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Recently we have witnessed a boom in the mortgage industry. With increasing real estate values and a very low inflation, interest rates have touched an all time low. Since inflation is running extremely low at present, economists feel that mortgage rates will remain low in the near future also. As an obvious consequence homeowners are giving serious thoughts to the effects of low mortgage rate.

Usually, mortgage lenders offer a variety of combinations of interest rates and points. For example, 6.0% and 2 points, 6.5% and 1 point or 7.0% and no points. Points are a one-time upfront payment that the borrower makes to the lender at the time of closing the mortgage. It is a fee like the interest and not a part of the down payment. A drop in mortgage interest rates reduces the cost of borrowing and should logically result in an increase in prices in a market where most people borrow money to purchase a home (for instance, in the United States), so that average payments remain constant.

One of the direct effects of low mortgage rate is that the homeowners opt for greater savings through refinancing. Hence the cost to savings ratio is exceeded. Refinancing can be a boon in several situations since some of the main reasons to refinance are: – Lower interest rate – Consolidate 2nd mortgage loan – Lower loan term – Lower monthly payments – Payoff other personal loans and – Take cash out from equity

One of the most intriguing effects of low mortgage rate is the dilemma faced by the borrowers about whether to reduce their payments or the length of the loan term itself. Lower rates allow you to reduce your mortgage from say 25 years remaining to 15 years remaining with the same monthly payment. The next thing you would like to do is refinance again so that you will be able to reduce it to 10 years.

Another common rationale for refinancing and taking the equity out of your house as an effect of low mortgage rate is to be able to pay off credit card debt. You can also opt for a debt consolidation loan. By reducing your payment you will be able to pay off higher rate debt like credit cards. But try to eliminate interest payments wherever possible. The average credit card will have an interest rate of 18% to 25%. You can actually get rid of those high rate credit cards by taking advantage of the low mortgage rates. Also by lowering your debt you will be actually saving for the future.

It is also vital to understand that in most cases the loans are adjustable rate mortgages. The adjustment period may vary significantly depending on the loan program you are considering. You might not realize the effects of low mortgage rate unless you consider the stability and vulnerability of the interest rate that you are required to pay throughout the repayment tenure. Hence it is important to bear in mind that not only the current effects of low mortgage rate, but also effects of any future rise in interest rates should be considered when opting for a variable rate mortgage.

Adjustable rate mortgages are to home buyers as carrots are to bunnies very tempting. The secret to figuring out if an adjustable rate mortgage is a good deal is the rate index used.

Indexes Setting Rates

Lenders really want your business and are willing to create enticing loan products to get it. Occasionally, lenders will offer adjustable rate mortgages that offer a lot of carrot on the front end, but none on the back end. These loans are typically offered to you with an insanely low initial interest rate, which has you looking at mansions and other structures completely out of your realistic price range. The problem with these loans is the rate rises dramatically after six months or a year when the rate becomes pegged to an index.

Indexes are a unique animal when it comes to the mortgage industry. An index is a calculation of general interest rates charged across a number of financial markets that a bank uses to set a real interest rate on your loan. Common financial markets or products considered in this index include six month certificate deposit rates at local banks, LIBOR, T-Bills and so on. Lets take a closer look.

1. Certificate Deposits Better known as CDs, these are the fixed time period investing vehicles you can get at your local bank. You agree to deposit a certain amount for six months and the bank gives you a guaranteed interest rate of return such as three percent.

2. T-Bills Officially known as Treasury Bills, T-Bills are the credit cards for the federal government. Currently, Uncle Sam owes trillions of dollars on his and pays a certain interest rate on the debit. The interest rate is used by lenders in calculating your ARM rates.

3. Cost of Funds Index It gets a bit technical, but this index represents the rates being used by banks in Nevada, Arizona and California as an average.

4. LIBOR Officially known as the London Interbank Offered Rate Index, LIBOR is a popular index upon which to base ARM rates. Now, you are probably wondering what London has to do with the United States real estate market. LIBOR represents the interest rate international banks charge to borrow U.S. dollars on the London currency markets. LIBOR rates move quickly and can result in unstable interest rate moves for your adjustable mortgage.

Why Indexes Matter

Indexes matter because they set the base of the interest rates charged on your loan. Assume you apply for an adjustable rate mortgage based on a LIBOR index. Assume the LIBOR rate is 2.2 percent when you apply. The 2.2 percent is your starting interest rate. If the LIBOR shoots up one percent in eight months, your loan will do the same.

