Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Top Home Mortgage Mistakes

Home mortgages are tricky business. It isn’t everyday that you shop for a home. Naturally, as a buyer, you won’t be very familiar with the home mortgage process. Since a mortgage is such a large amount money, it is imperative that you are as prepared as possible. Read on to find out some of the top mistakes home owners make when applying for a mortgage.

Choosing The Wrong Mortgage. There are many types home mortgages that a home buyer can choose from. There’s fixed-rate mortgages, adjustable-rate mortgages, interest-only mortgages, and balloon mortgages to name a few. With so many to choose from, it’s easy to make the wrong choice. Especially for a buyer that isn’t familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Choosing the wrong home mortgage can be detrimental to your home ownership. Choose the wrong one and you could find yourself owning the full balance of your home within a few years. Before you make a final decision about a mortgage, make sure you fully understand the terms, interest rate, and life of the loan. Use these factors to help make your final decision. Ask your loan officer as many questions as you need to understand the loan you will be borrowing.

Borrowing With Too Much Debt. Just because a lender approves you for a home mortgage with your current debt load, doesn’t mean that you should take it. Lenders analyze your debt in different ways to determine whether or not to extend a loan to you. Borrowing a home mortgage when you have too much other debt will put your finances on a strain. When you have too much debt you are at a high risk of defaulting on your mortgage, which can lead to foreclosure.

Before taking on a home mortgage, do an analysis on your current financial situation. Consider all the income and debt you have. If your debt is more than 40% of your gross income, you should reconsider purchasing a home until you have decreased the amount of your debt.

Paying Too Little On A Down Payment. The less you put down on your home mortgage, the more you have to borrow. This ultimately leads to a higher monthly cost on your home mortgage. Not only will you have a higher monthly on your mortgage, you will also have to pay private mortgage insurance if your down payment was less than 20 of the equity of the home.

Since this kind of increase in monthly payments can be avoided, it is best to save up as much as you can for a down payment. Even if you are unable to save up a sizeable down payment, it doesn’t mean that you will be put into a financial bind. Estimate your monthly payments as much as you can before borrowing the home mortgage. Make sure your budget will be able to handle your mortgage payments.

When it comes to home mortgages, the key is to not bite off more than you can chew. A mortgage is a considerable undertaking. Prepare yourself as much as possible.

No comments: