Compare Mortgages

An annual bonus can be a wonderful windfall at the end of the year to do with as you please. It could go into savings, a special purchase, paying down your credit cards or into your house as a prepayment on your loan. When your mortgage is calculated, either fixed or adjusted, you are told how much to pay on a monthly basis.

However, a mortgage calculator that specializes in additional payments will show it can be very much in your favor to consider this using your bonus as an additional annual payment

And you thought you were through with a mortgage calculator after you signed the papers on your house.

The monthly payment your mortgage lender requires is the least amount you must pay in order to keep current on your mortgage. It doesn’t mean that you can’t pay more! If you have an annual bonus which comes in every year, then it is definitely worth investing this by paying an additional annual payment against the principal outstanding on your mortgage.

Use a mortgage calculator to work out how much difference your annual bonus makes to your mortgage. Depending on the size of the annual bonus, and how much of it you want to use against your mortgage principal, you can save money in terms of interest you won’t need to pay. This reduction shows up because you are paying the loan off faster that your mortgage. The less time you owe, the less interest you pay.

This is the “miracle of compound interest” your bank loves working against him. When you pay ahead on the principal, you reduce the amount of interest you pay on the interest. Poor him, lucky you. Your mortgage calculator reveals the way to make it work for, not against you.

Another option you need to consider, however, is whether or not investing the money in another way would be more beneficial. It might work to your advantage to build up a larger amount and pay in that lump sum, say every 5 years, for example.

Using the current rate of interest offered for an investment account that can be opened with the amount of your annual bonus, work out how much in total you would have at the end of 5 years. Then pull up the additional payment mortgage calculator to work out what difference it would make to your loan.

The investment account pays you interest, and so you will have extra money to pay against your principal. In the second part of this scenario: use the mortgage calculator to calculate the mortgage if you paid the bonus directly against the principal balance on your mortgage each year for 5 years.

Which of the two totals works best for you financially? If it looks too good to be true, change mortgage calculators and double check. Which of them gives you a lower balance and lower mortgage term? This is the option that most effectively puts your money to work.

An additional payment against your mortgage principal is an ideal way of investing your extra capital in your home. Use the mortgage calculator first however to determine whether this, or an investment account, is the most efficient use of your money.

Reverse mortgages are increasing in popularity as a way to turn home equity into a liquid asset. Before you jump on a reverse mortgage, you need to understand the impact it can have on government benefits.

The beauty of home ownership is found in the value of time. The longer you own a home, the more valuable it become. On one hand, you are paying off the mortgage over time, which is increasing the equity you have in your property. The other finds your real estate appreciate over time. This double whammy is what makes home ownership so attractive.

Retirement and old age will become an issue when you need to convert your home equity into usable cash. Reverse mortgages are touted as a solution. A reverse mortgage is a loan against your equity that does not need to be repaid until an event happens, usually the sale of the home or your death.. Essentially, you have reversed the process of a traditional mortgage. The lender is now giving you money in exchange for a piece of your home equity. Payments are expedited in lump sums, monthly or through credit lines depending upon the particular package you go with. As the clock ticks, the equity in your home is reduced, but you will have a reliable and predictable monthly revenue source.

Over the years, the fed has tried to find ways to reduce the amount of benefits they pay out to citizens. One of the factors they like to use is the asset value you hold. If you have a certain amount of assets, your benefits are reduced or terminated because they government takes the position you do not need them. An analysis of government benefits is beyond the scope of this article, but reverse mortgages have an impact.

Basically, be assured that taking a reverse mortgage on your home will not affect Medicare or social security benefits. This is true, however, only so long as you spend the full amount you receive each month. The government is always playing with benefit issues, so make sure you get up to date information on the situation. You will want to understand what you are getting into, particularly if you rely heavily on Medicare for the payment of medical bills.

In general, reverse mortgages do not impact most government benefits. That being said, make sure to get an informed opinion on exactly what will happen before you agree to a reverse mortgage.

There were days when getting something mortgaged or financed was a big hassle. People had to survey the entire market in order to know about the existing rates and other details. But now things have drastically changed. Now you can familiarize yourself with what’s prevalent in the market by the way of internet. Getting mortgage quotes online is an excellent way to save the labor of wandering day and night in the market. For it fetches you the entire requisite details while you are relaxing at home. But along with these and many other merits there are few drawbacks too.

Pros and Cons of Online Mortgage Quotes

•    The best part about online mortgage quotes, as I mentioned before is the convenience with which information reaches our doorstep.

