Despite all our worries, things turned out ok for us

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.

Over the course of the mortgage, it's essential to remember to make sure the interest rate doesn't change. It is always wise to avoid agreements that appear to too good to be true because they invariably are. The interest rate remains the same for long term fixed rate mortgages over the life of the mortgage.

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.

My wife's donation to the monthly finances would in all likelihood be unreliable since she preferred to raise our child at home. The trouble we could see was the raised financial commitment with a higher monthly repayment if we had chosen for the shorter 15 year fixed rate mortgage. For us it just wasn't practicable as we would just be in over our heads and in all likelihood be worrying about money every month.

Despite the trepidation of having a longer term loan, the 30 years fixed mortgage rate did reduce the monthly installments considerably. During the year, if we have some spare cash, we can make additional repayments which helps to lower the amount owed. Just by making a handful of additional repayments throughout a one year period you can knock years off of your mortgage period.

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Also have a look at Cheap Home Blog and Low Cost Home Blog

The mortgage market needs somehting but is it just money?

By Chris Clare

Over the last four weeks you may be aware that many governments have been pumping money into their failing banking systems in an attempt to salvage the mortgage markets. The reason for this is that all the bad debt, known as toxic debt, is having a detrimental effect on the financial institutions and is making us all worse off.

The burning question now is whether or not this cash injection will have the desired effect so that we are able to borrow money confidently again. At present I am only able to comment on the effect these changes will have on the general public in the United Kingdom, as I am unaware of how other global markets work within their countries, and therefore am unqualified to comment. There may be similarities in how the markets work, but it is best to take my comments here as a rough guide only if outside the UK.

The general public is under the impression that the credit crunch is due to the banks not having enough money to lend. Logic would then dictate that by giving the banks more money the problem is resolved. Unfortunately this is rather far from the truth. The lack of money to lend is only the tip of the iceberg. Banks have been burned by the bad debt accrued over the last few years and are therefore now much more cautious about lending again. Their careless actions in the past will prove much more difficult to rectify in times to come.

The main result and contributory factor to the current financial predicament is that of house prices, and house prices are not only falling but are set to continue to fall for the foreseeable future. Consequently lenders are finding that they have to tighten all their criteria not least in the area of loan to value LTV, that is the amount of money that is lent based on the value of the property. Most lenders during 2007 lent up to 95% LTV some lent 100% LTV and in some cases they went as high as 125%LTV.

Now in a healthy market there is nothing wrong with this type of lending. For example, if you give a 125% loan on a house valued at 100,000 then the resulting loan would work out at 125,000. With a buoyant market the house prices may increase at an average of 10% per annum over the next three years. The resulting LTV would equate to 93%. So mathematically we can see that there would be nothing wrong with the initial 125% loan in that there would be negligible risk involved.

But the problem that we face is that house prices are going in the opposite direction. The decline is at least 10% and analysts figure that it could get worse. So, if 100,000 was lent on an 85,000 property then in the same three year time span the loan could have actually increased to 118% LTV. Now I am sure you would agree that in this present climate that this sort of loaning is both irresponsible and detrimental to all involved.

So with regards to the money bailouts, what does this mean for our financial future? In my professional opinion I believe that there will be little overall effect, although with any luck time will prove me wrong. Although lenders are now obliged to lend in 2009 at the rates of 2007, as you will see from the first part of this article they won't be able to lend at the high LTV rates of 2007. The people who are now desperate to borrow are those coming out of rates already arranged in the past 5 years, and these borrowers are going to push the LTV to its limit because of the drop in house prices.

In addition you will also have to factor in the situation that a lot of people over the last five years have obtained self certification mortgages. Most of these mortgages are now not available due to the fact that they represent too much of a risk for the lenders, and if they are available they will be at much reduced LTVs, so what are these people going to do?

In conclusion, although the cash injections can only be welcomed as a step in the right direction, I fear that there will be little knock on effect whilst housing prices continue to plummet and lenders fail to meet the level of lending that was rife before 2008. It seems more likely that the money will be stored up for the future. This will unfortunately create a catch-22 situation where the prices continue to fall because of the low LTVs and the tight lending criteria, in turn making the lenders more nervous about lending. It seems to me that the only way out will be for someone to bite the bullet and take the risks again at lending, even taking into account the possible risks involved.

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Mortgage Route gives assistance help and mortgage advice from qualified mortgage brokers along with no obligation mortgage calculators and sourcing tools.

Need a Mortgage Refinancing?

