Thursday, December 15, 2011

Free Mortgage Calculator



Mortgage Calculator

When considering a mortgage loan, knowing how much money you have and will have and how much you are willing to pay for the loan including the interest and principal is very, very important. To help you decide on projecting how much you will be paying bi-weekly or monthly, depending on the payment term you choose for the entire loan period of your mortgage, various mortgage calculators are available.

These mortgage calculators are categorized into 15 classifications depending on the type of mortgage you want and the terms in interests and principal you want to apply. These classifications for mortgage calculators are the following:

a. Mortgage calculator to determine a borrowers ability to afford a house. This type of calculator can be classified into two. There is a mortgage calculator that determines if a borrower can afford a house and mortgage calculator to help the borrower determine if it is better for him to make a small down payment or no down payment at all or save up first, then make a bigger down payment later on.

b. Mortgage calculator for consolidating non-mortgage debt. There are three types of calculators under these. The first one is used for borrowers who want to consider merging non-mortgage debt in their bought mortgage. The second type of mortgage calculator is for those who want to consider refinancing their mortgage by cash-out or by taking another mortgage. The third kind is for borrowers who already have 2 mortgages for a particular loan and are considering other options to help pay off the 1st mortgage.

c. Mortgage calculator to determine the monthly payments of their mortgage. The types of mortgage calculator to be used will depend on the terms you choose. There is a mortgage calculator for fixed rate mortgages, adjustable rate mortgages without negative amortizations, adjustable rate mortgages with negative amortizations, adjustable rate mortgages with flexible amortizations and mortgage payments with temporary buy downs.

d. Mortgage calculator to determine how much interest borrowers can save should he decide to pay an additional amount for the principal value during payment. The mortgage calculator varies depending on the number of payments a borrower is willing to give. These are extra monthly payments, bi-weekly payments applied monthly, bi-weekly payments applied bi-weekly and extra monthly payments to be paid in a specific period.

e. Mortgage calculator to determine if refinancing a mortgage will reduce its cost. This type of mortgage calculator can be applied to a borrower who wants to refinance a mortgage or 2 mortgages. Other calculators are used to determine if refinancing one mortgage into two can reduce costs while others are used to determine if cash-out refinancing is better than deciding to take on a second mortgage.

f. Mortgage calculator for determining the length of time borrowers have to pay insurance premiums applied to their mortgage.

g. Mortgage calculator to determine amortizations. There are 2 kinds of these. One determines the savings a borrower can have on his tax on the interest and the second mortgage calculator determines the appreciation of property being mortgaged.

h. Mortgage calculator to compare two mortgages. These are different types of calculators that compare the various mortgages that include amortizations and non-amortizations, government and non-government loans, fixed rate and adjustable interest.

i. Mortgage calculator to compute points and fees in a mortgage. The calculator is used to determine the rate of return of ARMs (Adjustable Rate Mortgages) and FRMs (Flexible Rate Mortgages) and the amount that can be saved or lost by using paying points for interest reduction on FRMs.

j. Mortgage calculator for determining amounts to be paid for a mortgage insurance and down payment and

k. Mortgage calculator to determine the feasibility of having a mortgage loan in a shorter term.

These mortgage calculators and other various mortgage calculators are available for use in the Internet. Companies such as Freddie Mac, Fannie May, and Mortgage-X have interactive pages in their websites where you can do your calculations online. Aside from these, other sites such as HSH Associates give free downloads of their loan calculators.


Mortgage Broker vs. Mortgage Lender

It's good to know the difference between a mortgage broker and mortgage lender. Mortgage brokers are middlemen. They have no money to lend you, but approach mortgage lenders for a mortgage. They are professional mortgage shoppers.

Mortgage lenders are generally giant nationwide companies. Some specialize in mortgages and some are full service banks. If you have good credit, it's best to deal directly with mortgage lenders, cutting out the middlemen.

If your credit is poor, mortgage brokers can help. They can search the world of mortgage lenders to find a loan you might not be able to find on your own. Make sure you're dealing with a reputable mortgage broker.

Subprime Loans

Loans offered at a rate greater than the prime rate are called subprime loans, and are offered to customers who do not qualify for prime-rate loans. You get a loan based on your credit score, which is usually calculated by FICO(Fair Isaac Credit Organization). FICO scores range between 300 and 850; the higher your score, the more deserving of credit you are viewed to be. If your score is below 620, you normally do not qualify for a regular loan and must then look to the subprime market.

Subprime loans have higher rates than prime-rate loans and also have higher fees. Prime rate loans are normally quite similar from lender to lender while sub-prime loans are not. They can vary a great deal. This is because of risk-based pricing, a process used to calculate mortgage rates and terms. This means that the worse your credit is, the higher your rate and the more expensive your loan will be.

Mortgage Calculators

When considering a mortgage loan, knowing how much money you have and will have and how much you are willing to pay for the loan including the interest and principal is very, very important. To help you decide on projecting how much you will be paying bi-weekly or monthly, depending on the payment term you choose for the entire loan period of your mortgage, various mortgage calculators are available.

