Interested In an Interest Only Loan
You have finally found the property of your dreams. The contract has been signed and you are now in the process of finding exactly how you will be living and paying off the property for the next few years. Your lender may have already contacted you and given you the options. When the question comes up of what kind of loan you want, be prepared for the answer that will benefit you the most.
One of the major types of loans that you may be offered is an interest only loan. This loan is great for some that are getting involved in a home, but for others may not be as beneficial. This loan works by you first paying off the bank interest that is added as a percentage to your loan. After the interest is completely paid off, then you start paying off the house itself.
If you are looking at an interest only loan, you will want to make sure that the standard interest rates at the time are in the lower percentage. Interest only loans will have two types of interest rates that may be applied. The first is a fixed interest rate, which will mean that the percentage you pay will stay the same the entire time that you have the loan. The second will be a variable interest, where it will fluctuate according to the economy. This type of interest rate is good if you want to pay higher or lower amounts at different times, but not good if your pay check doesn't have the same flexibility.
The interest that you get with an interest only loan will be determined by the lender and how they decide to set up your loan. It may also be determined by the amount of the down payment that you make and specific rules that are set to the loan. Before signing the papers, make sure that you know how all of these apply and what it means.
If you want to make sure that you get the best deal, then it will be important to know what the individual rules are. By doing this, you can ensure that your payments are beneficial to you as well as everyone else. One place to investigate is with the possibilities of an interest only loan.
Some lenders are working with customers who are in danger of default by offering them the opportunity to convert to an interest only loan. By doing so their monthly mortgage payment will be reduced to a more affordable amount. The down side is that the principle owed will be tacked onto the life of their loan, taking longer to pay it off. But if it comes down to a choice of losing your home or taking the interest only loan it may be the better deal.
International Level: Activist / Political Participation: 32 3.2%
I am not sure if I would ever take a interest only loan because of my idea of paying off my loans quicker than I need to. If I did the interest only loan I would not be saving any money in the long run. Paying extra on th mortgage to get it paid off sooner is what I like because it saves me a ton in interest payments.
The benefit behind an interest only loan is a short fix remedy. It can help someone save their home. But you are right, it does lengthen the terms of the loan. If someone goes the interest only route they should do so with the idea of working hard to repair their credit so they can refinance in a year or so. Also, when possible, even with an interest only loan they can make principle payments to accelerate the terms of the loan. Before signing on for an interest only loan they should inquire about any penalties for early payoff or principle payments.
International Level: Activist / Political Participation: 32 3.2%