Archive for February, 2009

26 FebHow Does A Reverse Mortgage Work? What They Don’t Tell You

You might have been listening a lot about reverse mortgages these days and might be curious how does a reverse mortgage work, what they’re and if you should get one.

Although there are three types of reverse mortgages there are only two that are normally referred to. The most common reverse mortgage is officially called a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM). This type is supported by the federal government’s Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The other type is called a proprietary reverse mortgage and is supported by private companies and not federally insured.

A reverse mortgage is only a high cost loan, but no one appears to tell us that. The upfront costs can be real high. This makes it even more expensive if you live in your house for a short period. This type of reverse mortgage is easy to get if you qualify by age and have decent equity.
Read more…

16 FebLearn The Basics Of Adjustable Rate Mortgages And Avoid The Pitfalls

Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs) are mortgage loans with a changing interest rate that’s linked to an economic index. The monthly payments and interest rates deviate according to the change in index. ARMs offers attractive rates of interest, but the payment isn’t at all fixed. There’s always an argue about ARM loans because of the lowest rates offered at the start, but the monthly payment goes on increasing and it becomes very difficult to manage.

As a starter, you must know a few basic features of adjustable rate mortgages before signing any loan papers. The initial rate of interest on an ARM will stay the same for a specified period, which may deviate from 1 month to 5 years. The adjustment period is the scheduled time when the rates of interest stay unchanged. It’s after this period that the rates are reset and monthly installments are recalculated.
Read more…