Taking out a mortgage loan is typically the largest amount of money any one person will borrow in their entire life. Buying a home is an investment. You want to make sure that you are making a smart investment. There are a lot of mortgage options, some more common than others. If you plan to buy a home, you will want to know about the most common types of mortgage loans available.
Perhaps the most common type of mortgage is a fixed rate mortgage. As the name implies, these mortgages have a fixed rate of interest. Once you lock in the payment schedule, it will never change unless you were to refinance the home.
Most fixed rate mortgages have a term of thirty years, but amortization schedules can range anywhere from ten year terms to forty year terms. The shorter the term, the lower the interest rate usually. The longer the term, the more expensive the loan will be by the end of the term since you are paying interest for longer.
Obviously, the least expensive loans have the shortest terms so if you are looking to save money, you might consider a shorter term for your fixed rate mortgage. Your monthly payments will be more, but you will pay less for the loan in the long run.
An adjustable rate mortgage is another common mortgage. They have become more popular over the past several years. Some buyers grossly misunderstand the ARM (adjustable rate mortgage) loan. The main thing to be aware of with this type of loan is that you need to expect that your monthly mortgage will change over time.
When interest rates change, your interest rate on your mortgage will adjust and you will either have increased or decreased monthly mortgage payments. This might sound okay to some people, but realize that when the economy is struggling like it is now, mortgage payments can more than double for some people. Make sure that if this were to happen you wouldn’t end up losing your home for defaulting on the loan.
The fixed rate mortgage, adjustable rate mortgage, and interest only mortgage are the most commonly used mortgage loans. Depending on your situation, one of them could be the best mortgage for you.
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