Rainia W asked:


I am thinking of moving to San Fran, and I don’t know anything about the American real estate market. Is it difficult to get a mortgage? I have excellent credit, a tiny amount of debt but will only have a teachers salary. And should I consider buying an apartment or should I just rent, once I get settled?

shawn thomas asked:


If you are just about to buy a house, one of your most important decisions, almost as important as which home you buy, is what type of mortgage to take out. You basically have two choices; a fixed rate mortgage (FRM) or an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) Choosing a mortgage that best fits your specific needs can potentially either save or cost you a great deal of money over the term of the mortgage.

Around 70% of homebuyers today choose a fixed rate mortgage, rather than an adjustable rate mortgage. A fixed rate mortgage is exactly what it sounds like. The interest rate on the loan doesn’t change, regardless of whether interest rates in general go up or down. An adjustable rate mortgage may go up or down, depending on the interest rate at the time. Your decision may be influenced by your overall financial situation, the present state of the economy and the cost of your house.

The overall amount that you end up paying for your home can be greatly influenced by even a small change in the interest rate. A lowering of the interest rate by just one point can mean that a homeowner with a 30 year mortgage can enjoy average savings of around $50,000 over the term of their mortgage. An increase in the interest rate of just one or two percent can mean monthly payments that are between $50 and $250 higher, depending on how much you paid for your home. Whether you are taking out a 15 or 30 year mortgage may also influence your decision to take out an adjustable rate or fixed rate mortgage.

The biggest benefit of a fixed rate mortgage is the peace of mind that comes with knowing that regardless of how bad the economy is the rate on your mortgage loan won’t increase; neither will your monthly payment amounts. In fact, the terms and conditions of a fixed rate mortgage are protected by law. A fixed rate mortgage is an ideal option for those buyers who just don’t want to take a risk, or consider themselves the cautious type when it comes to finances.

Another benefit of a fixed rate mortgage is that it makes it easier for the homeowner to budget the expense. Your mortgage payment is probably your single biggest expense and you always know exactly how much the monthly payment will be. Some buyers believe that this makes it a little bit easier to plan and budget for some of life’s other big expenses. Certain things like college funds and retirement for example. With a fixed rate mortgage, the amount of the monthly payment will only increase if there is an increase in the amount of insurance rates or property taxes.

A fixed rate mortgage is not affected by inflation or the cost of living. Supposing you have a monthly mortgage payment of $700; this amount will still be the same after five, ten, and twenty years have gone by. Even though everything else has increased in cost, your mortgage payment will stay the same. One way to offset this is to consider the possibilities in the future. Chances are you could have a more disposable income as time passes. You could be earning a higher salary, but still paying the same every month for your home.

If you prefer the safer option of the fixed rate mortgage, one solution would be to take out a fixed rate mortgage and then refinance your loan if and when interest rates are lowered. This approach keeps your options open. If interest rates go down sufficiently to justify the cost of refinancing, you can do just that; if rates stay where they are or go up you will be glad you have the fixed rate mortgage.  Some financial experts advise that it is only worth refinancing if the interest rate will be at least 2% lower than your current rate, although that decision entirely is up to you.

Another strategy that can be applied towards either a fixed rate or adjustable mortgage is to pay an extra amount each month towards the principal. By doing this regularly, you can potentially save a large amount in interest charges. It can also make the term of the mortgage shorter and you may be able to own your home sooner. Make sure that you specify that any extra amount that you pay is going towards the principal and not the interest. By doing this, if you have a fixed rate mortgage and the rate is not as low as it could be, you are getting ahead a little bit.

Ultimately the decision of whether to take a fixed rate mortgage or an adjustable rate mortgage is yours. Although several factors may influence your decision, one of the biggest questions to ask yourself is how much of a risk you want to take.

1st American Mortgage asked:


How to Find Honest Advice About Colorado Mortgages

It’s safe to say there are many places to find a deal for a Denver mortgage or Colorado mortgages these days. But the mortgage crisis has made things a little more complex. It’s not just about finding the best deal, but finding someone to work with who will give you honest advice and help you get into a mortgage that you can afford. But are there experts out there you can give you that sort of Colorado mortgage advice? Is there someone who will get you into the best Denver mortgage product, while still remaining ethical? The answer is yes.

Watch Out When Colorado Mortgage Experts Offer The World

One of the problems that got so many people into a mortgage mess is that their Denver mortgage expert or Colorado mortgage expert made them an offer that would fix all of their problems. These mortgage experts put customers into deals that just didn’t work out and now people are liable to lose their homes. If you want to get into the right mortgage product now, then you need to look for someone who will look at the Colorado home loans available and tell you the ones you can’t have.

Sounds strange, doesn’t it? But that’s the way you can tell a Denver mortgage lender with credibility from one who is more unethical.

In the recent past, when it seemed like everyone was buying a home, too many Colorado mortgage professionals weren’t being honest with their clients and the result was bad loans that have turned into foreclosures. The lenders involved weren’t looking out for their clients, instead they were just interested in getting them started on a loan which may have been low at first, but now has turned into trouble. Instead, a mortgage pro has to look at what will happen to a customer now and in the future.

How do Ethical Denver Mortgage Professionals Work?

In the midst of this crisis, ethical Denver mortgage professionals are working hard to gain back the reputation lost by bad lenders. Unfortunately, the names of everyone working in the business were hurt by the people who worked on bad loans. It will take hard (and ethical) work to repair that.

