| |
Helpful facts for understanding
home equity loan low interest rate home finance
Adjustable Rate Mortgages - Interest Rate Strategy Over the last few years, many people squeezed into new homes using adjustable rate mortgages. With interest rates going up, you now need a new interest rate strategy
Adjustable Rate Mortgages - ARMs
Adjustable rate mortgages carry a bit of a gamble for home owners. Essentially, you trade smaller interest rates and lower initial payments on the gamble rates will not increase over time. If rates stay low, you make out like a bandit. If rates increase, you need to consider your options to avoid getting stuck with a high interest rate loan and resulting cash flow problems from increased monthly mortgage payments.
For the last three or four years, adjustable rate mortgages have been offered with incredibly low interest rates. Many people used these low, low, low rates to buy homes that would otherwise be beyond their means. Starting in 2004, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan started making noises about increasing money borrowing rates. He has followed through on these hints. Although mortgage rates aren't tied directly to the Federal Reserve Bank, they are heavily influenced by it. As a result, many people are now facing tight finances.
Avoid Rising Rates
There are really only two solutions for avoiding the increase in interest rates on adjustable rate mortgages. The first strategy is to immediately convert to a fixed rate mortgage product. Fixed rates are still at historic lows when compared to rates offered over the last 50 years. By flipping to a fixed rate, you will be able to solidify your budget and finances since you will know exactly what you have to pay each month. If rates decrease in the future, you can always try to flip back to an adjustable mortgage loan.
Unfortunately, some home owners are simply going to have to face the fact they lost one the interest rate gamble. Typically, this will occur when you realize you simply can't afford to make the monthly payments required by getting a fixed rate loan. In such a situation, you are going to have to sell your home and downsize. In most situations, it is better to do this now since you've probably built up a sizeable chunk of equity over the last few years and want to avoid a loss of that equity as the market cools down. While this may sound like a disaster, it really isn't. Yes, you have to downsize, but you should still have built up a chunk of equity.
Interest rates are going up whether you want to acknowledge it or not. The time to deal with your adjustable rate mortgage is now, not when you straining to make payments.
About the author:
Dan Lewis is with http://www.gwhomeloans.com - a San Diego mortgage brokers providing San Diego home loans. Visit http://www.gwhomeloans.com/services.html to learn more about options on San Diego mortgages from a San Diego mortgage broker company.
More Useful Resource and Updates on home equity loan low interest rate home finance
- With bank loans scarcer, some websites help borrowers tap individuals for cash (Los Angeles Times)
WASHINGTON -- Steve Lubs was looking to get rid of his $8,000 in credit card debt, but his high interest rate had him bogged down. He tried getting a loan through a bank to pay off the balance but couldn't find one with an interest rate lower than 12%.
- Home sweet loan: Using a 401(k) loan for a down payment (Miami Herald)
Faced with a real estate market that has tightened up lending standards at a time when home values are dropping, more people are borrowing money from their 401(k) retirement plans to help swing a down payment to buy a home.
- Community Bank Names Wright Mortgage Loan Originator (Rockbridge Weekly)
August 28, 2008- Staunton, VA- Community Bank is pleased to welcome Stephen Wright, Mortgage Loan Originator, to its Secondary Mortgage Department. Wright will be responsible for originating fixed rate mortgage loans and promote lending services to the real estate community.
- Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco Releases July 2008 Cost of Funds Index (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance)
SAN FRANCISCO----The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco announced August 29, 2008, that the 11th District Monthly Weighted Average Cost of Funds Index for July 2008 is 2.698%. The index for June 2008 was 2.829%.
- Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco Releases July 2008 Cost of Funds Index (wallstreet:online AG)
The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco announced August 29, 2008, that the 11th District Monthly
- ANZ lowers fixed home loan rates again (News Interactive)
ANZ is lowering its fixed rate home loans for the second time this month, as the market prepares for a cut in official rates next week.
- ANZ lowers fixed rate mortgages again (Daily Telegraph)
ANZ will lower its fixed home loan rates and investment loans rates by between 30 basis points and 50 basis points.
- Home loan: How to cope with rising EMIs (rediff.com)
How badly is the EMI (equated monthly instalment) of your home loan messing up your budget? Over the last four years, the interest rate on home loans has risen from the bottom of about 7.75 per cent in 2004 to about 12.75 per cent now for existing customers.
- ANZ lowers rate again (Perth Now)
The ANZ Bank will lower its fixed home loan rates and investment loans rates by between 30 basis points and 50 basis points.
|
|
|