There are different types of home mortgage loan, however most of them fall under two categories: fixed rate and adjustable rate. To go either fixed or adjustable rate home mortgage is just a matter of how you personally want it to be. However, to make a wise decision, you must try to have a good grasp of the difference between these two types of loans. We will discuss the advantages as well as disadvantages of fixed rate and adjustable rate type of loans.

 

Fixed Rate Loans: Advantages

 

Remember that fixed rate loans have interest rates that remain the same even with major changes in the economic situation. And even if the interest rates increase, your mortgage will not change. Fixed-rate home mortgage loan is ideal for a borrower who needs to know how much his loan payments will be every year. This makes him assured that he know how much his financial obligations are in the long run and allows him to be ready for payments. The fixed rate type of loan is the best choice for someone who hates taking financial risks. Likewise, with fixed rate loans, this allows you to remain in you property for a long period of time.

 

Fixed Rate Loans: Disadvantages

 

One disadvantage of fixed rate loan is that if the interest rate significantly decreases during the period of the mortgage loan, then the borrower will be on a serious disadvantage financially. One way for the borrower to counter such negative effect is to go through mortgage refinance and get a much lower interest rate. It may actually become a financial burden especially if the person is experiencing serious debt problems or if the value of the house has markedly decreased. The total cost of fixed rate loan is likely to be higher than that of an adjustable rate loan in the event of a decrease in interest rates.

 

Adjustable Rate Loans: Advantages

 

Adjustable rate home loan on the other hand is ideal of those who are not afraid to take risks. Adjustable rate loans fluctuate with whatever situation the economy is at the moment. And if rates drop, this is to the advantage of the borrower, as significant amount of savings can be earned. Risk takers who are contemplating on getting a home mortgage loan decide on getting adjustable rate type especially if they believe that the current interest rate is going down. Likewise, adjustable rate loans are great for those who do not intend to stay long in their property.

 

Adjustable Rate Loans: Disadvantages

 

A disadvantage of adjustable-rate home mortgage loan is the ever present danger of the interest rate of going up without any increase in the borrower’s income or other financial source to counter its negative effects. Therefore, it is ideal that a rate cap is place when going for adjustable type of loan in order to you to make sure you are still able to conveniently maintain your loan.

  




By: Alan Lim

Home equity loans can be an excellent source of funds when used wisely. One of the ways in using the cash from a home equity loan is to consolidate your debts.

Why is it wise to consolidate your debt with the money from your home equity? There are several good reasons which include:

-Paying a much lower interest rate than you pay on your credit cards. In some cases it can be a third of what a credit card company is charging.

-You can most likely deduct the interest expense on your home equity loan whereas you can not on credit cards. This is a huge benefit.

-All your debts are consolidated into one monthly loan payment.

So, what are your options when it comes to using your home equity to pay off your debts? Again, you have choices you can take advantage of including:

Home Equity Loan

Also known as a second mortgage, you can take the equity in your home and borrow against it at a favorable rate of interest. You get the cash in one lump sum and can then pay off your debts or use it how you wish.

Home Equity Line Of Credit

Similar in nature to a credit card, HELOC allows you to draw funds from your home equity and only make payments on that amount, not on an entire loan.

Cash-Out Refinance

This is the third option you have and involves refinancing your existing home mortgage. You would refinance the new mortgage at a greater amount and take the extra money in cash. For example, you want to pay off $25,000 in credit card debt and owe $150,000 on your current mortgage. You could do a cash-out refinance to a new loan amount of $175,000.

Using your home equity to pay off high interest debts can be a wise decision if done right. Just be careful to not start using those credit cards again.




By: Terry Edwards