Florida FHA Mortgage Lender :: Florida FHA Loan :: Florida Home Loan ::

FloridaFHA Mortgage Lender :: Florida FHA Loan :: Florida Home Loan ::

http://www.FHAmortgageProgram.com   is your one stop shop for everything FHA loan  related in Florida. As an Florida FHA mortgage lender specializing solely in FHA  home loan in the state of Florida we are well versed in every aspect of the FHA home loan in the State of Florida.  Florida home buyers should know the many advantages of the FHA mortgage loan programs. FHA loans were created to help increase home ownership. For the Florida FHA home loan applicant the FHA program can simplify the purchase of a home, making financing easier and less expensive than a conventional mortgage loan product. Some highlights of the Florida FHA loan program include:

Minimal Down Payment and Closing costs.

Down payment less than 3.5% of Sales Price Gifts are allowed
Seller can credit up to 6% of sales price towards closing and prepaid costs.
100% Financing available
No reserves required.
FHA regulated closing costs.

Easier Credit Qualifying Guidelines such as:

  No minimum FICO score or credit score requirements.
FHA will allow a home purchase 1 year after a Bankruptcy.
FHA will allow a home purchase2 years after a Foreclosure.

To take advantage of the FHA program in Florida, give us a call 1-800-570-0448 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              1-800-570-0448      end_of_the_skype_highlighting or use our quick application to find out more about the many FL mortgage programs we can make available. Or Apply now for a FL FHA home loan.

www.FHAmortgageFHALoan.com

Since the Florida mortgage meltdown went bust there has been a massive increase in Florida FHA mortgage applicants. Florida FHA loans have become popular for many reasons. Some of the reasons that FHA financing has become the best source of financing for Florida homebuyers  purchasing or refinancing their primary residence includes:

High LTV Florida FHA Home Loan Purchases- Florida FHA mortgage lenders allow for 97.75% of the purchase price to be financed. Conventional Florida lenders requires a minimum of 10% of the purchase price to be put down from the Florida home buyer. A Florida FHA loan will save any buyer purchasing their primary residence from having to put the additional 6.25% of the purchase price that conventional financing would have required them to do. This higher loan to value allows the Florida FHA loan applicant to keep more of their hard earned money in their pockets instead of locked up in the equity of the Florida home. In today’s market where sales prices have been falling it makes perfect sense to keep as little out of pocket expenses locked in the equity of Florida home as possible. 

Now More Florida property types allowed for FHA Financing – Florida FHA home loans now allow Florida home buyers to financing not only your typical 1-4 unit single family or multifamily homes, but also mobiles homes, Florida manufactured home loans, condos and townhouses. Conventional Florida mortgage lenders will not do Florida mobile homes or manufactured homes and they put sever restrictions on financing condos or townhouses. This is another reason that the Florida FHA loans are  far superior to conventional financing in Florida. If you have a property type that others have turned you down over, we can show you how to use a Florida FHA home loan to meet your needs!

FHA mortgage insurance cost less – Florida FHA mortgage loans provide much lower mortgage insurance premiums than conventional financing does. Typically your  FHA mortgage insurance will cost a Florida FHA mortgage applicant  1/2 of the cost of conventional Florida mortgage insurance. This is even more monthly savings that a Florida FHA loan will be able to provide over your typical conventional loan. 

Higher FHA cash refinance limits allowed - Florida FHA cash out refinances will now allow for 85% of the appraised value of the Florida home  to be obtained when doing cash out on your Florida home. If you just want to lower your interest rate, Florida FHA refinances can go up to 96.5% of the value of your home to help you lock in a lower 30 year fixed Florida mortgage rate. Conventional loans only allow borrowers to cash out up to 80% of the value of their homes. The Florida FHA loan allows an additional 5% over what typical conventional lenders will allow. More cash in your pocket with a Florida FHA cash out refinance!

www.FHAmortgageFHALoan.com

Serving These Fine Florida Communities:

Arcadia :: Boca Raton :: Boynton Beach :: Bradenton :: Brandon :: Cape Coral :: Clearwater :: Clewiston
Crestview :: Daytona Beach :: Deerfield Beach :: Deland :: Delray Beach :: Deltona :: Destin :: Englewood
Fort Pierce :: Ft. Lauderdale :: Ft. Myers :: Ft. Walton Beach :: Gainesville :: Hollywood :: Homosassa Springs
Jacksonville :: Key West :: Kissimmee :: Lake City :: Lakeland :: Lynn Haven :: Marathon :: Marco Island
Melbourne :: Miami :: Miami Beach :: North Fort Myers :: North Miami Beach :: Naples :: Ocala :: Okeechobee
Orlando :: Ormond Beach :: Osprey :: Palatka :: Palm Bay :: Palm Beach :: Palm Coast :: Panama City :: Pensacola
Pompano Beach :: Port St. Lucie :: Punta Gorda :: Santa Rosa :: Sarasota :: Sebastian :: Sebring :: Springhill
St. Augustine :: St. Petersburg :: Tallahassee :: Tampa :: The Villages :: Titusville :: Venice :: Vero Beach
Wauchula :: Wesley Chapel :: West Palm Beach :: Winter Park