By Larson Watteler

People choose to refinance their homes for many different reasons. Often changing market conditions inspire interest in mortgage refinancing in Mesa. Other times the personal needs or interests of the homeowner's may lead to interest in refinancing. For the individuals investigating mortgage refinancing in Mesa, we suggest the consideration of this article to best determine if you and your circumstances are suited for mortgage refinancing.

Traditionalists suggest that a mortgage refinancing should take place when the current market rates drop approximately two percentage points below your initial mortgage rate. This particular situation creates a condition referred to as a "break even" period for roughly two to three years for standard middle to high mortgages. Those investigating mortgage refinancing in Mesa should typically consider beginning the process when this particular situation presents itself.

Not all refinancing specialists subscribe to traditional mortgage refinancing practices. Those who don't necessarily subscribe would suggest that homeowners should refinance when there is a difference of 1.5 or even 1.25 percent between current market rates and their original mortgage rate.

One thing that needs to always be taken into consideration when contemplating a mortgage refinancing in Mesa is; what is the relation of principal of your loan to the actual costs of mortgage refinancing? If it's high, one should refinance at a rate that would more typically be considered less than the "green light" number.

One reason one may choose to take advantage of a mortgage refinancing in Mesa with more personal connections is a fear that one's future income may not be consistent with their current income. If an individual currently possesses an adjustable rate mortgage, a mortgage refinancing can yield a fixed mortgage thus making it easier to budget for the future knowing your rate is locked.

Creating equity is a reason one may choose to enter into a mortgage refinancing in Mesa. Whereas current market conditions cannot be directly controlled by a homeowner, choosing to refinance for quick equity is of course the choice of the homeowner. One enters into a mortgage refinancing in order to payoff their home faster thus owning it and establishing equity. With a shorter mortgage loan, you pay it off faster and create equity faster.

If a homeowner decides to enter into a mortgage refinancing in Mesa with the intent of establishing quick equity by decreasing the length of the loan, this individual should be completely aware of their current and future financial situation. As the life of a loan decreases the monthly payments increase. If one can afford the higher monthly payments, refinancing should be considered. If not, it may not be wise to refinance.

There are many different reasons one may choose to take advantage of a mortgage refinancing in Mesa, but no decision should be made without first consulting a mortgage refinancing specialists. For those in the Mesa, AZ area, we recommend Mesa Mortgage. With its staff of experienced experts, they will be able to attend to any question you may have.

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Looking for information on Mortgage Refinancing in Mesa? Have all of your questions answered and get financing rates that are lower than the national average at; Mesa Mortgage in Mesa, Arizona!

5 Great Ways To Get Debt Free

By Bob Hobson

There is a lot of negativity associated to a person once he suddenly finds himself in the sea of debts. For one, that person could feel frightened and helpless. But because there are now many companies that offer debt assistance, this shouldn't happen.

There are many companies which specialize in helping people to become debt free. All you need to do is to choose wisely to pick one which can best meet your needs. Here are the services most commonly offered by debt assistance companies.

1. Debt counseling. Debt counseling involves seeking the advice of a professional debt advisor. These professionals show you all of the options available to you to get out of debt. A debt advisor will take you step by step through the process and ensure that you understand all of your routes out of debt.

2. Debt Consolidation. Debt consolidation is the process of uniting all your debts into one. There are companies that are willing to optimize all your debts into one account; in consequence, you are going to pay only once a month, rather than every time each of your debts become due.

3. Debt repayment loans. You can repay all your outstanding debt balances while working with one of these organizations. Instead you will pay back that particular company. Keep in mind this is a form of a loan and may not be interest free. However, the interest will more than likely lower than that of your previous debts.

4. Debt monitoring. This is the process of observing your debt activities and how it came about. This also includes checking against fraudulent acts and unscrupulous identity theft instances.

5. Debt investigation. This entails deeper inquiry on each of your debt situations and looking further if there is anything in there that is worthy of being reported and sent back over to your creditor for further analysis. Here, you will be able to find out if all credit computations are accurately done.

These are the ways companies offer help to people that are up their necks in debts. One of these could be applicable to you. Or, the application of two or more of these processes will eventually lead you to the debt-free zone. The most important thing conveyed in here is to get assistance when you need it and where you need it the most.

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If "consolidate my debt" is your favorite saying you can learn about the best debt consolidation plan by visiting our site LivingOutOfDebt.com

Credit Card Companies And What They Offers

By Eric Jilson

One of the most well-known and trusted providers of credit cards is American Express, especially in the low interest rate, high credit genre of cards. Often, their balance transfer options and up to fifteen months with no interest can't be beat. Some of their cards even offer points with redemptions towards travel, hotels, rentals, and more and often with no annual fee.

