Sunday, November 30, 2008

It is wise to avoid agreements that appear too good to be true

By Rem

For many individuals, whether first time buyers or not, the prime consideration when looking at a fixed rate mortgage is the monthly repayment cost. Purchasing a home later in life means that many individuals need to have the mortgage paid off earlier. Although before signing any documents, there is a great deal to consider.

One fundamental point is to ensure that the interest rate doesn't change during the life of the mortgage. If you are offered a deal that appears to be too good to be true than it probably is. The interest rate remains the same for long term fixed rate mortgages over the life of the loan. If you are someone that wants a loan with a dependable fixed monthly mortgage payment with no hidden supplemental charges then this is the main benefit with this type of arrangement.

There are no hidden surprises which is great for many people that need a set monthly mortgage payment. Both my wife and I decided to explore fixed rate mortgages when we started looking at homes for sale. Although it was fundamental for us to pay off our loan as soon as we could, we didn't need high, unrealistic monthly payments which we would have a problem sustaining.

It became manifest that we had to look at fixed rate mortgages over a longer period and not just 15 year fixed mortgage rate plans. No-one likes the idea of having a mortgage when they are close to retiring, and we were no other, so it was still our hope that a 15 year fixed mortgage rate would still be an alternative.

There were many things that factored into this; first of all, I learned that my wife was having a baby. Because my wife wanted to be at home for our child, her financial income would be uncertain and unreliable. Alas, a higher monthly payment is the downside of loans on a 15 year fixed mortgage rate plan. It was a case that we plainly didn't wish to get in too deep and cause troubles in the future.

As such the 30 year fixed mortgage rate brought the monthly repayments down quite a bit. Fortunately, we are also able make supplemental repayments throughout the year to make the principal shrink faster. Just by making a handful of extra repayments throughout a twelve month period you can knock years off of your loan period. This is well worth the effort in the long run but it does require some discipline. Taking our current needs and fiscal abilities into account was more serious than our desire for a shorter term fifteen year fixed mortgage rate program. Altogether though, things worked out very well for us and we're pleased we made the decision we did. - 15485

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