Serving These Fine Florida Counties:

Alachua :: Baker :: Bay :: Bradford :: Brevard :: Broward :: Calhoun :: Charlotte :: Citrus :: Clay :: Collier
Columbia :: Dade :: DeSoto :: Dixie :: Duval :: Escambia :: Flagler :: Franklin :: Gadsden :: Gilchrist :: Glades
Gulf :: Hamilton :: Hardee :: Hendry :: Hernando :: Highlands :: Hillsborough :: Holmes :: Indian River :: Jackson
Jefferson :: Lafayette :: Lake :: Lee :: Leon :: Levy :: Liberty :: Madison :: Manatee :: Marion :: Martin :: Miami-Dade
Monroe :: Nassau :: Okaloosa :: Okeechobee :: Orange :: Osceola :: Palm Beach :: Pasco :: Pinellas :: Polk
Putnam :: Saint Johns :: Saint Lucie :: Santa Rosa :: Sarasota :: Seminole :: Sumter :: Suwannee :: Taylor :: Union
Volusia :: Wakulla :: Walton :: Washington

FHA :: Mobile Homes ::

FHA Loans Backed by the Government and insured by HUD, the FHA mortgage loans is a safe secure way to buy a Florida home!

FHA Loan Florida – FHA Mortgage Florida
FHA Loans Backed by the Government and insured by HUD, the FHA mortgage loans is a safe secure way to buy a Florida home!

Florida home buyers are learning the many advantages of the FHA loan programs. FHA loans were created to help increase Florida home ownership. For the Florida home buyer the FHA program can simplify the purchase of a Florida home, making financing easier and less expensive than a conventional mortgage loan product. Some highlights of the Florida FHA loan program include:

Minimal Down Payment and Closing costs.

Down payment less than 3% of Sales Price Gifts are allowed
Seller can credit up to 6% of sales price towards closing and prepaid costs.
100% Financing available
No reserves required.
FHA regulated closing costs.

Easier Credit Qualifying Guidelines such as:

  No minimum FICO score or credit score requirements.
FHA will allow a home purchase 1 year after a Bankruptcy.
FHA will allow a home purchase2 years after a Foreclosure.

To take advantage of the FHA program in Florida, give us a call 1-800-570-0448 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting or use our quick application to find out more about the many FL mortgage programs we can make available. Or Apply now for a FL FHA home loan.

FHA Loan Program To Buy A Florida Loan Overview

Low, low down payment’s! Only 3.5% down required!
Finance Florida single family, Florida condo, town Florida house and mobile Florida homes.
Seller able to pay up to 6% closing costs.
Down payment gifts and grants allowed!
Easier qualification!
You do NOT have to be a first time home buyer to use the FHA mortgage program!
Government Backed Mortgage! HUD Insured!
Higher debt ratios for home buyers.
Low Interest fixed rate and adjustable interest rates.
No income restrictions!

Florida home buyers can make the dream of home ownership a reality for many people who would never have thought they would qualify for the purchase of a Florida home. If you’re in the market to purchase a new or existing Florida home, the FHA home loan is a great program choice to consider.

Still not convinced? Take a look the full range of benefits you receive as a Florida home buyer just for using the FHA loan program:

Easier qualification
Low interest rates compared to conventional mortgage programs
Adjustable and fixed rate loan options
2/1 buy down option
Everyone is eligible
Lowest down payment for an open ended mortgage program – as low as 3.5% (USDA has income caps and significant property restrictions)
Up to 6% in seller concessions towards closing costs
Credit score not a factor – only credit quality
30 year and 15 year mortgage financing terms
Higher debt ratios than conventional loans
Fully assumable
Non-occupying co-borrowers permitted
Streamline refinance at a later date
Rehab a property with a 203k loan
Reverse your mortgage during retirement

We are experts in the government backed HUD insured Florida FHA mortgage program and can help guide you through the process of becoming a homeowner! Contact us today to get started!