Importantly, the index rate used for your loan is not the interest rate you will pay. Instead, you have to add the banks margin on top of the index rate. Most banks will charge two to three percent on top of the index rate. Using our LIBOR example, the initial interest rate of your loan would be 2.2 percent plus whatever the bank is using as a spread. Obviously, this means you need to closely read the loan documents to figure out how the game is being played!

Danger of Deferred Interest Mortgages: Understanding the Risks of Negative Amortization Home Loans

Negative amortization or “neg am” occurs when the minimum payment on a mortgage covers less than the monthly interest charged, causing the balance of the loan to increase instead of decrease. Interest only loans generally dont increase the balance due on a home although they dont diminish the amount due. However, deferred interest loans will increase your loan amount. This can happen with negative amortizations loans like a payment option ARM, where payment choices can be calculated based on COFI – The 11th District Cost of Funds Index which demonstrates the average interest rate paid by certain banks in Arizona, California and Nevada or on MTA – The 12 month Treasury Average, giving you a variety of choices in payments. While these loans can be a good deal when short-term interest rates are low, they are not necessarily the right choice when short term loans have a higher interest rate, like now. For most, now is not the right time to refinance a fixed-rate loan for a deferred interest mortgage.

If you are looking to eventually cash out home equity, you should look for a purchase loan that involves paying some of the principal. Not only is it possible you may not build equity in your home with neg am loans, but you also may have a loss of equity through an increased mortgage balance. If you suddenly need to sell your home, you may not be able to get a purchase price high enough to cover your loan. You will also have more difficulty getting a second mortgage behind negative ARM loans.

Henry Savage, president of PMC Mortgage notes that on a deferred mortgage, The mortgage balance can increase as much as $350 per month for every $100,000 that’s borrowed. The neg am on a $500,000 loan for example, can be as much as $1,750 per month. He continues by noting, There are not many circumstances where I would recommend an Option ARM. However, there are a few instances where deferred interest or negative amortization loans may make sense.

Neg am loans are good for investment properties when you may be paying a double mortgage. They are also good for self-employed with cash flow issues. If you plan on normally paying some of the principal, but dont know what your cash flow will be like from month to month, it may be helpful to have the option of a minimum payment.

Do you homework before deciding on a deferred interest mortgage. Although your payments will be lower, there are inherent risks involved and you may be better off with a fixed-rate mortgage.

According to a recent report consumers confidence in variable rate mortgage products is on the increase in the UK, following a substantial period of consumers tending to shy away from variable rate products, preferring instead to opt for more stable, yet more expensive, fixed rate deals. The series of five interest rate hikes between August 2006 and July 2007 resulted in many homeowners trying to remortgage to fixed rate deals in order to try and avoid the effects of further interest rate rises, as well as resulting in first time buyers opting for fixed rates to avoid the pitfalls of rising repayments during the first few years of mortgage repayments.

However, since July of this year the Bank of England has kept interest rates firmly on hold at 5.75%, making it latest announcement to keep rates stable just last week. It is thought that part of the reason for the bank’s decision to keep rates on hold is the possible of effects of the global credit crunch upon the UK’s economy, resulting in the Bank of England taking a wait and see stance. Another reason for keeping rates on hold for the moment, state experts, is that CPI inflation is now within the government’s target of 2%, coming in at 1.8%, which is its lowest in a year.

Predictions from analysts and economists that the Bank of England will not raise interest rates again for the remainder of the year has seen renewed interest in variable rate mortgages from consumers in the UK, with many breathing a sigh of relief over the fact that repayments are unlikely to be affected by further interest rate rises this year. This renewed interest has been further fuelled by additional speculation that interest rates may even fall by the end of this year, with many economists expecting or urging the Bank of England to cut interest rates. Many are now expecting rates to fall by at least a quarter point by the end of the year.

Interest in fixed rate mortgages peaked recently, as homeowners and first time buyers struggled to find a solution to the problem of rising repayments resulting from the hike in interest rates. However, some experts have even predicted that interest rates could fall back to around 5% by the end of next year, so many consumers may want to avoid tying themselves into more expensive fixed rate deals under fears that they may end up paying way over the odds in six or twelve months’ time.