These mortgage calculators are categorized into 15 classifications depending on the type of mortgage you want and the terms in interests and principal you want to apply. These classifications for mortgage calculators are the following:

a. Mortgage calculator to determine a borrowers ability to afford a house. This type of calculator can be classified into two. There is a mortgage calculator that determines if a borrower can afford a house and mortgage calculator to help the borrower determine if it is better for him to make a small down payment or no down payment at all or save up first, then make a bigger down payment later on.

b. Mortgage calculator for consolidating non-mortgage debt. There are three types of calculators under these. The first one is used for borrowers who want to consider merging non-mortgage debt in their bought mortgage. The second type of mortgage calculator is for those who want to consider refinancing their mortgage by cash-out or by taking another mortgage. The third kind is for borrowers who already have 2 mortgages for a particular loan and are considering other options to help pay off the 1st mortgage.

c. Mortgage calculator to determine the monthly payments of their mortgage. The types of mortgage calculator to be used will depend on the terms you choose. There is a mortgage calculator for fixed rate mortgages, adjustable rate mortgages without negative amortizations, adjustable rate mortgages with negative amortizations, adjustable rate mortgages with flexible amortizations and mortgage payments with temporary buy downs.

d. Mortgage calculator to determine how much interest borrowers can save should he decide to pay an additional amount for the principal value during payment. The mortgage calculator varies depending on the number of payments a borrower is willing to give. These are extra monthly payments, bi-weekly payments applied monthly, bi-weekly payments applied bi-weekly and extra monthly payments to be paid in a specific period.

e. Mortgage calculator to determine if refinancing a mortgage will reduce its cost. This type of mortgage calculator can be applied to a borrower who wants to refinance a mortgage or 2 mortgages. Other calculators are used to determine if refinancing one mortgage into two can reduce costs while others are used to determine if cash-out refinancing is better than deciding to take on a second mortgage.

f. Mortgage calculator for determining the length of time borrowers have to pay insurance premiums applied to their mortgage.

g. Mortgage calculator to determine amortizations. There are 2 kinds of these. One determines the savings a borrower can have on his tax on the interests and the second mortgage calculator determines the appreciation of property being mortgaged.

h. Mortgage calculator to compare two mortgages. These are different types of calculators that compare the various mortgages that include amortizations and non-amortizations, government and non-government loans, fixed rate and adjustable interests.

i. Mortgage calculator to compute points and fees in a mortgage. The calculator is used to determine the rate of return of ARMs (Adjustable Rate Mortgages) and FRMs (Flexible Rate Mortgages) and the amount that can be saved or lost by using paying points for interest reduction on FRMs.

j. Mortgage calculator for determining amounts to be paid for a mortgage insurance and down payment and

k. Mortgage calculator to determine the feasibility of having a mortgage loan in a shorter term.

These mortgage calculators and other various mortgage calculators are available for use in the Internet. Companies such as Freddie Mac, Fannie May, Real-Time-Rates.Com and Mortgage-X have interactive pages in their websites where you can do your calculations online. Aside from these, other sites such as HSH Associates give free downloads of their loan calculators.

Mortgage Basics

Let's face it, not everyone has enough money on his bank account to buy a house. If you are an average American, chances are you need a mortgage loan.

There are many types of mortgages and these can be classified into 2 categories. These are conventional and governmental loans. Mortgages from both categories can be further categorized as fixed rate loans, adjustable rate loans and different hybrids or combinations from these mortgage loans.

The US government provides mortgages which can be found from three government departments. These are the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and The Rural Housing Service (RHS) of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. Aside from these, other mortgage plans for low cost to moderate housing plans are also available in different cities, states and counties. Most of these provide fixed rate mortgages and low interest rates.

Mortgage plans that are not included among these are under conventional mortgages. There are 2 kinds of mortgage under this category. These are conforming mortgage loans and non-conforming mortgage loans. Conforming mortgage loans follow the guidelines and conditions that were set up by 2 stock-holder owned corporations: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. These two companies purchase mortgage loans from lending institutions and package these into securities that are then sold to investors.

Both organizations set guidelines on down payments, suitable properties, loan amounts, borrower credit and income requirements on mortgages. And every year, loan limits for persons applying for their first mortgage are made known. To see their tables for loan limits, interest rates, and other information, visit the Fannie Mae (www.fanniemae.com) and Freddie Mac(www.freddiemac.com) websites.

There are also other mortgage loans available in the market. These non-conforming loans include: Jumbo loans and B/C loans. Jumbo mortgage loans are those that are above the maximum loan established by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. It is a kind of mortgage that has a higher interest than conforming loans because loans are acquired and bought in lower degree.

B/C mortgage loans, on the other hand, refer to plans that are offered to persons who have borrowed mortgage loans earlier but have filed for foreclosure and bankruptcy. This is also for borrowers who have had a record of late payments.

As mentioned earlier, conventional and governmental mortgages can be classified into fixed rate mortgage and adjustable mortgage. From the term "fixed rate", fixed rate mortgage loans are those whose monthly payments remain fixed over the period of the loan. There are so many kinds of these ranging from 10 - 30 years but the more popular terms for mortgage are 15 and 30. You should note that a shorter mortgage period assures you a smaller interest to pay.