This government mortgage program is insured by HUD and designed to make home ownership more affordable for everyone. The FHA mortgage program has underwriting guidelines that are designed to make it easier to qualify for than conventional loans. Since the the FHA home loan is government backed and insured, is comes with low interest rates and terms that are designed to protect you.

One of the most important features of the FHA loan program is the fact it does not ask that you have a great credit score to get the best rate and maximum amount financed. In fact, HUD guidelines state that a credit score should not be used as a factor in underwriting an FHA loan. What does this mean? People with lower credit scores can use the Florida FHA mortgage program to attain 96.5% financing and a great low interest rate! Have great credit? That’s OK, you’ll still get a great low interest rate and you’ll be able to finance up to 96.5% of the purchase price or appraised value, whichever is less. Try doing that with a conventional home purchase!

So what types of properties may be purchased using an Florida FHA mortgage? Almost any – single family homes, mobile & modular homes, condominiums, town homes and more. To learn more about properties you can finance with our many Florida mortgage programs.

Serving These Fine Florida Communities:

Arcadia :: Boca Raton :: Boynton Beach :: Bradenton :: Brandon :: Cape Coral :: Clearwater :: Clewiston
Crestview :: Daytona Beach :: Deerfield Beach :: Deland :: Delray Beach :: Deltona :: Destin :: Englewood
Fort Pierce :: Ft. Lauderdale :: Ft. Myers :: Ft. Walton Beach :: Gainesville :: Hollywood :: Homosassa Springs
Jacksonville :: Key West :: Kissimmee :: Lake City :: Lakeland :: Lynn Haven :: Marathon :: Marco Island
Melbourne :: Miami :: Miami Beach :: North Fort Myers :: North Miami Beach :: Naples :: Ocala :: Okeechobee
Orlando :: Ormond Beach :: Osprey :: Palatka :: Palm Bay :: Palm Beach :: Palm Coast :: Panama City :: Pensacola
Pompano Beach :: Port St. Lucie :: Punta Gorda :: Santa Rosa :: Sarasota :: Sebastian :: Sebring :: Springhill
St. Augustine :: St. Petersburg :: Tallahassee :: Tampa :: The Villages :: Titusville :: Venice :: Vero Beach
Wauchula :: Wesley Chapel :: West Palm Beach :: Winter Park

How to select the right mortgage broker

When you are looking for a mortgage broker make sure they are qualified, most mortgage broker have gone to school and have years of training under a senior broker to ensure the know the ins and outs of the mortgage industry. The industry has a designation calls Accredited Mortgage Professional to differentiate the category of mortgage broker. If the broker you are meeting has this designation then you are in good hands to move forward. What a mortgage broker does is they have you fill out a form with your financial information and credit score and based on that information they shop for the best mortgage under the terms you are looking for. Like are you looking for a variable or fixed rate mortgage, how much of a down payment do you have. Are you self employed. The host of factors will help you mortgage broker determine which lender is best suited for your needs.

Your mortgage broker works for you and provided you have sufficient good credit you do not pay the broker out of your pocket for their services. For the broker to get a quote for you is free of charge, if you are asked for a fee upfront move on to another mortgage broker since this service is standard and free. When you do decide to take a mortgage with the broker and it is a successful transaction the mortgage broker gets compensated by the lender you choose to go with.

Our mortgage brokers have experience working in banks and other financial institutions. That is one of reasons how we can get our clients the best rate at the highest money that you can get from any banks. We are a mortgage broker in Burnaby and other lower mainland areas, including Vancouver, New Westminster and Surrey.

Total Mortgage Named One of America’s Fastest-Growing Companies: Included on The 2010 Inc. 5000 List

MILFORD, CONNECTICUT – (August 26, 2010), Total Mortgage Services, LLC, a leading mortgage lender and broker, announced today that it has been named to the 2010 Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest Growing Companies. The company was ranked as number 2,815 on the Inc. 5000′s annual list with a three year growth rate of 79 percent.

In Connecticut, Total Mortgage was ranked as the fastest growing Mortgage Originator, the 6th fastest growing financial services company, and the 48th fastest growing company overall in the state. Nationwide, Total Mortgage was ranked as one of the top 25 Residential Mortgage Originators and one of the top 150 fastest growing companies within the Financial Services category across the U.S.

“We are honored that Total Mortgage was recognized alongside some of the fastest growing and best managed companies in the United States by Inc. magazine, not only for our impressive growth, but also for our strategy and execution,” commented John Walsh, President of Total Mortgage. “In addition, these rankings clearly validate Total Mortgage’s industry leadership position, and demonstrate how our customer-centric approach offers significant value to responsible borrowers throughout the nation by combining some of the most competitive mortgage rates in the industry with great service.”

