Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Tips For Finding Cheap Mortgage Deals

By Chester Thompson


How do I go about finding a cheap mortgage deal? That is the question asked by thousands of hopeful home buyers every week. Even though the housing market across the nation has been in turmoil ever since 2007, there are still bargains waiting to be found - if you have the right information and know where to look. Which direction are interest rates moving? Should I wait to buy, or should I buy now? This article can help you to find answers to these questions and more.
Examine the Latest Trends
Real estate prices and interest rates follow well-established patterns in each area of the country. Take the time to look at prices and interest rates over the past several years. The object is not to hit the exact peak or valley of a particular trend - rather it is to take note of when the trend appears to be stalling out or even reversing. This information will help guide your timing decisions and will help you decide whether to take action quickly or wait a while longer Mortgage Assistance Relief Services.

The first thing that you should do is print off a free copy of your credit report so you can see what is giving you your poor credit score. Normally it is unpaid debts, or a lot of debt that is giving you a bad credit score. Once you have found the source of your bad credit, go to the companies that you still have debt with and set up payment plans to start reducing your debt. Even if you only pay off $50.00 a month, it is better than nothing, and your credit score will change to show that you are working on paying it off.

Understand Current Lending Criteria
It's a hard, cold fact that lenders have tightened up their standards for prospective borrowers. Even though cheap mortgages are abundant and interest rates are attractive, they are only available to borrowers who fit the established criteria. Be realistic about your prospects. Unless you have a FICO score of 720, manageable debt levels, documented income, and a down payment of at least 5 to 10%, the cheapest mortgages will simply not be available to you. On the other hand, if you are looking to refinance your current home, your equity position will need to be at least 20% in order to secure the best mortgage deals.

Shop Around for The Best Mortgage Deal. A mortgage and a toaster share one thing in common -- they are both consumer products. There are many different lenders that are trying to sell many different types of mortgages, so it makes good sense to shop around as much as you possibly can. The difficulty is that, whereas toasters are very simple products, mortgages are not simple at all. It can be very difficult to keep track of all the different features available in order to make a fair comparison. That's where a good mortgage advisor can help you. A mortgage advisor has much more experience with the intricacies of the mortgage market, and therefore might be your best bet for finding cheap mortgages.

Going Beyond the Mortgage Calculator.
Did you know that you can do much more than just compare payment savings with a mortgage calculator? You can also see how much you'd save with the different mortgage types (ARM versus fixed), how much you'd save in interest if you refinanced today, see "how much home you can afford" and much more. There are many mortgage calculator tools available for first time homeowners and existing homeowners looking to refinance. Your mortgage specialist can help customize the right plan for your budget which can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars every year on your home loan - and understanding the numbers is a valuable first step that can help make your decision even easier.




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