Monday, December 22, 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.

Both my wife and I decided to research fixed rate mortgages when we began looking at homes for sale. Although it was important 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.

Looking at an even longer term mortgage was one option if we could not afford the monthly repayments on a 15 year plan. The problem was that we weren't very happy about having a mortgage still running close to when we both retired and hoped that a fifteen year fixed mortgage rate would still be accessible to us. There was obviously very good grounds to finish paying the mortgage off earlier if at all possible. Taking everything into account we finally went for the easier 30 year fixed mortgage rate plan instead.

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.

After looking at the much lower sum of money we would be making on our regular installments with a 30 year fixed rate mortgage, there wasn't any option but to go with it. Also, where possible, making a few additional lump sum payments during the year helps bring down the sum owed. By making just a few of these extra payments each year we discovered that year's could be taken off the mortgage term. This is well worth the effort in the long term but it does require some discipline. Under other conditions, we would have preferred to have taken out a loan with a 15 year fixed mortgage rate but we had to consider our other commitments as well. Despite all our worries, things turned out well for us in the end and we don't regret our decision. - 16928

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