Thursday, March 20, 2008

Balance Budget With A Fixed Rate Remortgage

Deciding to purchase a home is a very important decision to think through. While most experts agree renting is nothing but a money pit, it can be intimidating to purchase something as expensive as a house. Buying a home with a variable rate mortgage can save money initially during times of lower interest rates. However, if the interest rates begin to climb, it can take the amount of the payment through the roof, causing people to struggle to pay for their home, and even lose them due to foreclosure. An ideal solution would be to refinance with a fixed rate remortgage loan, even if the interest rate is slightly higher than the current level being paid. You must be aware of all options, as your homes financing is something you will likely deal with for at least 15 to 30 years.

During the recent housing boom when interest rates were at the bottom, variable rate mortgages enabled folks to buy a home at an affordable monthly payment. Stipulations were built into the loan that at some future point, specifics were often different for each loan, the interest would rise if the prime interest rate increased. When interest rates began to escalate, many homeowners found themselves in danger of losing their happy home.

Acting quickly, some homeowners were able to refinance their home and lock in a fixed rate remortgage, with their monthly payments possibly rising slightly, but still within reach of their resources. However, some homeowners continued to make the higher payments and soon found themselves unable to make the payments and when they attempted to refinance were unable to do so due to a damaged credit rating. Going to an alternative loan site they may be able to obtain a loan, but often with higher interest rates and higher monthly payments as a penalty for missing a payment or two or four.

Many credit companies build into the loan agreements additional penalties that can increase the interest rate charged if the homeowner is late or defaults on any other obligations. For example, if a credit card company would report a late payment, it could trigger an interest rate increase on the home loan, even if those payments were always made on time. Many fail to read this disclosure in the original loan documents and when it happens, it is too late. With the higher rate and increased payments, some homeowners lose their homes.

Regardless of how low the payments may seem to be with a variable rate mortgage, the best deal is with a fixed rate remortgage as the homeowner can count on making the same amount payment every month for the life of the loan. Keeping an eye on interests rates even those with less than perfect credit have the chance of getting a better deal with a fixed rate, as well as getting out from under other debts if they are able to take the equity out of their house.

There will be costs associated with obtaining a fixed rate remortgage, as refinancing the home will take steps similar to purchasing it the first time.

Source:
www.ezinearticles.com
Posted by webmasterrose9 at 11:01:44 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Friday, March 14, 2008

Different Types Of Remortgages


With fluctuations in mortgage interest rates leading to an all time low, remortgaging property is becoming an increasingly popular option among borrowers. Remortgaging helps to lower interest rates and allow using the increased value of the home for needs requiring urgent cash or for alternative investment options. The variety of available remortgage products fall under any one of the following categories.

Standard Variable rate remortgage (SVR)
- This kind of mortgage is based on the Bank Of England's base rate for lending. Usually all mainstream lenders like banks and other financial institutional set their standard variable rate or SVR at 2% above the Bank of England's base lending rate. This means if 5 is the base rate.25% the lender's SVR would be 7.25%. The SVR follows the base rate as it fluctuates up and down. However by shop around a borrower with a good credit rating is sure to get a better rate for his remortgage.

Discounted variable rate remortgage
- In such a mortgage a lender, to lure a borrower, provides a discount on the SVR for a specific period, usually between 2 to 5 years, after which the rate bounces back to the SVR. For example if the SVR is 2 % above the base rate, the discounted rate may be just 1.5 % or 1.25% for the discount period. The rate would fluctuate with the base rate but borrower will be paying less than the SVR during the set period.

Fixed Rate remortgage
- This is a type of mortgage where the interest rate remains fixed for an agreed period before reverting to the SVR. This period generally ranges between 1 to 5 years but could be longer depending on the particular mortgage deal chosen. The advantage of this type is that the borrower knows exactly what he has to pay as repayment every month with no surprises in store as in the case of other mortgage types. On the downside, it could result in a higher interest rate if market rates go down, as the rate agreed to remains fixed. In addition, an early redemption of the mortgage loan could mean a substantial higher financial penalty.

Capped rate remortgage- Capped rate remortgages are supposed to give the best of variable and fixed rate deals with two drawbacks. One, they carry a relatively higher rate of interest and two, they are saddled with a one-time administration fee. This is because they give the borrower a better cushion against rising interest rates. Capping the upper limit ensures that the borrower does not pay more than the capped rate even if the rates cross the capped level also allowing him the benefit of lower interest rates in case interest rates drop.

Source:
http://www.ezinearticles.com/?Different-Types-Of-Remortgages&id=886107
Posted by webmasterrose9 at 09:11:45 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Difference Between Remortgage And Refinance


Refinance means to arrange a new mortgage for an increased amount. The old mortgage(s) is paid off (discharged) from the proceeds of the new loan. This type of loan is also referred to as equity take out.

Remortgage is the process of paying off one mortgage with the proceeds from a fresh mortgage using the same property as collateral primarily to secure a more favorable interest rate from another lender. The reasons for remortgaging may be many, like reducing the size of repayments, to raise capital or to consolidate other debts. The most common method is fee-charging. Lenders usually add on a fee for a particular remortgage product once the mortgage completes.

Mortgage Lenders are very aware of the general public’s ability to source rate information from a variety of online sites and, in an attempt to appear competitive and continue to promote their brand awareness, have come up with a variety of ways to offer cheaper rates than their competitors.

The basic difference between a remortgage and a refinance is that a remortgage is accepting a loan from a new lender where as a refinance can be provided by the existing lender or the new mortgage provider. Mortgaging can also serve to release equity in the borrowers home, which is the difference between the market value of a home and the amount the borrower still owes.

The procedure for obtaining a mortgage is fairly simple and the paper work involves proof of income, debts and expenditure. Although remortgage can be successfully accomplished in four to six weeks' time, the duration may vary depending upon other lender and specific circumstances surrounding the property.

Source:
www.ezinearticles.com

Posted by webmasterrose9 at 04:31:49 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |