UKmortgageadvice

Act Now to Forgo Foreclosure

The subprime mortgage crisis has been on the tip of everyone’s tongue lately, and the housing market has cooled. Rather than being discouraged by this, smart investors realize that this is the time for deals to be had. We’re in a buyer’s market, which is an enormous relief for buyers who have watched the market balloon over the last decade. But what if you are one of the thousands of people who got caught up in the low-interest madness, thinking you’d be making enough money to cover the difference when your rates reset?

If you are facing difficulties with your loan, remember that the ultimate goal is to maintain your credit rating. You may be able to negotiate with your lender, you may be able to refinance or you may be forced to sell your home now in order to buy one in the future, but the sooner you address the issue the more options you will have. By getting your finances in order you will be able to get on with your life sooner. Don’t add to your stress by ignoring your fiscal situation; follow these steps to getting back on track:

Know the details go over all your loan documents so that you are prepared for any upcoming resets or changes. When will your payments increase? By how much? Can you refinance? What kind of penalty would you face, if any? Cut in other areas can you take a roommate or a second job to help make your payments? You may need to look at significant changes in your spending and lifestyle. Do not make any major purchases at this time, and look at liquidating other assets, such as cars or boats, to help meet your payments.

Contact your lender You should take the initiative with your lender. Contact them before the problem becomes overwhelming. If you receive calls or letters from your lender respond to them as soon as possible. Do not wait to get too far behind lenders are less likely to move quickly into foreclosure if you are proactive. You want to speak to the right people ask for the loss mitigation or collections department. Be honest with them about your situation and don’t make promises you can’t keep.

Beware of foreclosure “rescue” rackets There are a number of scam artists targeting people in neighborhoods where foreclosure rates have been high. They approach troubled homeowners with promises to help them keep their houses. These “rescues” often come with payments that are out of reach of the average homeowner and result in homeowners being defrauded of their homes, sometimes still owing the original mortgage amount. Any company that approaches you with such an offer should be checked out through the Better Business Bureau, your state real estate commission and Attorney General. Do not sign anything without reading it all, get all promises in writing and ask your attorney or a financial professional to review any paperwork before you sign it.

Call a nonprofit group offering free housing advice for more information and counseling. They may be able to help you with your options. If you took out a loan between Jan. 1 2005 and July 30, 2007, are current on your loan payments and your mortgage has not yet reset to a higher rate, you may be eligible for a five year rate freeze.

If all else fails, negotiate a short sale – if you have missed more than two payments but your home has not yet gone into foreclosure you may be able to sell it for a price that falls short of what you owe the lender. If your mortgage holder agrees to accept the price and forgive the rest of your debt, they forgo the pricey foreclosure process and you walk away with minimal damage to your credit score. You can chalk it up to experience, save up a down payment and buy low.

A Mortgage Secret for First-Time Buyers: It Can Pay To

A Mortgage Secret for First-Time Buyers: It Can Pay To Buy More

It’s not easy to buy a first home, so here’s a suggestion that may be surprising: Instead of buying one residence, buy several. What I’m suggesting has nothing to do with late night infomercials or books that promise fast and easy wealth from real estate. Instead, many first-time buyers can benefit from an interesting quirk in the mortgage system.

When you hear people talk about “real estate financing” they generally divide mortgages into two categories; loans for owner-occupants and more expensive and tougher loans for investors.

“Investment financing” is for buyers who do not physically reside at a property. “Owner-occupant” loans are for homes, the places where we stay at night, the phone rings and the car is parked.

But there’s a wrinkle:

Owner-occupant financing with little down and low rates is typically available for the purchase of more than a single-family house. Normally you can get owner-occupant financing for properties with one-to-four units as long as you use one as your prime residence.

In other words, your status as an owner-occupant allows you to buy more than just a house or condo. You can actually buy property that produces rent and increases your tax deductions.

When you buy properties with two-to-four units the world of real estate financing changes. Lenders will apply most of the rent to your income for qualification purposes. This means you can borrow more — and also that you can offset loan costs with the rents such properties produce.

Suppose you buy a property with four units. You’ll live in one and rent the others. Each of the three rental units has a fair market rental of 1,000.

In this situation you’re likely to get two benefits. First, the lender will count some portion of the rent — say three-quarters — as income for you when determining your qualification standards. In other words, 2,250 a month will be added to your income. (1,000 x 3 units = 3,000. 3,000 x 75% = 2,250)

Why 2,250 and not the whole 3,000? Because the lender assumes you’ll have vacancies, repairs, insurance, taxes and other costs for the rental units.

The lender also assumes something else: For tax purposes, three-quarters of the property in this example will be “investment” real estate. When reporting your income taxes you’ll list your rents and costs for these units. One of these “costs” will be depreciation, an accounting device that will lower your taxes but take nothing in cash from your pocket.

When lenders see depreciation they “add back” that cost when looking at your monthly income. The result is that your effective monthly income for loan qualification purposes will increase even more than 2,250 in this example.

Buying two-, three- and four-unit properties can make great sense, especially for first-time buyers. You’ll have “help” meeting monthly mortgage payments, especially in the first few years of ownership — the time that’s often the most difficult. Later on, if you elect to move you can sell the property or you might choose to keep it and just rent out the unit had been your residence.

As with all investments, neither annual income nor rising property values can be guaranteed. Some owners may feel uncomfortable having tenants so close and there’s always the potential for insufficient rents, excess vacancies and big repairs.

Also, beware of going too far. While up to four units is okay, five units automatically classifies the property as “investment” real estate under the guidelines for most loan programs, a title which means you cannot use owner-occupant financing even if you live on the property.

The good news, though, it that as an owneroccupant and also as a landlord you’ll learn a lot about the practicalities of real estate investing.

Real estate ownership requires ongoing maintenance and oversight. As an owner-occupant with a few units, you’ll learn “on the job” about making repairs, dealing with tenants, hiring contractors and maintaining property. These are valuable lessons which can provide income and wealth over a lifetime. In fact, many people who’ve become successful in real estate often started with just one small property, owner-occupant financing with little down — and two to four units.

For details, speak with appropriate professionals. Lenders can tell you about available financing; real estate brokers can provide information regarding local rental patterns plus you’ll want a pro to explain the tax benefits of multi-unit ownership.

A Guide To Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loans

An effective tool used by home buyers, ARM or Adjustable Rate Mortgages, offers a lower interest rate at the beginning of the loan and the risk of a hike in rates is shared by the borrower and lender.

ARM, is ideal if you are certain about rising income expectations and short-term home ownership. There are four basic aspects. One is that the initial interest rate is fixed 1-3 percentage points lower than fixed rate mortgages. Second there is what is known as adjustment interval, when after the initial period has elapsed the rate is modified in keeping with prevalent rates. Third, an index against which lenders can measure the difference between the interest earned on the loan and what would be earned in actuality in other investments. And, fourth, the component added by the lender to the index, usually 1.5-2.5 percent.

An ARM has in addition, safeguards like interest rate caps. This limits the amount of interest rate that can be applied to the payment during adjustment. Normally this cap would be about 2% point cap over the life of the loan.

ARM is ideal when it lends you buying power. You can opt to buy a property with a higher value and still pay a lower initial monthly payment. If you know for certain that you will reside in the house you are buying for a maximum of 5-7 years then ARM is the mortgage that will save you money. If you are prepared to take risks then ARM offers the greatest possible savings especially if the rate stays steady or declines over the years.

ARM is a calculated risk as there are no certainties. However if at the end of five years your plans change and you are about to continue in the same home for another 10 years then it is prudent for you to switch from ARM to a fixed rate mortgage.

3 Terms Every Mortgage Holder Should Know

Getting a mortgage can be a very confusing process. There is a lot of paperwork to sign, documents to read and procedures to be followed. You’d think you were applying to go to Harvard or Yale, except they don’t require that much paperwork for you to be admitted! Although getting a mortgage can be a confusing process, there are three terms that every mortgage holder should know to better understand what he is she is getting into.

Going into a mortgage knowing just a few facts will help you immensely in understanding what type of commitment you are getting into.

The first term you should understand is, amazingly, the word “term”. Term refers to the length of the mortgage you are taking out – or the amount of time you are making payments.

Many mortgages run the gauntlet of between ten and thirty years. The longer the mortgage, typically the lower your monthly payment will be (and the more interest the mortgage company makes). Generally speaking, you should go for the shortest term you can comfortable afford – you’ll save potentially tens of thousands (and in some cases potentially over a hundred thousand) pounds in interest by keeping the length of the mortgage as short as you can.

Next, understand the interest rate on your mortgage and how it is calculated. The interest rate refers to the amount of interest charges you will pay for the money you are borrowing, expressed as a decimal – such as 5.2 for 5.2%. Is it fixed or adjustable? In other words, is it the same through the life of the loan or does it change at specified periods in time? Most home buyers should try and steer clear of adjustable rate mortgages even though they can look better up front. They can often reset to higher interest rates and come back to bite you if you aren’t ready for a jump in your monthly payments!

Finally, understand what closing costs are and how they are going to affect your purchase price. Often times, you are going to be responsible for coming up with these closing costs out of your own pocket. Closing costs consists of things such as appraisals done on the house, attorney fees, notary fee, deed fee – if there is a fee they can think of it usually falls under the term closing costs! Be a smart and savvy consumer, if you see a fee that you don’t understand or doesn’t seem right – speak up! Some mortgage lenders try to sneak in any fee they can think of to make a few extra pounds profit.

Understanding these three terms can help make you a more informed home buyer and help you find the mortgage that is right for you. As with any product, it is important to shop around for a mortgage when you are considering buying a house. Even a small change in the interest rate between two lenders can often to amount to thousands of pounds in savings. Don’t be afraid to comparison shop – it’s your money after all!

3 Steps You Must Do If You Want To Pay

3 Steps You Must Do If You Want To Pay Off Your Mortgage In 7 Years Or Less

One of the single largest financial purchases a person makes in a lifetime is a home. And more often than not, a home mortgage is required to fund the purchase. But how many people have been told, that the current way a mortgage is paid off, is like a cancer on our financial health? The mortgage and banking industry has offered to the unsuspecting public the 30-year fixed amortized mortgage the most expensive mortgage, a financial cancer akin to the cigarette industry offering cigarettes.

US consumers have had no other choices, but to use a mortgage, that only benefits banks and mortgage companies. Now a revolutionary mortgage program is available that will show them how to pay off their home mortgage in as little as 7 years.

Enter Money Principal Group, a company located in Utah, founded by Ariel Metekingi, anative of New Zealand. Their premier innovative mortgage product, The Mortgage Eliminator, is based on a 30 year+ proven Australian industry standard and model in use by over a third of homeowners in that country. It was later introduced to the New Zealand market, where homeowners there achieve similar results; paying off their debts and mortgage on average of 6-10 years.

This powerful new tool to combat the current financial plague of debt combines amortgage and a full-service bank account. The new “all-inclusive” type loan creates huge savings in interest payments and loan payoffs in one-half to one-third the time requiring little to no change to current spending habits or income.

How does it work? Homeowners deposit income and other assets into the newmortgage account and since it allows access like a checking account, expenses are paid out from it by check or ATM card. The fundamental part is, that when the homeowners’ money isn’t being used it sits in the mortgage account, reducing the daily loan balance on which interest is computed. This saves on average hundreds of thousands in interest over the life a typical loan and reducing interest means more money for principal; so the homeowner builds equity faster and owns their home sooner.

“What this does for homeowners, is it empowers them to take control of their financial health,” says Ariel Metekingi, founder and president of Money Principal Group. “With this new loan program, a homeowner can combat the financial cancer known as consumer debt plus current mortgage options and it allows the homeowner to reach their goals sooner in life, rather than later. This isn’t a mystical trick of numbers; it is simply taking away the interest spread banks earn and is given back to the homeowner.”

There are three steps that the consumer can take, in order to reduce their mortgage payout and enjoy a home paid off in as little as 7 years.

1. Decide what your goals are

One of the first steps with The Mortgage Eliminator program is to have a clearer picture of where you are heading financially-speaking, and decide on what kind of goals you’d like to reach. First take a look at where you were five years ago. What kind of expectations did you have than? Did you plan on certain things to happen by now? If they didn’t happen, do you have the willingness to make changes to reach those goals?

Goal setting is important, because it allows you to create a flexible plan and schedule to put into place and stick to. Imagine where you’d like to be in 5 years. What would you like to accomplish?

Let’s say some of your goals are to have an emergency fund of at least one year of your current income and you’d like to reach that amount in, say, 2 years. And another goal, (if you have a child or children) is to set aside a college fund. And lastly, you’ve been dreaming of that sports car you’ve always wanted since you were a teenager.

Now that you have some goals in mind, what would it take to reach those goals? And keep in mind that your household income will probably remain constant.

Are there current investment options or debt elimination options, which can help you reach those goals?

Using your flexible mortgage account through The Mortgage Eliminator can greatly increase your ability to save interest and money and free up resources to help you reach those goals. And it doesn’t have to drastically change your spending habits or current household income. Just determine your budget and where the money you make is spent in your life.

2. Set up a budget

The next step in paying off your mortgage quickly is to look at your current spending habits and create a budget. How difficult is this? That depends on your level of commitment and your ability to discipline yourself into reviewing your budget.

One way that helps homeowners is through the included budgeting software and personal coaching and review available with The Mortgage Eliminator, from Money Principal Group. Studies show and human nature reflects this, is that if we have tools AND a personal Coach to help create and maintain a budget, we’re far more likely to succeed. Money Principal Group states that over 90% of its’ clients achieve success with The Mortgage Eliminator system.

