Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Deciding Which Mortgage Loan Is Right For You

Author: Victor Bran

If you are looking to finance the purchase of a new home, then you will likely be looking at more than one mortgage loan option, including those with varying interest rates, payment terms and length.

In order to choose the best loan for you, you will first want to decide how many years you plan to live in the home that you want to purchase. A conventional fixed rate mortgage is generally for someone who plans to live in their home for an extended period of time, which is typically 15 to 30 years. The fixed rate mortgage loan is the most commonly sought of the various loan programs. With this type of loan, the interest remains the same for the entire life of the loan.

Another type of loan is the adjustable rate mortgage, which are also known as an ARM loan, is one that allows the interest to adjust based on current market rates. Interest only mortgages, on the other hand, is when the homeowner is allowed to make payments on the interest alone for a designated amount of time. After that time expires, the payments are applied toward the principal balance of the loan. Balloon mortgages allow for smaller payments in the beginning with a large payment due at the end of the term.

If you are looking to refinance your existing home or apply for a home equity loan, mortgage lending companies, such as Florida-based mortgage specialists http://www.NorthstarFinance.us, will be able to help you select the best loan for your needs. Through their pre-qualification and application process, the applicant will learn just how much of a mortgage they can afford. Before applying for any type of loan, you will want to understand your credit report and it's contents. In order to qualify for the best interest rates, you will need to have a good credit history and no previous bankruptcy listed in your credit file. With that being said, there are loan programs designed especially for individuals who have previous credit problems, including bankruptcy, or are simply first time home buyers with little or no preexisting credit. FHA loans, for instance, offer flexible loan programs that may have lending options for these scenarios when a conventional loan may be harder to obtain.

Now that you are familiar with the various types of mortgage loan programs, the next step will be to determine which type of loan that you may qualify for. In addition to your previous credit history, your debt to income ratio will be a very important deciding factor. Lending institutions will look at your income and current date before deciding whether or not to extend credit. If you currently owe a substantial amount of debt compared to your current income, then you may need to consider a debt consolidation loan before applying for a mortgage. A debt consolidation loan can take all of your current bills and combine them into one low monthly payment, which may free up some extra cash to allow for a mortgage approval.

Located in Florida, http://www.NorthstarFinance.us is a mortgage company specializing in various loan programs, including mortgage, debt consolidation, home equity lines of credit, etc.

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