PrimeConcern asked:


Given all the worries about credit in this country, and subprime mortgages, I was curious as to what the entire amount of home mortgage debt is. There are about 110 million households in the country, with 70% of them owned residences. Let’s say there are 75 million owned homes. Not all have mortgages, but if 70 million do, and the average mortgage amount on such homes is $200,000, that comes out to a scary $14 TRILLION of mortgage debt in the USA. If just 2% default, the amount of bad home loans is $280 billion. It could obviously be much higher.

Does anyone know what total mortgage debt is per household and in total? This is a real problem that could damage the economy.

Beverly

N. Sai asked:


There are many options when it comes to home mortgage finance. The mortgage lender will explain in detail about the working of each and every program and get it in writing.

Some of them are listed under:

Conventional fixed rate 30 year home mortgage program:

This finance option is a very old one, but it is still popular among home mortgage finance options. The borrower is able to purchase the home and repay the loan with interest over a period of 30 years’ time. The interest rate of this loan is fixed and it remains the same from the commencement of the agreed period of time of the mortgage till the last repayment.

Conventional fixed interest rate home mortgage for 15 years:

This also works the same way as the 30-year fixed interest rate home mortgage, but the entire amount is to be repaid within 15 years’ time. This option can save significant amount as the bank usually gives a deduction of the interest rate by ¼ or ½ point.

Adjustable interest rate home mortgages:

This home mortgage is for 15 or 30 years’ time. This option might be very appealing as the interest rates are very low. But the catch is that the interest rate fluctuates along with the economy fluctuations. The interest rates get adjusted every year or every 5 years’ time. When the interest rate increases, it is obvious that the home mortgage amount to be paid also increases. Hence, this home mortgage option might not be the best choice if the person plans to stay in his home for some time.

Interest only home mortgages:

No matter how attractive and feasible this loan appears to be, it is never a good option. It means that only the interest has to be paid, while the principal amount will stay forever to be paid by the borrower, only at the end of the loan period, which will be obviously a heavy amount. Unfortunately, if the home equity had not been raised, or if the person could not afford to go for a new mortgage loan, then the borrower would be forced to sell the house or go for foreclosure. The borrower will be made desperate to sell the house.

Tips for improving the chances for people with bad credit in getting home mortgage loans:

A good real estate deal with the help of the mortgage broker having some equity during purchase increases the chances of getting home mortgage loan for people with bad credit.

Some lenders might qualify people with bad credit score with full finance, and the rate of interest might also be a bit lower if the borrower can make a down payment of even 3-five percent. It means it saves lot of money by making a down payment even if it is a small amount.

The best way is to do a little bit of research in the market to sort out the problem of getting home mortgage. Some brokers will have good relationships with mortgage lenders while others do not. So getting the view of multiple lenders will help to get a home mortgage loan at a good rate of interest. Online mortgage services make the application of the borrower reach several mortgage lenders and help in achieving the goal than any other means.



Marian

Hans Hasselfors asked:


Although this is a pretty straightforward question, how many individuals do you know that ever take the time to ask, and receive an answer? Not very many. More often than not, the question of a home mortgage isn’t pondered until there is a desire to purchase a home. For the purpose of this article, we’re simply going to examine the home mortgage, and the variations that exist in the mortgage market today.

A home mortgage is a loan furnished by lending institution to a buyer for the purpose of procuring residential property, are a home of which to live. It’s that simple, the definition is that simple; the actual process is anything but simple. How do you approach mortgage lenders and what information what you need to furnish?

Mortgage lenders today, thanks to all the federal regulation, default rates, and identity theft in existence require more information than ever before. The mortgage application is sometimes a 10 to 15 page application that will ask questions pertaining to your life years prior. Why does the mortgage company want history? The lender simply needs previous addresses, previous jobs, and previous education to gain greater insight and opportunity to know the borrower. It is not entirely impossible to steal someone’s identity, gain access to their current information, even from three to five years prior. What is impossible is to enter the mind of the individual and gain access to relevant work history or education history. Generally, when you complete a mortgage application there’s also a mortgage application fee charged at the time you submit the application; why do the mortgage lending institutions charge an application fee? Mortgage companies charge a fee because it cost money to process application, and only serious applicant’s warrant the time and expense.

What other information will be necessary to furnish when completing the mortgage application? Generally a personal financial statement, the proposed mortgage amount, and any legal judgments against you such as bankruptcies, tax liens, or federal student loans will be requested at the time of application submission.

Now, what have the mortgage products are available to the mortgage borrower? The most often used mortgage product is the fixed rate mortgage; the next in line would be the adjustable rate mortgage, and the newest member of mortgage products would be the interest only loan. The interest only loan is gaining in popularity at an ever increasing and phenomenal rate of growth. The fixed rate mortgage provides the borrower with a fixed interest rate for a specified number of years, generally 10, 15, or 20 years as a set monthly payment. The adjustable rate mortgage is exactly as it sounds; the interest rate for this type of mortgage is adjusted at set intervals generally no less than six months no more than 12 and the amount of the monthly payment will vary according to the adjusted interest rate. The interest only loan is quite frankly, the least consumer friendly of the three and today the most popular of the three. When you take at an interest only loan, you may payment of only interest for a specified number of months or years on a loan that has been amortized for a greater number of years, usually 20, and at the end of the interest only term, your payments will reflect interest and principal payment. It’s at this juncture that many homeowners cannot afford the interest and principal payment. That’s why this mortgage product is the least consumer friendly; it does however make the most profitable lending institution.

I believe you should now have a much clearer picture as to what a mortgage is, why you complete a mortgage application, and the basic mortgage products available. If you are considering the purchase of a home, please take a moment to visit a local lending institution, a local realtor, and the web site of the Housing and Urban Development Department. You, as a potential homeowner can never obtain too much information.

What are other resources that can be accessed to learn about the mortgage process and your available options? Get online, check out the advertised lending companies there; look at the information they ask for, the products they offer, and then do some comparison shopping. Often, you will learn as much about what you don’t want, as what you do want.



Duane