LOAN | INSURANCE | MORTGAGE

>> Buy your first home

>> Refinance your existing mortgage

>> Consolidate your debts

>> Upgrade or renovate your home, or

>> Invest in another property

Question - What is the purpose of the credit you are considering?

Your response should be anyone of the following:

>> Purchasing a home to live in

>> Investing in another property

>> Renovating your home

>> Consolidating your debts, or

>> Refinancing your existing mortgage or any other needs

Question - What kind of loan repayment type are you considering?

You should consider your loan repayment options, such as:

Interest-Only repayments - You will only repay the interest on your home loan, and your loan balance will not reduce

Principal and Interest - You will have to repay the interest and principal amount together. It means your loan balance will gradually reduce.

Question - What kind of interest type are you considering?

You need to consider the interest rate type in terms of:

A Fixed Rate home loan - With this type of home loan, your interest rate is set for a fixed period, and your repayments remain the same for the duration of the fixed period, usually between one and five years, or

A Variable Interest Rate home loan - This type of home loan is very popular with first-home buyers who just want a loan product that is simple, easy to manage and offers a number of features and benefits.

Question - Are you concerned with the amount of interest rate percentage being charged?

If you are concerned with the amount of interest rate percentage being charged on your home loan, you can use comparison rates because they are a handy indicator to help you compare loans more easily. An expert finance broker will readily provide you with a number of impartial comparisons to help you when deciding and which a bank aligned lending officer is not willing to provide you.

Question - Are you concerned with interest rate movements (i.e. up or down)?

If you are concerned with the interest rates moving upwards, you should consider a Combination (Split) interest rate loan because it will allow a mixture of security and flexibility. This is how you will pay:

>> A fixed interest rate payment for an agreed portion of your home loan, and

>> A variable interest rate payment on the remaining portion of the home loan.

Question - What kind of features and benefits are you considering with your home loan?

You should make sure you fully understand all the features and benefits available to you, such as:

>> Taking advantage to make unlimited "extra repayments" each month. So, you can pay off your loan faster.

>> Taking advantage of "redraw facilities", so you can withdraw any extra payments you have made on top of your normal repayment amounts, if you need the cash.

>> Taking advantage of "100 percent offset accounts". If you decide to put as much of your spare cash as you can into an offset account, and keep the cash in the offset account for as many days as possible, your home loan repayments will reduce. It is because your savings are bringing down the interest incurred, and ultimately your loan will reduce much faster.

Question - How long do you expect to remain in the credit contract (i.e. your required loan term)?

You need to consider if you expect to sell the security property in a certain time frame, for example:

>> Long-term - over ten years

>> Medium-term - 5 to 10 years, or

>> Short-term - less than five years

Question - What is an Exit Strategy?

An exit strategy is a plan for what will happen with your loan when you retire. The lender/credit provider will need to see that you will be able to afford the repayments without having to sell your property (i.e. selling your house is not seen as being a valid exit strategy).

So, now you have a checklist of questions to help you get organised when getting a home loan or an investment loan. AndScience Articles, you should now be better prepared to make a decision that suits your personal needs and budget.

It is a common misconception for people to assume that their bank will give them the best mortgage. It is a natural thing to assume, especially since people have often been banking with the same institution for many years and they feel comfortable with them.

However, the fact is that if you limit yourself to going directly to your bank and getting a mortgage from them without looking elsewhere you are most likely shooting yourself in the foot. You are restricting the possibility of other options that might be better for you and this is never a good thing.

There is no doubt that your own bank might give you the plan you want. There is a chance that they will give you a good offer that would be tough to beat by any considerable margin elsewhere. However, this is just a chance. You will only know if it's anything more than a chance by actually looking elsewhere.

Sure, the comfortable and trust factors weigh in, and these can be major factors since you want to trust the institution that is giving you such a large amount of money for such an important thing, but there are many other trustworthy lenders out there that may have a better offer for you. Keep in mind that your bank will probably sell your mortgage to another lender within the first year.

The first place to go is to other major banks and lending companies which you know of. By going to these first, you are going to major companies which are trustworthy. Most major banks offer fairly similar rates, but it is still worth it to check around. In fact, you would be crazy not to check around.

You may get yourself a quarter or half a percentage point off, which might seem small but can actually turn out to saving you thousands of dollars in interest payments. These other banks might also have other incentives or better options that you will want to consider. If you own a business, they may even offer you a better deal in an attempt to pick up that business.

