A mortgage, or home loan, represents a loan or lien on a property/house that has to be paid over a specified period of time. Think of it as your personal guarantee that you'll repay the money you've borrowed to buy your home. Mortgages come in many different shapes and sizes, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Make sure you select the mortgage that is right for you, your future plans, and your financial picture.
What is an amortization schedule
The month-by-month allocation of your monthly payment to the loan's interest and principal is called an amortization schedule. With most loans you pay off the interest on the loan before you pay off the principal (or the actual amount you borrowed). Your lender will provide an amortization schedule to show you how the percentage of your principal paid off increases with every payment, while the percentage of interest decreases.
Choosing the right mortgage
Once you decide on the mortgage you want, do your homework. Different lenders offer different rates, points, and fees. Ask around and compare.
Understanding the benefits of different home loan offerings can be a complex process. Here are some steps to help you research them:
Whether you're a new home buyer looking for a first time mortgage or needing to refinance your home mortgage, there are hundreds of types of mortgages and refinancing loan options available, each with their own qualification and terms. Luckily, you don't have to face it alone. At Prominent Lending Group, Inc., we understand that there is no one size fits all solution to home financing. Our experienced mortgage experts will work with you to find the best types of mortgages for your individual needs. For those buying a home, we offer free up-front credit approvals and fast on-time closings to make your loan as simple and easy as possible.
Fixed Rate Loans
With a Fixed Rate Loan, your interest rate and monthly payment will remain the same even if market rates increase. This loan is the most popular home loan because it offers the security of knowing exactly what your mortgage expenses will be for the entire length of the loan. We provide both 30 Year Fixed Rate Loans and 15 Year Fixed Rate Loans.
FHA Loans
These are federally insured loans that offer financing to people who may struggle to qualify for traditional loans. Typically, FHA loans require little to no down payment, and feature flexible terms, making them popular among first-time home buyers and those with less-than perfect credit.
Home Improvement Loans
Finance alterations, remodeling or structural improvements with one of our Home Improvement Loans. These loans allow your mortgage balance to exceed the purchase price or appraised value of the home, so you can take out extra money for upgrades.
Jumbo Mortgage
Conventional loans are often not enough to cover the financing for high-priced luxury homes. A Jumbo mortgage is a privately securitized mortgage with higher payouts that can be used to finance up to 97 percent of your new home.
Reverse Mortgage
Seniors aged 62 and over are able to convert the equity in their homes to monthly income or a line of credit. Reverse Mortgages can also be used to purchase your retirement home.
VA Loans
Active duty military personnel and veterans can qualify for special mortgage rates and housing programs that are federally insured by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.
Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP)
The updates to the government's Home Affordable Refinance Program, termed HARP 2.0, helps homeowners, that were previously unable to refinance due to loan-to-value guidelines, take advantage of today's low interest rates.
Rates: The rate of interest charged on a mortgage. Mortgage rates are determined by the lender in most cases, and can be either fixed (stay the same for the term of the mortgage) or variable (fluctuate with a benchmark interest rate). Mortgage rates rise and fall with interest rates and can drastically affect the homebuyers' market.
The borrower's credit score can often play a role in the rate charged on a mortgage and the size of mortgage loan they are able to obtain. The rate charged ultimately determines the cost of the mortgage and the amount of the monthly payment.
Points: When people want to find out how much their mortgages cost, lenders often give them quotes that include both loan rates and points.
A point is a fee equal to 1 percent of the loan amount. A 30-year, $150,000 mortgage might have a rate of 7 percent but come with a charge of 1 point, or $1,500.
A lender can charge 1, 2 or more points. There are two kinds of points -- discount points and origination points.
Discount points: These are actually prepaid interest on the mortgage loan. The more points you pay, the lower the interest rate on the loan and vice versa. Borrowers typically can pay anywhere from zero to 3 or 4 points, depending on how much they want to lower their rates. This kind of point is tax-deductible.
Origination fee: This is charged by the lender to cover the costs of making the loan. The origination fee is deductible if it was used to obtain the mortgage and not to pay other closing costs. The IRS specifically states that if the fee is for items that would normally be itemized on a settlement statement, such as notary fees, preparation costs and inspection fees, it is not deductible.
How do you decide whether to pay points, and how many? That depends on a number of factors, such as how much money you have available to put down at closing and how long you plan on staying in your house.
Points as prepaid interest reduce the interest rate, an advantage if you plan to stay in your home for a while.
But if you need the lowest possible closing costs, choose the zero-point option on your loan program.
A lender might offer you a 30-year fixed mortgage of $165,000 at 6 percent interest with no points. The monthly mortgage principal and interest payment would be $989. If you pay 2 points at closing (that's $3,300) you can bring the interest rate down to 5.5 percent, with a monthly payment of $937. The savings difference would be $52 per month. But it would take 64 months to earn back the $3,300 spent upfront via lower payments. If you're sure you will own the house for more than five-and-a-half years, you save money by paying the points.
For a more detailed explanation of home loan mortgage terms see our mortgage glossary by clicking here.
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