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Most of us are familiar with tradition rate mortgages.   We borrow a fixed amount of money for 15 to 30 y ears and we agree to pay it back at a given interest rate over the life of the loan.  Our payments are the same amount every month, whether it is for 5 years or 30 years.  For the majority of homeowners out there this is the most ideal type of mortgage as it has no surprises or sudden increases in monthly payments.  However, for some home buyers, an adjustable rate mortgage may very well be the better financial tool.

An Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM) is one that can go up or down over time depending on market conditions.  Some ARM’s adjust once, while others can adjust several times over the life of the loan.  The main purpose behind an ARM was to let people buy more house then they might be able to afford now assuming that as the years went by their earning power would be greater and thus when the mortgage rate adjusted they could afford the new payment.  Unfortunately, many people don’t understand how ARM’s work and are often unprepared for when the rate adjustments take place.

There is a segment of the population out there that can benefit from ARM’s, regardless of the rates associated with them.  Those who plan to be in their home for five years or less typically can save quite a bit by using an ARM vs. a traditional mortgage.  An ARM let’s them pay an interest rate that is usually below market rates for the first few years of the loan.  Since a homeowner may be planning to move in a short time span (such as when the kids graduate from school) they can take advantage of the low up-front rate and sell the home before the rates have a chance to adjust.

A savvy home buyer who maintains a stellar credit rating could also use ARM’s to get a lower rate up front for a few years and then switch to a fixed rate mortgage through a refinance down the road.  They may be able to save thousands of dollars in interest by switching from an ARM to a traditional mortgage even after paying the refinance fees.

Finally, ARM’s can be the right mortgage for you if you study the markets and know where the rates are heading.  If interest rates are currently running high and you know that over time they will settle back down, then getting an ARM can help you take advantage of those lower rates over time while helping protect you from the high rates of today.

Of course, as with any mortgage, you should carefully review with the mortgage lender all of the costs and assumptions.  An ARM is not always the best mortgage tool of choice depending on your situation.  Make sure you understand what you are signing and always get more than one mortgage rate quote no matter what type of mortgage you go with.

When you have a number of debts that are starting to create a financial problem each month, debt consolidation can provide ease for your life and mind. Tools such as a mortgage calculator mean that you can have some idea of whether refinancing your home is a possibility.

Consolidating your debts into one payment may seem like the answer to your prayers. But you need to be completely honest when using the mortgage calculator so that you get an accurate financial picture. Refinancing your home is a big step. It’s one that needs careful thinking because failure to keep up with your house payments will put your home at risk of foreclosure by your mortgage company. Use a home budget calculator to accurately assess the overall financial situation in your home – and remember to factor in all things such as clothing, gifts, and social activities.

Many mortgage calculators allow you to “try out” different kinds of mortgage amounts. Collect necessary mortgage rate data before selecting the mortgage calculator that you are going to choose. Don’t just do the financial calculation for one type of mortgage rate. Experiment with different variables offered by different mortgage lenders so you can see how different types of refinancing will offer you different repayment rates over varying periods of time.

The fun of mortgage calculators in consolidating your debt is that you can mix up the figures. Should you refinance your home for its entire current worth and pay off everything you owe, or can you refinance to a certain limit and pay off most debts while keeping some smaller short-term ones and therefore maintaining equity on your home? By playing with the figures on the mortgage calculator and using these figures in a home budget calculator you can start to see where your best options lie.

If you are in financial difficulty, then debt consolidation by refinancing your home can be a good idea. But beware of refinancing your home to 100% of its equity. If you do this to the full extent of your home equity, then it will be quite some time before you are able to raise future funds against your property, if they are needed. This will leave you with no emergency financial cushion. And it will take a few years for your finances to stabilize once more. Find out what the law is where you live. Some states will not allow you to borrow more than 80% of the value of your home.

Use a mortgage calculator to research all various options open to you before agreeing to refinance your home. Once you feel you have the right balance and are happy with the kind of mortgage rates available, take the results to the meeting you have with the mortgage lender. Showing him the mortgage calculator research indicates that you have thought seriously about this and where your proposed figures come from.

A mortgage calculator can’t give you all the answers about the best options available to you for debt consolation. They can help you with answers as to the possibility of raising money this way. The mortgage calculator, together with the home budget calculator will let you see where savings can be made through debt consolidation. It’s a tool for you to use on the road to financial freedom.