrower pays off the loan early, commonly during the first five years of the loan, then the borrower will be responsible for paying an additional amount of money, typically about six months interest on 80% of the mortgage balance. Sub-prime market loans will typically carry...

Home Loans and Mortgages – The Selection Can Be Bewildering

Charles Essmeier

For years, when someone wanted to purchase or refinance a home, the choices were simple. The buyer chose either a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage or a 30 year fixed-rate mortgage. That was it. Of course, those were also the days of twenty percent down payments, which seriously hindered the ability of many Americans to obtain the loan necessary to buy their own home. In recent years, more flexible loan types have become available and down payment requirements have been relaxed. There are now far more choices of loan types available for the borrower than ever before. That can be a mixed blessing, however, as prospective borrowers now have to do a tremendous amount of homework in order to determine which type of loan might be the best choice. The selection of loan types that are currently available can be quite bewildering, and the wrong choice could cost the prospective borrower thousands of dollars over the term of the loan.

The standard 15-year and 30-year mortgages are still quite popular. Each provides the stability of a fixed interest rate and a payment that will remain the same throughout the duration of the life of the mortgage. When interest rates are near historic lows, as they are today, these traditional choices work well for most buyers. Buyers who find a 15-year or 30-year mortgage to be within their means would probably benefit from obtaining such a mortgage now.

In recent years, as home prices have increased faster than wages, the lending industry has created more flexible types of mortgages designed to help buyers who may have trouble with traditional loans obtain financing. These types of loans tend to have adjustable interest rates:

The Adjustable Rate Mortgage, or ARM, has a rate that adjusts over time as spelled out in the mortgage agreement. Typically, the rate at the time of singing the loan is lower than that of a traditional mortgage, perhaps by one percent or so. The difference is that the rate can adjust over time as the market changes. The loan agreement will spell out how often the rate may change and how much the rate may change at one time. The agreement may also indicate a maximum interest rate that may be charged over the life of the loan. These types of loans are ideal for buyers who do not intend to stay in their home for more than a few years, or buyers who are purchasing in times of high interest rates, when there is an expectation that rates will drop over time.

Convertible mortgages are ARMs that offer the buyer an opportunity to “convert” the adjustable rate loan to a fixed rate loan after a certain period of time that is spelled out in the loan agreement. There is a fee charged for converting the mortgage, but the fee is typically less than the fees associated with refinancing the mortgage altogether.

Two Step mortgages offer an initial rate that is lower than the rate for fixed-rate mortgages for the first few years of the loan. After a set period of time, the rate increases to a fixed rate. This allows buyers to pay less during the early years of their loan, when they may earn less or need extra cash for home furnishings. The disadvantage of this type of loan is that the increase in the interest rate can be substantial, and may make the payments unaffordable for some buyers..

These are just a few of the types of loans that are currently available in the market. There are probably dozens of variations on ARM loans, and prospective buyers should study their options carefully before agreeing to a loan. Making the right choice could save buyers thousands of dollars over the life of the loan. Making the wrong choice could leave buyers with a loan that they cannot afford to pay. A little time spent on research is time well spent.

About the Author

©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a Website devoted to debt consolidation information and HomeEquityHelp.net, a site devoted to information on home equity loans.

The latest information and news on Mortgages:

Yahoo! News Search Results for mortgage

Wells Fargo, Baltimore in talks after mortgage suit (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
Wells Fargo & Co said on Friday it is in talks with Baltimore officials that could avert further litigation by that city over the bank's mortgage lending practices.
Mortgage rates remain below 5%, fall to 4.95% (USA Today)
Mortgage rates held below the 5% threshold for the second straight week, a report said Thursday, weeks before a government program that has been keeping rates low is scheduled to expire.
Mortgage lending halves as tax break ends (Daily Telegraph)
Mortgage lending to people buying a home dived by 49% during January following the end of the Government's stamp duty holiday, the latest figures showed.
Average 30-year mortgage rate drops to 4.95%, Freddie Mac says (Los Angeles T...
The average interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropped to 4.95% this week from 4.97% last week, Freddie Mac said Thursday.
Mortgage lending slumps by half (Daily Telegraph)
Mortgage lending to people buying a home dived by 49pc during January following the end of the Government's stamp duty holiday.
Yahoo! News Search Results for refinance

Refinance may limit financial flexibility (Bankrate.com via Yahoo! Finance)
Reduced financial flexibility may be the price for a home refinance that lowers your mortgage rate.
Pernod Ricard Plans to Issue Bonds to Refinance Absolut Buyout (Bloomberg)
March 10 (Bloomberg) -- Pernod Ricard SA , the world?s second-biggest liquor maker, is planning to sell six-year bonds to help refinance loans used to buy the Absolut vodka brand in March 2008.
RLPC-Mubadala looks to agree $2.5 bln refinancing -bankers (Reuters via Yahoo...
LONDON, March 12 (Reuters) - Abu Dhabi government-owned Mubadala Development Company has invited banks to participate in a self-arranged $2.5 billion, three-year club loan to refinance existing debt, banking sources close to the deal said.
(AFX UK Focus) 2010-03-12 13:34 RLPC-Mubadala looks to agree $2.5 bln refinan...
LONDON, March 12 (Reuters) - Abu Dhabi government-owned Mubadala Development Company has invited banks to participate in a self-arranged $2.5 billion, three-year club loan to refinance existing debt, banking sources close to the deal said. Pricing on the revolving credit will not be set until the en...
Coal producer ICG prices stock, debt offerings (AP via Yahoo! Finance)
International Coal Group says it's priced stock and note offerings it's using to refinance debt. The Scott Depot-based company says in a regulatory filing Thursday that it's also upped the size of the offerings.