MORTGAGE BANK PARTNERING

Many borrowers think they have found the perfect loan — the 125. But you should be cautious when considering this product.

A 125 loan is named for the amount of equity you can pull out of your home, which is usually 125%. Some of the loan is secured by your home and some of it isn’t, making it a mixed loan type. The portion that is unsecured causes your interest rate to be higher than with a fully secured home equity loan.

Many borrowers turn to 125 loans because they can simply make one payment to their lender instead of several payments to many lenders. The single payment is often lower than the total of all the payments it replace, due to differences in interest rates. The rates are often much better than credit card rates, but if you roll other loans in, such as student loans, you may actually be raising some rates on your debt.

For example, you may have a car loan with a balance of $11,000. You have an interest rate of 8.5% and 4 years left of payments. You roll the note into your 125 loan, which has a rate of 11.5%. You’ve actually raised your interest rate.

If you roll in a credit card with a $12,000 balance and an interest rate of 19%, you are lowering your rate. But you will be looking at upwards of ten years of payments.

The real danger comes in when borrowers take out a 125, roll over their credit card debt and then go out and max out those cards again. This is called reloading. You now have double the debt to repay. You are in a worse situation now and are risking losing your home.

When you take out a 125, you have to be dedicated enough to cut up each credit card right then and there. This will help you avoid temptation.

You may be saying, but wait — I get to deduct the interest on a 125 on my income taxes. Yes, you are saving 28 cents for every dollar you spend. Doesn’t make a lot of sense. Plus, the amount of interest on the loan above the value of your home is not tax deductible. If you deduct it, it will bite you in the taxes.

You are also now upside down in your home equity. You owe more than your home is worth. You can’t sell it until the value of the house increases or you pay off the loan enough to reduce the balance below the value of the house. That takes around five to 10 years in most cases.

If you are forced to sell your home, you will probably have to pay money at closing just to get it off your hands. You are paying to sell your home. If you plan to stay in your home for a long time, you may not need to worry about this as much.

But keep in mind that the unexpected happens. When you open yourself up to a lot of debt, you are putting your future at risk. Taking out a 125 loan to get rid of the debt isn’t necessarily your best option. It certainly isn’t the easy way out, as you may have been told. It is the same debt, just new place. Be very careful, it’s your house on the line this time.

If it is your first time applying for a mortgage, there are a number of terms you should know. Educating yourself on the various mortgage terms you will run into will help you make better decisions when deciding which home you want to purchase. When you sign a mortgage contract, your home is used for collateral and it is your responsibility to make sure your payments are made on time each month.

The first term you should know is principal. The principal is basically defined as the amount of money you borrow for your home. Before the principal is provided you will need to make a down payment. A down payment is the percentage you will put towards the principal. The amount of the down payment will often depend on the cost of the home. Once you pay off the principal, the home is yours.

The next term you will need to know is interest. Interest is a percentage that you are charged to borrow a certain amount of money. Along with the interest rate, lenders may also charge you points. A point is a portion of the total funds financed. The principal and interest makes up the majority of your monthly payments, and this is a method that is called amortization. Amortization is the method by which your loan is reduced over a given period of time. Your payments for the first few years will cover the interest, while payments made later will be applied towards the principal.

A portion of your mortgage payments can be placed in an escrow account in order to go towards insurance, taxes, or other expenses. The next term you will hear a lot is taxes. Taxes are the amount of money that you have to pay to your state or government. When it comes to your home, these are known as property taxes. These taxes are used to build roads, schools, and other public projects. All homeowners must pay property taxes.

Insurance is another important term that you will hear in the real estate community. You will not be allowed to close on your mortgage if you don’t have insurance for your home. Home insurance covers your home against floods, fire, theft, or other problems. Unless you can afford to repair your home if it is damaged, it is usually a good idea to get insurance for your home. If your home is located within a zone that is known for having floods, federal laws may require you to have flood insurance.

If the down payment you put towards your home is less than 20% of the total value, you will often be charged additional premiums on your insurance by the lender. This is done to protect you in the event that you default on your loans and fail to make payments. Without this, many people would not be able to afford a house. Once you have paid off about 78% of the home, the lender will stop charging you insurance premiums.

These are the basic terms you will need to know before your purchase a home. Understanding these things will allow you to avoid many of the pitfalls that exist in the real estate field. You want an interest rate that is low, and you should always try to get a fixed interest rate if possible. This will allow you to focus your income on making payments towards the principal, and this will help you pay off the loan faster. A mortgage is an important part of your financial picture, and you want to make sure you pick a home that you can afford. If you fail to make your payments, you may lose your house.

Buying a home after a bankruptcy doesn’t limit the types of mortgage loans you can qualify for. If anything, you have more loan options with subprime lenders. However, depending on how soon your bankruptcy was resolved, you may find that you pay higher rates and down payments to secure your home financing.

