When it comes to selling a home, one is confronted with countless challenges and unavoidable problems. Most often, this simple process turns into a horrible experience since the people are unaware of the effective strategies to handle the critical issues relevant to home-selling. And among all these problems, the “repairs and improvement” is the part that needs most of the seller’s attention.
Mortgage Mistakes in Texas
May 4th, 2010 by tariqBelow are some pitfalls that you would definitely want to get rid of when searching for a mortgage:
Not completing your homework
It is a common perception among borrowers that a thirty year fixed loan is the best loan. The reason behind this perception is that until the past twenty to twenty five years, the only loans available were the fixed-rate ones. Today, a large number of loans are available; therefore, you should do away with any pre-conceived concepts about loans.
Home Refinancing
May 4th, 2010 by tariqAmericans in recent years, seeking to get benefited by low rates of interest, have assembled to refinance mortgages. According to the US Mortgage Bankers Association, in 2003, refinancing was very high, and it remained high in the year 2004 and 2005.
It is true that refinancing helps you to reduce the costs that are linked with borrowing money in order to have a home; however, it’s not essentially a strategy which is sensible for every person in every circumstance. Thus, before making a commitment for refinancing your mortgage, it is very important to complete your homework and decide if this is the right move for you.
According to an old rule of thumb, a refinance simply seems sensible if you can decrease your rate of interest by a minimum of two percentage points, lowering it from 9% to 7% for instance. It is very important to ensure that you are comfortable with and understand the time taken for all of your savings in order to pay for the refinancing cost.
Making a mistake to choose a mortgage based on the agreed annual percentage rate (APR) only, can be disastrous because a variety of other key variables are there that should be considered, such as:
The mortgage terms – The terms of the mortgage describe the time taken to pay off principal amount of the loan and the interest. Though short-term mortgages normally offer interest rates that are lower than the long-term mortgages, they typically require higher monthly payments. Conversely, they can bring about a significant reduction in the interest costs in due course.
The variability of the rate of interest – Basically, mortgages are of two types: the first type includes the ones in which the interest rates are fixed and the other type comprises the ones in which the interest rates vary. In case of variable interest rates, after the expiry of the predetermined amount of time which could be one or five years, the rate of interest changes. Although usually, an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) offers an introductory rate which is lower than a mortgage with fixed-rate having a similar term; the ARM’s rate might go up in the future with the rise in the rates of interest. Opting for the security and predictability of an unchangeable rate would be sensible for a person who plans to stay in his/her house for long, whereas an ARM may seem right when planning to put the house for sale before allowing its rate to go up.
Points – Points are also called “discount fees” or “origination fees”. Points are the amount which you give to a broker or lender at the time of closing your deal. Although a “zero points” or “no-cost” mortgage doesn’t carry the up-front fee, it could turn out to be pricier if rate of interest charged by the lender is higher. Therefore, you will be required to find out whether savings from a rate which is lower justify the additional costs of disbursing points.
(One point is equivalent to one percent of the value of the loan.)
Lastly, remember that your present lender might make refinancing cheaper and easier for you than a new lender, as it is probable that your present lender already has all of your financial information at hand, reducing the resources and time that are essential for processing your application. In order to make an intelligent decision, you will have to consider a number of possibilities.
What You Should Know About Bankruptcy
May 4th, 2010 by tariqThe most common question that you may come across is how long it takes for the clearing up of a bankruptcy, and after a bankruptcy, how long it would take to buy a house in Texas. The answer is that bankruptcy remains on your record for around ten years. However, you do not require waiting a decade to obtain a loan. You will probably obtain a loan if:
- You are able to explain the causes of your bankruptcy filing, like unemployment, unforeseen events, divorce, illness, etc.
- You’ve since kept a tremendous credit record.
- Some years have passed from the time when you declared bankruptcy.
In case you have recently gone bankrupt and have been married since, your combined earning is $85,000, and you’ve around $60,000 for down payment, your wife and you’ve little debt, both of you’ve been working in the same companies for over ten years each, and you both have credit cards, which are current. Then, you might perhaps think if there are lenders who will grant you loan.
Well, if this is the case, then the chances of obtaining a mortgage are good, as you can put $60,000 as a down payment towards the home. Lenders feel confident about your ability to pay the mortgage, in case you put down twenty percent or more towards purchase price. But, your recent bankruptcy may still make it hard for you to obtain a prime loan, also known as an “A” loan. You may be required to pay some more points or interest rate that is higher.
A few ways for financing a home purchase are given below:
- Use a no-document loan.
- Take a look at an assumable mortgage.
- Try seller financing
- Pay in cash.

