ComputerHunter.org

 

Home Loans


Buying a home remains the great American dream. Home ownership rates have been exploding in recent years, spurred on by the historically low interest rates in the home mortgage market. Home prices have been rising at far faster than inflation, especially in major urban areas such as San Francisco, San Diego and Chicago. This means that not only can that home you've always wanted put a roof over your head, but it can provide you with a great investment as well. For people new to the mortgage market, buying their first home starts with finding the best home loans.

All potential homeowners should take some time to research home loans before calling their local realtor. There are a dazzling array of choices available when it comes to home loans, and finding the right mortgage for your needs can be difficult. Approach your upcoming home purchase with the same seriousness you apply to other major purchases. Your home will most likely be the biggest single investment you ever make. Take the time at the beginning to educate yourself about home loans. It will be time well spent.

Home loans are available from a wide variety of sources. These sources include banks, savings and loan associations, credit unions and mortgage brokers. Shop around at all of these sources to find the home loans with the lowest interest rate and lowest costs.

You will also have to decide between fixed rate home loans and variable rate home loans. Variable rate home loans are often advertised with extremely low "teaser rates". These rates are used by lenders to get your attention and lure you in.

Before signing up for a variable rate mortgage, make sure you find out what the interest rate cap is. Variable rate home loans are usually based on an underlying interest rate, like the prime rate. The interest rate you pay will typically be the prime rate plus or minus a certain percentage. The variable rate mortgage will have a cap above which the interest rate cannot rise. Find out what that cap is, then use a mortgage payment calculator to see what your monthly mortgage payment will be at that rate. If you cannot afford the monthly payments at the maximum interest rate, you may not want to take the mortgage loan. While it is unlikely that interest rates will rise sufficiently to make the maximum interest rate kick in, it is always a possibility.

Variable rate home loans can be a good choice if you believe interest rates are likely to fall. In an environment where interest rates are steady or rising, they may not be so good a choice. You may also want to consider a variable rate mortgage if you do not plan to stay in your home more than five years. For instance, if your job transfers you every couple of years, you could probably get away with a variable rate mortgage and take advantage of the lower interest rate. When you move and sell your home, you will probably realize a gain due to rising home prices.

On the other hand, fixed rate home loans have a set interest rate for a set period of time, generally either 15 or 30 years. The interest rate does not change, therefore you will always know what your monthly mortgage payment will be. You are protected from rising interest rates with a fixed rate mortgage. If rates fall significantly, you can always refinance your mortgage loan to take advantage of the lower rates.

If you can afford the payments, 15-year home loans can substantially lower the amount of money you will ultimately pay for your home. When you run the numbers on a 15-year versus a 30-year home mortgage loan, you may be surprised at how affordable the 15-year home loan can be. Your mortgage payment will not double if you go with a 15-year mortgage versus a 30-year. This has to do with the affect of compound interest. You are paying far less interest in the long run on a 15-year mortgage.

Whatever type of home loan you decide on, the most important thing is to take that step which transforms you from a mere renter to a home owner and builder of equity. There are a great many home loans out there, but once you find the right one, you will find the rewards of home ownership well worth the time and effort put forth.

Barry Stein is the owner of aWebBiz.com where he offers cutting-edge tips on all aspects of business. To find more advice, tools and resources to help you succeed in your business, visit: http://www.aWebBiz.com

Barry's Internet Marketing Blog: http://awebbiz.com/blog

-------------------------------------------------------------

You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print, in your e-book or on your web site, free of charge, as long as the author bylines are included with an active hyperlink to the aWebBiz.com website.







Google News - Top Stories

ABC News

So far, McCain appears to be winning brand-name war against Obama
San Francisco Chronicle - 1 hour ago
(08-21) 16:48 PDT Washington - -- Ever since Ronald Reagan poked his head into a room of advertising gurus crafting his famous 1984 "Morning in America" spot and quipped, "Since you're the ones who are selling the soap, I thought you'd like to see the ...
Clinton Will Attend Fund-Raiser for Towns New York Times
Hillary Clinton's Staff Looking to Avoid Embarrassing Anti-Obama ... FOXNews
The Associated Press - Washington Times - ABC News - WEYI NBC25
all 543 news articles


Reuters

Two McCain offices evacuated after letter threat
Reuters - 55 minutes ago
By Keith Coffman DENVER (Reuters) - Two offices of John McCain's US presidential campaign, in Colorado and New Hampshire, were evacuated on Thursday, and several staffers were hospitalized, after threatening or suspicious envelopes arrived in the mail, ...
McCain offices receive threatening letters, campaign says CNN
Officials: Threats sent to McCain offices The Associated Press
Washington Post - CBS News - CNN Political Ticker - Monsters and Critics.com
all 386 news articles


ABC News

Texas man gets life for child sex club conviction
The Associated Press - 1 hour ago
TYLER, Texas (AP) - An auto body shop worker was convicted and swiftly sentenced to life in prison Thursday for grooming children as young as 5 to perform in sex shows at a small-town swingers club.
Texas man convicted for role in child sex club Austin American-Statesman
man guilty in swinger sex case CNN
KSLA-TV - KTBS - KLTV - Tyler Morning Telegraph
all 438 news articles


Voice of America

Russia Sets Up Georgia Posts as It Pulls Out Troops (Update1)
Bloomberg - 1 hour ago
By Lyubov Pronina and Helena Bedwell Aug. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Russia is setting up military posts for what it terms ``peacekeepers'' outside the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia as it pulls out some of the troops, tanks and artillery it used in ...
Russians halt Nato co-operation BBC News
• Russia blocks Georgia's main port city Washington Post
Voice of America - The Associated Press - Reuters - Aljazeera.net
all 5,765 news articles


BBC News

Spain keeps one minute silence for deadly air crash
Xinhua - 45 minutes ago
MADRID, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of people on Thursday kept one minute silence in many cities of Spain to remember the 153 victims of the Aug. 20 air crash.
Video: Spain Mourns Victims of Crash AssociatedPress
Spanair crash deepens airline’s woes Financial Times
guardian.co.uk - United Press International - International Herald Tribune - The Associated Press
all 4,092 news articles

Google
 

Copyright © 2006 Computer Hunter - A Division of Arthur´s Job Base