The 5,000 companies that made the list reported aggregate revenue of 1.6 billion and median three-year growth of 126 percent. Most important, the 2010 Inc. 5000 companies were engines of job growth, employing a record 1.4 million people, up from 1 million on last year’s list. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/5000.

The 2010 Inc. 5000 list measures revenue growth from 2006 through 2009. To qualify, companies must be U.S. based and privately held, independent – not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies and have had at least 0,000 in revenue in 2006, and million in 2009.

Total Mortgage was founded in 1997 with a customer-centric approach and a mission of responsible lending. The lender has always focused on working with responsible borrowers; giving them personalized service and the most competitive mortgage rates. Total Mortgage’s centralized model allows the lender to offer borrowers tangible value in both cost and time savings, while delivering one of the most efficient end-to-end lending operations that can optimize the lending value chain and mitigate risk throughout our organization.

For more information on Total Mortgage Services, please visit www.TotalMortgage.com

Get Acquainted With Bad Credit Mortgage Refinance Loans!

Mortgage refinance with bad credit is tempting but before signing any deal, one should be clear about the hidden fees. One should first consider al the charges and go thoroughly with its norms and conditions.

Is it such that your residential home is on the verge of foreclosure as you are not paying the loan repayment on time? Do you have a poor credit standing? If these two questions have positive answers then one should apply for a bad credit mortgage refinance loan. One should not delay until it’s too late. He should immediately start searching for the best option and should work on it.

In the event if a person has a bad credit rating, it’s challenging to refinance a house loan. Before a person starts for applying, it’s vital for him to identify some factors which play an essential part in deciding to get hold of such a mortgage. Aside from considering the mortgage rates, refinance conditions, closing charges etc are few things which one should consider.

Are you really in search of bad credit home refinance?

To initiate, one needs to ask himself whether he genuinely needs a home mortgage refinancing. One needs to find out the precise positive facets of getting into a refinance plan. Be honest and think assiduously whether such kind of bad credit mortgage refinance loans are helpful or not.

This calculation is very simple and straightforward. One should divide the cost of the home mortgage refinance by twelve, the number attained is a sign of how much time one needs to stay before the mortgage loan repayment completes. From this calculation one can verify whether it’s more reasonable to refinance or just abandon the house.

Discuss the situation with your current lender

It’s good and considered wise if one discusses his situation with his current lender about mortgage refinancing with bad credit. Lenders will probably able to help one in a better way with his financial needs. In addition dealing with the current lender also cuts the time in obtaining the refinance loan as one can easily gather all the paperwork which he needs and make the refinance process faster. One may not know whether his present refinance mortgage lender also has a refinance loan scheme which has far better condition compared to the new providers. Thus, discussing the problem with the present loan provider is not at all a bad idea.

What are the costs involved

Mortgage refinancing for bad credit could be tempting. But, before getting this deal, one should know about the hidden fees involved for obtaining a refinance loan. Perfect and precise calculation should be made such that after taking into consideration all the charges associated in acquiring the home refinance loan. One should note that his month to month payment should not be larger than the current mortgage loan which he is currently paying if there is no need for refinancing.

If anyone is considering taking a bad credit mortgage refinance loan, he should be first well prepared with it; this can be done by visiting the different sites available on the internet. One has to check all the terms and conditions of the particular site which he is considering.

Home Mortgage Refinance Loans- How To Avail Them At Lowest Rate?

We all are aware about the mortgage industry and it’s in and outs. The subprime mortgage disgrace, freezing of foreclosures and the homeowner’s bailout, but the fact is that the basic mortgage system is sound and integral. Whenever anyone wants to refinance his existing mortgage in order to take advantage of lower interest rate there is really no choice but one has to approach a mortgage lender to finally get a loan.

Refinance home mortgage loans has its own benefits. If all the conditions are right both with the current credit score and in the market, than by refinancing home loan one can save thousands of dollars per year in their mortgage payments. And one can easily save much more in the interest paid over the entire life of the loan. Still to make refinancing, one will find the lowest possible mortgage refinance interest rates.

Below given are the five tips on how to get mortgage loan refinance at lowest rate: Know the FICO score:

Each and every person has their personal financial history. If a person is over the age of 21, he will have a credit history with credit cards. Some of the folks are more reliable than others in making their monthly payments on time. This type of personal history of payments combined with the several other factors determines the FICO score or the credit score.