If you are a potential customer, then you need to be looking out for the professionals who are out there, coming up Colorado mortgages while fighting to be ethical. They have good products that will help a homeowner and they are working in that person’s best interest. Seek out the Colorado mortgage experts who are client-focused and who have been in business for a long time thanks to that philosophy. You want an expert whose business focuses on:

• Selling reasonably priced Denver mortgage products

• Finding many good options in Colorado mortgages for customers that will last throughout the years

• Making sure the clients remain credit-worthy homeowners

• Putting customer service first, so their business grows thanks to referred and repeat customers

The mortgage crisis may have knocked some bad mortgage providers out of the business, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still traps for customers. They need to keep looking for reliable home loan experts. The key is the kind of Denver mortgage advice you get and whether it’s honest enough to really tell you what kind of program you can get into. If an offer is too good to be true, it probably is.

This article is written by J.B. of 1st American Mortgage and Loan, LLC, a Colorado mortgage lender who offers access to information on obtaining a Colorado mortgage loan as well as other information on loans in Colorado online mortgage quotes, and rates through his website TrueMortgageQuote.com http://www.truemortgagequote.com).

The House Team Of Mortgage Intellingence asked:


For most Canadians, buying a home is the largest financial decision they will make in their lifetime. Yet, consumers across the country are more likely to painstakingly review dozens of investment possibilities for their portfolios than to scrutinize their mortgage choices. The mortgage world – like the investment world – can sometimes be confusing. There is a vast array of choices – open, closed, fixed, floating, long or short amortization, prepayment options, portability… and of course, the rate itself.

Making the right mortgage decision can have a huge financial impact over the long term. Many Canadians have an investment advisor to help them sort through their choices. Now, Canadians are also beginning to turn to mortgage brokers to help them make better mortgage decisions. Canadians are just now catching up with their counterparts south of the border, where mortgage brokers already arrange approximately 70 per cent of mortgages for U.S. properties.

So what is a mortgage broker? The role of a mortgage broker is to understand your mortgage needs, seek out the best options for your situation, and guide you through the lending process. A mortgage broker does not work for any individual institution or lender, but is independent, and has up-to-the-minute loan rates for a wide array of banks and other lending institutions.

There was a time when the banks exercised the view that they “owned” their customers, and mortgage brokers were perceived only as a last resort for home buyers with poor credit history. But times have changed, and home buyers in every bracket are learning they can benefit from the professional advice of a mortgage broker.

A good investment advisor can make you thousands of dollars. But a good mortgage broker will SAVE you thousands of dollars. Whether you are buying a home or renewing a mortgage, consider making a mortgage broker part of your financial plan this year.

1st American Mortgage asked:


Dealing with Colorado Mortgage Programs

If you are already a homeowner or just someone who wants to own a home, you know there are many Denver mortgage choices available to you. But since people who are interested in buying a home are different, the top Colorado mortgage providers must be diligent about coming up with the right types of Denver mortgages for their customers. Colorado mortgage providers are looking for ways to meet the financial demands of their customers, who come from different financial backgrounds and have varied mortgage concerns.

The Colorado Mortgage That Fits

Denver mortgage lenders have different products to meet different needs, but all with the same goal of getting would-be home owners into a house and getting refinancing customers a deal that works for them. If you are a qualified Colorado borrower, then you will be able to tap into a broad range of home loan products which help you get into a home.

The scope of these products also comes with a downside. It makes it tough for the typical potential home owner to find out what Denver mortgage works best for them. In order to get the Colorado mortgage product that fits, you will need help from a professional who can examine the different programs, hold them up to your situation and find the right fit in terms of affordability and terms. This help will take your goals and needs into consideration.

Understanding Denver Mortgage Options

The best way to approach the Colorado mortgage search is as an educated customer. You want to know about the Denver mortgages you will be able to choose from in order to understand what will work best for you. By getting this information, you will also understand:

• Which loans you like

• Which loans to ask about during your meeting with a Colorado mortgage lender

• The varied mortgage terms you will be told about

• Which Denver mortgage programs lenders are looking at for you

Being educated about these programs will ease your search and perhaps you can find an overlooked program or one that will work the best for your specific needs. You can do this better when you understand what your choices really are.

Among the programs you will see when you meet with a Colorado mortgage provider include:

• Colorado Fixed Rate Mortgages. The interest rates of these are the same over the term of the loan.

• Colorado Adjustable Rate Mortgages, or ARM’s. The interest rates of this loan can change and are considered risky, but helpful to those people who may not otherwise get into a loan.

• Variable termed Denver mortgages, including 10, 15, and 30 years.

• Interest-only Colorado mortgages

• How the interest rates can change, depending on your program, your down payment and loan to value ratios.

• FHA mortgages and other special programs

There will be Denver mortgage options that are risky, but when they adjust to your specific needs, that risk, along with how much they cost, can change. If you have a home that you aren’t going to be in for long, then you can get a lower interest ARM which will work. But a fixed Denver mortgage with a moderate interest rate works better if you are looking to be in a home for a longer period.

If you think about it, the number of Colorado mortgage choices can be too much to understand. But on a positive note, the numbers of options available to home owners give many more people a chance to take part in home ownership. If you work with a skilled Denver mortgage lender, you can be on your way to ownership. Mortgage choices for Denver and Colorado are easier to understand if you have a professional working with you.