If you want to avail of mortgage loans where monthly payments can change periodically, then you could choose a plan under adjustable rate mortgages. The interest in this type of mortgage loan changes depending on the type of index made to the interest rate. Some of these indexes include Constant Maturity Treasury (CMT), Prime Rate, Certificate of Deposit Index (CODI) , 12-Month Treasury Average (MTA), Cost of Savings Index (COSI), Certificates of Deposit (CD) Indexes, Treasury Bill (T-Bill), 11th District Cost of Funds Index (COFI), London Inter Bank Offering Rates (LIBOR) and Fannie Mae's Required Net Yield (RNY)

The Internet is a rich source for information on mortgage and so many companies offer online resources and services for those who want to avail of these loans. But before choosing the right type of mortgage there are some considerations you have to think about such that your mortgage plans will work out with your financial objectives. These are:

-The amount you can pay monthly for the mortgage
-How much you can pay for down payment
-How long you plan staying on the house
-Consider if you plan to make extra principal payments
-And since mortgages take over long periods of time to cover, it is also important that you consider the stability of your income.

How To Take Over Mortgage Payments

A take over mortgage is a loan where the terms and conditions of the loan can be transferred from one borrower to a new borrower. The term take over mortgage is also used to refer to assumable loan.

Home buyers can assume a seller’s mortgage when purchasing a home with a take over mortgage payment. The approval of the lender is usually required before you can have a take over mortgage.

With take over mortgages, the interest rate and the monthly payment schedule is assumed by you. This means you can save a lot with take over mortgages, especially if the interest rate on the existing loan is lower than the current rate on new loans. However, lenders can change the loan terms of take over mortgages so you must be prepared for that.

Along with the interest rate and the monthly payments, you also inherit the liability of the take over mortgage. If for instance, you cannot make the payments for the take over mortgage, the lender will foreclose. And if the property sells for less that the balance of the take over mortgage, the lender reserves the right to sue you for the difference.

A take over mortgage is not a free ride either. In order to get a take over mortgage, you still need to undergo a pre-qualifying process. Closing fees will still need to be paid before you can get a take over mortgage. Also, a take over mortgage requires payment for appraisal costs and title insurance.

For example, a friend of yours wants to sell his home to you for $95,000 and has a take over mortgage of $90,000 with 7% interest. With a take over mortgage, you only need to put down $5,000 to assume your friend’s home and mortgage. Along with the $5,000 take over mortgage down payment, closing fees are applicable.

Take over mortgages have been around the market for years. Because take over mortgages allows the consumer a chance to assume a loan with lower interest rates, take over mortgages became popular.

If you want a take over mortgage, remember that if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Sellers offering cheap take over mortgages are also offering something of significant value. With take over mortgages, sellers are likely to charge more for their houses.

This could mean that you would have to come up with more funds to cover the difference between the asking price and the take over mortgage loan balance. However, the assumability feature of take over mortgages can also give you a chance to cash out later, especially since the property you are assuming could increase in value with the growing rates over time.


Mortgage Refinancing

Getting mortgage refinancing is a smart move for any homebuyer. This is especially true if the interest rates are low. In the world of finance, interest rates directly affect the way mortgage rates behave. So if the interest rates are low, then mortgage rates will also be low.

Low mortgage rates in turn lead to bigger savings from your monthly payments. And with home mortgage refinancing, you can take advantage of this basic financing concept and reduce your monthly repayments while at the same time, increase your monthly savings.

Another important benefit of refinancing is that gives the borrower more flexibility. It allows you to change loan terms from a long one to something shorter. In this way, you can pay off the principal more quickly, thus saving you from the total interest charges.

Some Tips on How to Refinance

* Make sure that the drop in interest rates is enough to make a mortgage refinance loan worthwhile.
* To determine if refinancing will save you money, compare the total costs to refinance, as well as interest rates..
* Generally, the lower the interest rate, the more points the lending institution will charge.
* While shopping around for a lender, ask each for a list of charges and costs you must pay at closing.
* A lower interest rate gives you less interest to deduct on your income tax, which may increase your tax payments and decrease your total savings from refinancing.

How much will it cost to refinance your mortgage?

Home mortgage refinancing generally means paying off your original mortgage by signing a new loan, which acts like your typical mortgage loan. That means that you pay most of the same costs you paid to get your original mortgage.

These can include settlement costs, discount points, and other fees. There may also be a penalty charged for paying off your original loan early, although some states prohibit this.

Having said that, the total expense of mortgage refinancing depends on all those factors – interest rate, number of points, and other costs. Lenders will charge several points in order to offer you the lowest rates. With these, the total cost can run between three and six percent of the total amount you borrow.

So, for instance, you borrowed $100,000 on a mortgage refinance loan. For this amount, the lender may charge you between $3,000 and $6,000. However, some lenders may offer zero points at a higher interest rate, which may significantly reduce your initial costs, although your payments may be somewhat higher.