•    Online mortgage quotes are immensely time saving in comparison to getting the quotes through other sources. Applying for a mortgage online serves you with a spontaneous reply. Moreover when you apply online for a loan in person, the lenders aren’t supposed to impart a “good faith estimate” until 3 days after receiving the loan application. This is how you get to save a good amount of time and money by not contacting lenders via phone calls or email. This makes online mortgage loan all the more lucrative and fascinating to the aspiring individuals.

•    Online mortgage loan is not just about saving time but also money. Sending an online application and completing the entire process is significantly less expensive for the lender. There is no issue of the customer going to the lender’s office to sign up forms etc., you can even negotiate for the interest rates online which most often ends in a discount to the applicant. The discount comes in the form of a reduction in the interest rates, loan origination fees and closing costs.  This is also an outcome of the huge competition among the online lenders.

•    Online mortgage provides you with the opportunity to compare, scrutinize and analyze the rates offered by various lenders.

•    Those who opt for online mortgage biz receive estimates on closing or settlement costs contemporaneous to applying for the loan rates.

•    By and large the people who apply online have a great knowledge of the loan process and have a good credit history. The applicants who appeal reliable and not undependable to the lender are only chosen and approved for the loan.

•    The security of applying online is always a matter of debate. But the fact is that applying online is as precarious as applying through loan in person. In order to avert the chances of theft most of the online lenders use an encrypted transmission to send your loan information. Once the application is complete, the text is translated to a secure code which suffers from least chances of information being stolen.

•    However lack of trust, no face-to-face negotiation etc. invoke odds of cheating or fraud. Most often lenders are the victims of online mortgage deceits. Also it is always possible for the hackers to decipher the codes, steal and misuse the details.

But the fact is that these demerits are not capable of surpassing the hefty benefits of online mortgage loans. Thus mortgage loans online are a good idea

According to the NAMB (National Association of Mortgage Brokers), two out of three Americans work with a mortgage broker to purchase a home because of the broker’s expertise and wide selection of loan products and lenders. However, with so many so called “experts” out there, how does one separate the wheat from the chaff? How do you know if a broker is honest? And how do you know they’re an “expert” or not?

The NAMB says that over 70 percent of brokers are legitimate, that is they have safeguards and policies in place to make sure that they stay on the straight and narrow. So what about the other 30 percent? Well, the whole 30 percent isn’t bad, but just as in any classroom, you’re going to have those at the top, some in the middle, a few at the bottom, and others who simply don’t show for class. Obviously, those at the bottom and the no shows would not be your first choice if you were going into surgery and they were holding the scapel, nor should they be handling your loan when you purchase a home or refinance.

Because of the surge in numbers of mortgage brokers in the past few years, there are plenty of incompetent and dishonest brokers out there. In order to avoid the 30 percentile, I offer the following tips to help you find a mortgage broker that is not only an expert but honest and reputable as well:

1.    Don’t believe everything you hear. Asking friends or family to recommend a mortgage professional is usually the first place people start. However, how do they know the broker is reputable and trustworthy? Check with your state regulatory offices and licensing bureau once you have some referrals. Better to be safe than sorry.

2.    Use an NAMB certified mortgage broker. Brokers certified by the NAMB practice the highest ethical and professional standards in the industry. There is a “Find a Broker” link on the NAMB’s website at www.namb.org.

3.    Use an Upfront Mortgage Broker (UMB). These brokers disclose their fees to customers in writing in advance at the customer’s request. They also disclose the wholesale prices they receive from lenders. For a list of UMBs visit www.mtgprofessor.com.

4.    Honesty is the best policy. If a mortgage broker suggests that you lie on your loan application in any way, heshe is most likely in the 30 percentile. Walk away.

5.    They need to show you the money. If a mortgage broker doesn’t disclose your closing costs in three business days, it’s probably best to take your business elsewhere.

6.    If you’re not bleeding, they shouldn’t be applying pressure. A mortgage broker who pressures you into anything you are not comfortable with probably failed ethics. No reputable broker will pressure you into anything you don’t feel comfortable with.

7.    There are no stupid questions. Does the mortgage broker answer all your questions to your satisfaction? Are hisher answers straightforward, honest, and respectful?

8.    Do you have a reservation? If you feel comfortable with whom you’re working with and feel like they have answered all your questions and put all your reservations to ease, you’ve probably found a good mortgage broker.