There are plenty of other lending companies you can check with, both major and minor, online and offline. It is to your benefit to check as many as possible and not settle with your own bank just because they are the first place you check. Getting a mortgage is a huge thing and it is important to get the right mortgage plan for you, and this will only be done properly if you evaluate your options.

For security, fixed rates can also have reasonable rates. For even lower rates, you can purchase reductions by paying points at closing. One point equals one percent of the principle. Paying points is affective if you keep your mortgage for at least seven years in order to recoup the cost of buying the rate reduction.

The length of the loan will also affect your rates and payments. 15 year mortgage provides you with a cheaper loan, but payments are about a third higher than a 30 year mortgage.

2. Research Your Lender

Even a difference of an eighth of a point in rates can save you thousands of dollars. The easiest way to save money on your home's purchase is by finding the lowest costing loan.

With online mortgage companies, in just a few minutes you can request loan quotes without hurting your credit report. Every time a potential creditor accesses your report, it temporarily hurts your score.

Rates are one way to evaluate loans. But closing costs can also add up to thousands. That's why the APR number is important. It gives you the total cost of the loan. But if you plan to move or refinance, focus on low closing costs rather than low rates.

3. Apply Online
When you have found the right lender, you can start your home loan application online. Even if you haven't found the right house, you can still get pre-approved and lock in your rates.

With online financing companies, your paperwork is expressed mailed to you. You complete the forms with a notary's seal. Working with your real estate agent, escrow company, and seller, the date of sale can then be finalized.

Consumer Federation of America offers these tips on how to be environmentally friendly and save energy in your home.

* Clean or replace the air filters in your home's heating and cooling system regularly. A dirty air filter can increase your energy costs and lead to equipment failure. It's also good to have your systems checked once a year by a licensed professional. Regular maintenance can detect problems early.

* Use light bulbs and fixtures that have earned the Energy Star label - the government's symbol for energy efficiency. Such lighting uses two-thirds less energy and can last up to 10 times longer.

* Install a programmable thermostat. It will automatically adjust the temperature to meet your comfort needs efficiently during different times of the day or week. A programmable thermostat can save you up to $100 a year when properly programmed and used.

* Seal air leaks in your home. Add new weather-stripping and caulking around windows and doors. Caulk and weatherproof all exterior openings for plumbing and electrical service, and look for other openings that need to be sealed, such as attic vents and ducts.

Effective air sealing, combined with the right amount of insulation, can save up to 10 percent on energy bills. And if you're in the market for new windows, look for energy-efficient ones to help keep your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

* When replacing older, inefficient appliances in your home, look for new ones that have earned the Energy Star label. They meet strict energy-efficiency criteria set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy; use less energy; help prevent air pollution; and reduce energy costs in your home.

Fortunately, even if you have defaulted on your payments, it does not necessarily mean that your property will be foreclosed. There are various alternatives to a foreclosure that you can take. Some of these are:

Paying the delinquency. Generally, all lending institutions are required to accept all the payments that were delinquent and reinstate the loan. The delinquent payments that you have to pay may also include some legal fees especially if you are already in the foreclosure stage. There are also lending institutions that require certified funds in order to reinstate the loan.

Forbearance and Repayment. One of the most common ways of resolving a delinquent mortgage is to work out a plan with your lending institution where in you get to pay a part of your delinquency every month on top of your regular monthly payments. If you are in a situation where you are not able to meet the monthly mortgage payments, your lender can elect to extend the forbearance by suspending payments for a certain period of time up until you can start a repayment schedule. <

Payment Assistance. Some state and local governments and also private charitable organizations have instituted programs that help people with delinquencies pay all or part of their mortgage obligation for a certain period of time.

Reamortization. In a reamortization, the delinquent mortgage amount is added to the loan balance as a way of bringing the mortgage payments up to date. This move increases not only the total loan amount but also the monthly payments. Of course, the increase in payment will not be as large if the life of the loan is also extended.

Private sale. A private sale of the property affected by the delinquency can also be done as it will allow you to meet your obligations as well as get any equity that may have accumulated. In private sales it is usual that the amount is greater than the stated amount owed on the loan.

Most of these alternatives presume that you will be able to pay your mortgage payments at some point. But there is also a particular foreclosure alternative called a loss mitigation program. The federal government as well as the mortgage industry established this type of program as a way of stopping foreclosures. Under this program you are given options that will not only assist you in keeping your home even if you do not have the financial capability to pay for the mortgage payments. With these types of programs, it becomes so much easier to address the problem of foreclosures.