Home  |  Article Listing  |  eBooks & Resources  |  Books & DVDs  |  Legal  |  Contact










Fixed Rate or Adjustable?


Fixed rate or adjustable rate mortgages are two choices of mortgage loans that most lenders will offer you. Your financial situation, how long you plan to live in the home, the current interest rates, and what risks you are willing to take is the best way to decide which loan makes the most sense for you.

Understanding the benefits as well as the risks of each loan will help when deciding if a fixed rate or adjustable rate loan works best for you.

Fixed Rate Home Loan

A fixed rate home loan offers you monthly principal and interest mortgage payments that never change for the life of your loan. A Fixed rate home loan is the most stable option with very little risk. That is why it is the most popular way to finance a home today.

Fixed rate home loans are available as 30, 20, 15 and 10 year loans and they make sense if you answer yes to the following:

  • Plan to live in your home more than 5 years
  • Want the stability of a fixed monthly mortgage payment
  • Don't want to risk future monthly mortgage payment increases

    Some fixed rate home loans can be converted into biweekly mortgages which shorten the life of your loan. By paying your monthly mortgage payment every two weeks, you make one extra payment a year for a total of 26 payments. You pay less interest on your loan and build equity faster.

    It makes sense to finance a home with a fixed rate home loan only if you plan to live in your home for 5 years or longer. That is because in the early amortization period of a fixed rate home loan, the biggest percentage of your monthly mortgage payment is applied toward interest. Only a small amount is applied toward the principal but that will gradually reverse itself as the loan ages.

    Adjustable Rate Loans

    Adjustable rate loans make sense if you plan to live in your home less than five years. Adjustable rate loans can also be easier to qualify for and that may make it easier for you to initially get into a home. You can always refinance to a fixed rate home loan later if your future income is going to increase.

    Adjustable rate loans start at a low introductory interest rate which is a lower than a fixed rate home loan. The low introductory rate makes your monthly mortgage payment lower than a fixed rate home loan.

    But the trade-off for lower payments of an adjustable rate loan is the uncertainty of the amount of your monthly mortgage payment. However, most adjustable rate loans have cap protections so your monthly mortgage payment doesn't go up too quickly.

    Adjustable rate loans make sense if you answer yes to the following:

  • Plan to move before 5 years
  • Can afford a higher monthly mortgage payment if interest rates go up
  • You believe that mortgage interest rates will remain the same or decline in the future

    Everyone has different circumstances and only you can decide if the risks or advantages are right for you. These tips should help with your decision if a fixed rate home loan or adjustable rate loan works best for you.

    Copyright © 2005 Credit Repair Facts.com All Rights Reserved.

    This article is supplied by http://www.credit-repair-facts.com where you will find credit information, debt elimination programs and informative articles that give you the knowledge to correct your own credit and credit report. For more credit related articles like these go to: http://www.credit-repair-facts.com/articles_1.html




    MORE RESOURCES:

    CBC.ca

    Pros and Cons of a Mortgage Refinance
    FreeRateUpdate.com
    Many homeowners are jumping on the opportunity to save money with a mortgage refinance at the current low mortgage rates. With mortgage rates at historically low levels, some homeowners have refinanced more than once in the past several years which is ...
    Who Qualifies for the $26 Billion Foreclosure Settlement?TIME
    What $25 billion mortgage settlement will and won't do for homeownersThe Seattle Times

    all 3,689 news articles »


    Lenders say mortgage refinance deal will bolster Manatee market
    Bradenton Herald
    By JOSH SALMAN - jsalman@bradenton.com MANATEE -- A new refinance program to help underwater homeowners will uplift the local economy by putting extra cash into the pockets of those who will spend it, area lenders predict. The deal struck with five of ...

    and more »


    Mortgage-refinance bill a dangerous deal
    Arizona Republic
    by Robert Robb, columnist - Feb. 10, 2012 12:00 AM State Sen. Michele Reagan wants to help out underwater homeowners in the worst way. And she has succeeded with SB 1451 -- it's hard to imagine a worse bill. Reagan proposes to establish a state agency ...

    and more »


    Housing Wire

    Obama pressures Congress on mortgage refinance program
    Fox News
    WASHINGTON – President Obama is rallying support for his plan to expand government assistance to homeowners, pressuring Congress to help lower lending rates for millions of strapped homeowners. Obama, in his radio and Internet address Saturday, ...
    President Obama's Mortgage Refinance Plan Just a Bid for VotesYahoo! Contributors Network
    Obama Unveils Mortgage Refinance EndeavorsMortgageorb
    New Obama mortgage refinance plan to near $10 billionHousing Wire
    Go Banking Rates -CBS Moneywatch -MarketWatch
    all 1,239 news articles »


    Harney: Reviewing Obama's mortgage refinance plan
    The Seattle Times
    Though it was pronounced dead-before-arrival by opponents on Capitol Hill, President Obama's new mortgage-refinancing package contained... By Kenneth R. Harney Mortgage refinancing is an outstanding plan particularly as the home mortgage rates are.

    and more »


    MonitorBankRates.com

    Mortgage Refinance Rates: 15 Year Refinance Mortgage Rates at 3.29%
    MonitorBankRates.com
    Mortgage refinance rates on 30 year conforming home loans are averaging 3.98%, unchanged from yesterday's average 30 year mortgage refinance rate. Mortgage refinance rates today on 15 year home mortgage loans are averaging 3.29%, down from yesterday's ...

    and more »


    Fox News

    Obama Proposes Mortgage-Refinance Plan
    Wall Street Journal
    By NICK TIMIRAOS President Barack Obama called on Congress during Tuesday's State of the Union address to approve new legislation that would give all homeowners who are current on their mortgages the opportunity to refinance at record low mortgage ...
    Will Obama's Mortgage Refinance Plan Be D.O.A.?U.S. News & World Report
    Obama proposes mortgage refinance programPolitico (blog)
    Obama proposes new mortgage refinance programHousing Wire
    Daily Caller
    all 314 news articles »


    International Business Times

    FOX 11 News Discussion: State of the Union
    MyFox Los Angeles
    And he aimed a pitch at homeowners, announcing a new mortgage refinance program with "historically low interest rates" that "gives every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3000 a year on their mortgage." He added, "A small fee on the ...
    Winning Words, But Not a WinnerU.S. News & World Report
    Obama State of the Union 2012: Mortgage Refinance Changes Face ObstaclesInternational Business Times

    all 12,250 news articles »


    CBS Local

    Six Questions on Obama's Mortgage Refinance Proposal
    Wall Street Journal (blog)
    By Nick Timiraos President Barack Obama said Tuesday night in his State of the Union address that he would send a plan to Congress to allow all homeowners who are current on their mortgages to refinance. Here's a quick look at the proposal: How is this ...
    Obama plan could help refinance Bay Area mortgagesSan Francisco Chronicle

    all 19 news articles »


    Bloomberg

    HARP Refi May Delay PMI Cancellation
    NASDAQ
    The federal HARP mortgage refinance program can be a huge boon for underwater homeowners. But if you have PMI, there's a little hitch you should know about. While refinancing a mortgage through HARP can cut your interest rate and save you money, ...
    New HARP Could Help Up to 6.7 MillionMortgageLoan.com

    all 54 news articles »

    Google News


  • Home | Privacy Policy & Legal Information | Contact

    systemmortgage.com © 2007 | site by webbizinabox.info