Chase credit cards have 5% on purchases and an offer of 0% APR for up to a full year. Cardholders can even receive cash back on 1% of their additional purchases. Chase offers a wide variety of cards, so you'll probably find one that fits your needs.

Citi has the Platinum Select card which has a 0% introductory APR on purchases and balance transfers, though it does not apply to cash advances. If you fail to make payments, go over your limit, or otherwise do not meet the terms of the contract, however, you'll likely lose these benefits.

Discover Platinum Cards are also offered with 0% APR as an introductory rate for up to a year. They also offer no annual fees, 5% cash rewards, and zero fraud liability along with limitless cash rewards for 1% of additional purchases. If you purchase products from their select, name-brand companies, they offer double the rewards for doing so. Of course, since you're paying a premium for the name-brand item, this may not really be that great of a deal. Make sure to read up on the card's requirements and small print before joining, as many find themselves caught because they didn't.

HSBC Mastercard offers manufactured goods from their in-house catalog to new cardholders. Since this bank mainly deals with newly established credit or people with credit difficulties, their offer few 0% APR or other deals. Their rates go as high as 18.75% and they usually have other fees associated with their credit re-establishing offers.

The AT&T Universal Platinum Cards are offered with similar deals, but also include many things the others do not. These include phone savings (through AT&T, of course) and free directory assistance credits and phone minutes monthly. This low-rate card is also a phone card, so you can use it to make long distance calls from any phone world-wide. This is in addition to their 0% APR for a year on purchases and balance transfers and their zero fraud liability guarantee. There are also options for insurance coverage on wireless phones built-in to the account. Of course, it's not all roses. There are down-sides to this card including variable rates after the year is up and very high rates on cash advances and defaults.

Bottom line, there are many cards out there for you to choose from and finding the right one for you is only a matter of looking through the options. For anyone looking for a new credit card or to transfer the balance and close out an existing card, there is a lot to look at out there. Hopefully this short list has helped you in making an informed decision. Be sure to check out each individual offer and to read contracts carefully so you don't get burned.

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For more details on the topic of low rate cards. Click on the link to visit http://www.everlife.com/low-apr-credit-cards.php.

Credit Card Bills Unmanageable? Consider Debt Negotiation

By Daniel Atolben

Are you drowning in debt and finding it difficult to make your monthly payments? Even if you've had no problem controlling your debt in the past, there may be something unexpected that has come up. You may have recently become unemployed or there may be an illness in your family. These types of problems affect everyone and if you have little or no savings then you can easily find yourself in financial trouble. This is when debt negotiation with your credit card companies is a viable option that will benefit both you and the credit card company.

Debt negotiation benefits you since you'll be able to get your credit card bills under control. It benefits the credit card company by ensuring they receive payment (or partial payment) and preventing your account from going to a collection agency. Since credit card companies won't be getting all the money that you've agreed to repay, they will not accept all requests.

You can try debt negotiation on your own without the assistance of an outside service. Simply contact your credit card companies and ask for a lowered interest rate, lower payments and/or a suspension of penalty fees. If you're willing to close out the account on the spot, the credit card company may be willing to accept less than the balance. You'll need to give the agent a good reason why; be honest about the reason and what you can afford.

Each credit card company has different policies. The agent that you initially speak to may be able to help you but more than likely you'll need to talk to a supervisor. The initial agent may only be able to waive a fee or suspend a payment so it's beneficial to talk to a supervisor or manager in any case. If an agent isn't able to help you then ask for a superior.

Depending on your credit history and reason for negotiation, credit card companies may be able to work with you. Even if they're not able to help you, ask the agent to document your account so future agents can reference your request. Since each credit card company has different policies, you may not succeed with all of your requests. One company may be willing to work with you to pay off your credit card debt while another may not.

If you're not able to succeed in getting your bills under control then you can get the help of a debt counseling service. There are many to choose from but it's best to find one that has an office in your area so you can meet face-to-face with a counselor. Look for one that is non-profit or not-for-profit and funded by the government. They will usually offer you a free consultation and their fees are nominal. Try to negotiate your debt on your own but some credit card companies are more willing to work with counseling services.

About the Author:

Daniel Atolben is publishing especially for http://www.debtania.com , a web publication with information about eliminate credit card dept and eliminating high interest credit card debt. On his site one can see his contributions on eliminating high interest credit card debt and how to eliminate credit card debt.