Posts Tagged ‘Real Estate’

Mortgage Accelerator: How to Pay Off Your Mortgage in 10 Years

Wednesday, August 6th, 2008
by Igor Buces

Given the present economical conditions, we have to find creative and proved ways to maximize how we use our money. In order to do so, we need to change how we look at money, and how we can shift our habits to use every dollar we make to our advantage.

For example, most people are happy with having most of their money in a checking or saving account where they get little return. In this case, the bank is the one taking advantage of the use of your money.

Another common example is a mortgage. With a traditional 30 year mortgage, it takes 20 years and 2 months to come to the point where the portion that we pay toward the principal equals the portion we pay toward the interest.

Since the average American only stays in their home for 5-7 years, they barely make a dent in the principal of their mortgage. In other words, the structure of the mortgage heavily favors banks because almost all of your monthly payments go toward the interest portion.

For over two decades, homeowners in countries such as the U.K., Australia and Canada have been using mortgage accelerator programs to pay off their mortgages in 10-15 years saving over $150,000 on payments. The good news is that this type of program is now available in the U.S.

A mortgage accelerator works by making sure that the bank’s money works for you at all times. It works in four basic steps:

1. At the beginning of each month, a software tells you the right amount to pay toward your first mortgage to make sure you are paying as little interest as possible. The funds for this payment come from an advance line of credit (HELOC.) By doing so, the debt in your mortgage is reduced an you move further down the amortization schedule.

2. You then deposit your monthly income in the HELOC decreasing the balance on the HELOC. When you do this, you have your money working against your debt in the HELOC by saving on the interest you’ll be charged.

3. You charge your daily expenses on a credit card to allow your money sit in the HELOC for as long of a time as possible.

4. At the end of the month, you pay off the balance in your credit card with money from the HELOC and therefore avoiding interest charges from your credit card company.

By doing a few changes in your financial habits, you can start making the bank’s money work for you and no the other way around. Using other people’s money (the bank’s money) is one of the surest and fastest ways to become financially independent.

Even though it takes some getting us to these changes, you can think about the alternative available to you; After all, how long and how much effort would it take you to earn the money you would be saving if you knew you could pay off your home mortgage in 10 to 15 years?

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Short Sales Are Displaying Net Profit for Real Estate Investors

Wednesday, August 6th, 2008
by Elaine Petin

Are you looking for real estate bargain that could save you a lot of cash and at the same time provides you prime real estate? A short sale may be the type of real estate deal that you desire. With the foreclosure market achieving record highs and the snap of thriving towns like Denver, San Francisco, and Seattle, short sales are becoming one of the most frequent real estate purchasing methods in the real estate marketplace nowadays.

A short sale calls for the purchaser to have massive knowledge of both the real estate and the lending marketplaces. Having the appropriate tools in the real estate buyer’s toolbox can preserve time and more important money. When you take on a short sale, you are dealing with two companies that are spirited to move a deal. The foremost party is the property owner who is in danger of being foreclosed or going insolvent and the second company is the bank that wants to reduce its loses and get out of the mortgage taking at to the lowest degree any of the money back.

In the three stages of foreclosure, the parties of a short sale have chances to make negotiations with the loss mitigation department. Each stage has its gains and drawbacks, but time is the most important component when looking at each respective stage. With the number of foreclosures occurring all over the country, the time to create a short sale is now. As an investor, it is prudent to have cognition about both the property and the mortgage owner.

When searching remember to explore the real estate laws in your nation or the state that you are moving to participate in a short sale. Each state has different laws concerning the purchasing and selling of mortgages and your state might have particular foreclosure laws that might forbid you from making the kind of net profit you would like to produce. Laws can also dictate interest rates and the amount of savings you are allowed to earn.

It might be prudent to study a course in real estate purchases so you can go into the short sale armed to the teeth with knowledge or you can engage an agent that knows the ropes in short sales. This way you can pay up an upfront fee or commission and know that you are getting the best service for your money spent.

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Mortgage Refinancing Rates

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008
by Ray Lam

Think the mortgage rate you are considering is too good to be true? It’s probably a teaser rate. Is mortgage refinancing with a teaser rate a mistake, or can you leverage this lower interest rate to your advantage? Here are several mortgage refinancing tips to help you decide if that lower introductory interest rate is right for you.

Many financial lending institutions offer mortgage refinancing. If hoping to secure a good refi loan, it may be practical to use a refinancing specialist. Mortgage specialists are able to address all your concerns. Moreover, they can offer expert advice on which type of mortgage refinancing to choose.

Homeowners who are satisfied with their existing mortgage lender may consider obtaining a new mortgage with the same lender. However, using the same lender is not required. In fact, even if your mortgage lenders offer a good refi loan rate, it helps to obtain additional quotes and compare the different offers.

When refinancing a mortgage loan, homeowners have several loan options. Usually, homeowners refinance to lock in a low fixed rate. This way, mortgage payments remain predictable. Many select adjustable rate mortgages below of their low introductory rate. If homeowners choose a mortgage loan with an adjustable rate (ARM), they should anticipate changing rates. If rates falls, ARM’s pose little threat. However, if rates increase, so does the mortgage payment.

To fully understand what you’re getting into with any mortgage loan, carefully read the Good Faith Estimate to find out exactly what you’re paying for mortgage refinancing.

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