Think of having a coach for your personal financial education, just like a great tennis star has a coach or golf professional has a coach. How many of us rely on a coach to become financially wealthy?

With The Mortgage Eliminator, you’re given that important part, a coach to review, create and stick to a budget that creates positive cash flow, which will take you to the next steps of paying off your mortgage in less time, without any change to your current income or spending habits.

3. Get a financial review and analysis

Everyone’s financial situation is different and completely unique. Imagine your situation as the human body and financial debt (including a mortgage) as a cancer. Before a surgeon would operate on a patient, a complete review of the symptoms and where tostart cutting, is done, BEFORE the surgeon performs one cut.

Think of a financial review and analysis as the same thing as “surgical review” on your situation. What kind of mortgage are you in now? Are you a first-time homebuyer? Are you in an ARM loan and now may need to switch to a fixed rate loan?

What is your financial “picture” and your current budget? Your income, expenses, current debt and your short-term and long-term goals factor greatly into the financial review and analysis.

In order to determine just how quickly you can pay off your current debts and mortgage (or how fast you can pay off your first home, if you’re a first-timer), a financial “snapshot” or review must be completed. Taking a look at your entire picture of income, debts, and how it relates to your goals, is the crucial step, in determining how best you should start your plan.

What is the strategically best way for you to reach your goals? With a financial review and analysis from Money Principal Group, a plan is created to show you the best options that HELPS YOU in reaching those goals quickly. Only a loan that SAVES YOU MONEY is offered and if it doesn’t make strategic, financially sound sense for you, it’s not offered and a different course of action is suggested.

Is this new loan product and system for everyone? Yes, if you can achieve the simple disciplines of budgeting and currently have positivecash flow or are willing to review your budget to recover funds to create significant positive cash flow. You must be coachable and allow the your goals to dictate your planof action. If you’re willing to do that, the payoff is unlimited and getting rid of debt and your home mortgage in 6-10 years is no longer a dream, it’s a reality.

“The ability to be mortgage free within 6-10 years, quickly eliminate consumer debt and free up existing income to start a significant investment program for the future is a now a reality. This can all be possible without requiring any additional income or reducingstandard of living. The Mortgage Eliminator has empowered the individual in New Zealand and Australia to impact positively on their own financial destiny in ways, which traditionally, many could not otherwise achieve.” says Metekengki. “It is now available for the US, to achieve the same level of financial success and freedom, already experienced and proven in these international markets.”

For more information on how you can be debt-free and pay off your home mortgage in as little as 7 years, and experience the savings with the Money Principal Program using their proprietary calculator, visit www.PDXLoan.com or call 1-800-862-0784 ext 21.

100% Financing Or No Down Payment & Bad Credit Mortgage

100% Financing Or No Down Payment & Bad Credit Mortgage Loans

Sub-prime lenders now offer financing packages with zero down. Interest rates are higher on these types of loans, but they make purchasing a house easier. And unlike a conventional loan, there is no private mortgage insurance required. There are two types of zero-down mortgage packages, each with their own requirements.

Types Of Zero-Down Loans

100% financing, as it names implies, offers complete financing of your property. The other option, 8020, finances your mortgage with two loans. Both loans may be carried by your lender, but sometimes the seller or a second lender is required to carry the 20% mortgage.

100% financing is easier to deal with, but not all lenders will offer this type of home loan. 8020 financing is more common, but takes some negotiation if the seller is involved.

Qualifications For Zero-Down

Each lender has their own criteria for determining who will qualify for a zero-down loan. Most sub-prime lenders require any bankruptcies or foreclosures to have been at least twelve months ago. A conventional loan requires these to be discharged two to four years ago.

While a credit score of 600 or higher is best, large cash reserves can also qualify you. Six to twelve months worth of cash reserves in the form of savings, money market, or other liquid assets are considered ideal.

If you choose 8020 financing with the seller carrying the second mortgage, you can qualify with sub-prime lenders with a score of 560.

Zero-Down Sub-prime Lenders

You can find zero-down sub-prime mortgages with both conventional and niche sub-prime lenders. Make sure that you request quotes from as many mortgage lenders has possible to be sure you find the lowest rate and best terms.

You will also want to decide what type of mortgage you want. An ARM is easier to qualify for and has lower rates. A fixed rate mortgage offers the security of a constant interest rate over the life of your loan.

Typically an ARM will be a better deal if you plan to refinance within a couple of years. After you have improved your credit history, you can refinance for a conventional mortgage with low interest rates.