Available Bad Credit Home Loans

In recent years, subprime lenders have come up with a number of new financing terms for home loans. So even with adverse credit, you can still get 100% financing or a 30 year fixed rate mortgage. Interest only loans and adjustable rate mortgages are also good options to increase your buying power.

If you are looking to secure financing over the conventional price caps, then subprime lenders can also offer you jumbo loans. All loan terms are flexible, as well as fees and conditions.

Hurdles Of A Bankruptcy

Right after a bankruptcy, your credit score will require you to put down a sizeable down payment with lenders, usually around 50%. But after the first year, you can reduce your down payment to just 25%. In two years, you can qualify for zero down and conventional rates.

It is only after the first two years of a bankruptcy that your credit score will be significantly affected. After that, financing companies look at other facets of your credit, such as payment history, debt ratio, and employment outlook.

Get A Better Deal With A Better Lender

Subprime lenders compete for your business by offering low rates and fees. While there are certainly some companies that would take advantage of your credit situation, you can protect yourself by being a smart consumer.

Start by researching a number of loan companies. Ask for loan quotes based on your credit and income. After looking at the APR and fine print, you can make a decision on which mortgage loan is right for you.

You can also get pre-approved for your home financing. Not only will it help you in the home buying process, but it will also give you an idea of your financing budget. With online lenders, you can complete your application in minutes and have funds available in as little as two weeks.

If you have filed bankruptcy recently, you may wonder if you can get approved for a home loan. You may also wonder if buying a home after a recent bankruptcy is a good idea for you.

While a bankruptcy can make getting approved for a mortgage loan more difficult, it is still possible to get approved for a mortgage loan. In fact, there are more and more bad credit loan programs coming out all the time. Subprime lenders are focusing more on helping individuals with poor credit acheive home ownership. This is happening mostly because bankruptcies are still on the rise and there is an increasing number of people with bad credit who are looking for home financing.

Here are some reasons to consider home ownership after a bankruptcy:

1. Increase Your Credit Score – When you make your payments regularly, you improve your credit rating. Once your pre-payment penalty period is over, you should be able to refinance your mortgage loan for a much lower interest rate. After your bankruptcy has been discharged for over 2-3 years, you should have a much easier time qualifying for a lower interest rate mortgage loan.

2. Accrue Equity In Your Home – If you are just making rent payments, you are throwing your monthly payments away. When you own a home, over time, home values increase and you are working toward owning an asset.

3. Take Out An Equity Loan To Consolidate Debt or Get Needed Extra Cash – Once you have bought your house, as soon as 6 months or so later, you might be able to take out an equity loan on your home and consolidate any other debt that you might have since your bankruptcy or debt that could not be included in your bankruptcy. Taxes and student loans will not be discharged in a bankruptcy. You may also want to use the extra cash to invest in a business venture or for needed home improvement.

In the past, traditional mortgage lenders have automatically rejected people who had declared personal bankruptcy.  Many potential home-buyers felt they must wait at least seven to 10 years after a bankruptcy to be eligible to become homeowners. This is a common misconception for many who believe their chance of home ownership is a long way away.

While some people declaring bankruptcy have had trouble managing their money, a large number of those declaring have simply experienced unfortunate events. Australians are filing bankruptcy at record-high levels over the last five years. The rise in petrol price and the recent increase in interest rates won’t help either.

There are some ominous signs out there…

Though a bankruptcy is certainly a blemish on a credit report, it does not necessarily disqualify a borrower. Recognising that sometimes bad things happen to good people, some select loan officers are becoming more willing to take a calculated risk.

Some lenders use a securing system to determine whether potential buyers are a worthwhile risk. Unfortunately, bankruptcy gives a low rating. However, select lenders are beginning to look beyond the rating and look at the individuals in need.

Instead of waiting two or four years after being discharged from bankruptcy, some mortgage professionals are willing to give a home loan much sooner. Those who have declared bankruptcy liquidation may be eligible for a loan one year after discharge, and those who are in a Part IX  debt agreement could also be able to get a mortgage.

Another common misconception is that a previous bankruptcy on your credit report will require you to have a large down payment and pay extremely high interest rates. There are currently programs available with as little as 5 percent down with very attractive rates.

Some lenders are even prequalifying buyers for a loan, saving time and making the home-buying experience easier and more efficient. When a buyer prequalifies they will have the advantage of greater negotiating power.

No matter what the situation, select mortgage professionals have a program that will work for the buyer with a bankruptcy history. If a buyer cannot get approved, there are customized plans that can re-establish credit to help the buyer become mortgage-ready, ensuring home-ownership in the future.

Because of new options, bankruptcy no longer needs to stand in the way of getting a home loan. With the help of more creative lenders, those who have experienced financial difficulty will have an easier time getting a mortgage.

To your ongoing financial success,

Julian Thornton