Nowadays most mortgage refinance lenders basically focus on the applicant credit score while evaluating a new application. Thus one should run his report and find his credit score whether it’s poor, excellent, good or fair. The given answer will have an effect on the rate which one qualifies.

Fix the credit problem on your report

When a person looks at his credit report, he should not just focus on the score. One should consider each line of his report and find out any glitches, mistakes or errors. One should make sure he straightened them right away so that they don’t affect the chances for getting approval at lowest rate.

Research 3 other lenders

One should initiate by researching 3 mortgage lenders other than the current lenders and ask them a quote for home mortgage refinancing loans. One should first compare the offers and find out the best possible deal.

Ask the current lender for a quote:

Before approaching any lender for refinancing home loans, one should first contact the current lender and ask him for a quote. The current lenders are more aware about the financial condition of his borrower thus he will be able to provide a better deal.

Make sure to compare the offer with every minute detail

On comparing the various mortgage refinance offers, make sure to compare the offer with every minute detail. It should also include closing cost, repayment term and interest rate. Doing this is the only valid way to compare the offers and find the best possible deal. This will help one to get the lowest possible deal.

Refinancing Home Mortgage Calculator – How To Calculate Your Home Mortgage Refinances?

During this tight economic situation with the instability of jobs and lower non-refundable incomes today, many Americans are looking for options to lower their bills from their mortgages to personal credit cards and other expenses. Mortgage refinancing might be the useful tools to reduce amount outstanding and make home affordable.

Before you refinance your mortgage it is advice able that you understand most of the In’s and Out’s process. The main goal of this website Refinanceitt.com is to get fastens up refinancing with good equitable information. There are several situations where mortgage refinancing loan can be an advantage for distressing homeowners. Refinancing home means to simply take a new mortgage loan in place of an existing one. Refinance home loan is used to lower the monthly payments and thus make it affordable. The new loan has to have more favorable conditions than the existing loan.

There are many reasons why people prefer home mortgage refinance and the below given are the main reasons for refinancing:

• In the mortgage refinance, one is able to qualify for a lower interest rate than the prior one. This is because you are having a good credit score or the interest rates are usually down to where they were first when one has taken his existing mortgages.

• People prefer refinancing if they want to cash out some amount of equity in their home, thus taking a new loan and using the obtained cash for other expenses.

• When one want to take a new loan with short or longer repayment terms. Normally, a longer repayment terms implies to lower monthly payments with high interest over the life of the loan while shorter repayment is totally opposite.

If a person wants to refinance his home loan and he is looking for a refinancing it with a home mortgage calculator than there are three types of data which he needs to prepare using a refinance calculator.

The term period of his existing loan:

To use the calculator, one needs to prepare the following data about his existing loan: balance left on the existing mortgage, current monthly payment, years left on current loan and current interest rates.

Terms of the new loan

While considering the new home mortgage refinancing loans consider preparing some information regarding the current loan: interest rate and the number of years of the new loan.

Cost of the new loan:

One of the most vital factors in how long will it take to take back the costs of the refinance is the total cost of the new loan. Key calculations like the application fee, attorney fees, title search, local fees, credit check, inspection, document preparation and title insurance will also be included.

In return the calculator will tell what one knows, which is usually how much stand to save in the monthly payments with his new loan. It will also tell the total cost of the new refinancing home loans. And finally the total number of the months required getting the cost of refinance back. One should assure to prepare the data elements before using a home refinance calculator for his calculations. The mortgage refinance calculator available at refinanceitt.com is a free and essential tool to help you practically decide what would be the exact monthly mortgage payments and help you to decide if refinancing is the right choice for you or not.

How to Get Benefit from Bad Credit Home Mortgage Refinance Loan

Having a bad credit does not imply that a person is left with no other choice than to stick with the low-grade credit product. There are ways on how one can protect his interest while getting bad credit home mortgage refinance loan. There are feasible options available if one finds it hard to repay his mortgage payment and doesn’t want to fall into default. One can avail bad credit mortgage refinance loan, by doing so one will take a new home loan to repay his existing mortgage. It’s same like transferring the current loan into a new loan with lower rates and better terms. If a person is not familiar with the bad credit refinance mortgage loan then it’s better to consult an expert for guidance. Below given are few tips which can assure one that he is getting into the process properly.

Obtaining a mortgage refinancing with bad credit can frequently represent a longer time to pay back on a high interests rates. At Refinanceitt.com we offer the most reasonable rate to refinance home with bad credit. We will lock your loan while helping you to reestablish your credit and finances to a controllable level.

Try had to find the best home mortgage refinance provider which specializes on bad credit

It’s not easy to find many lenders which are ready to offer bad credit home mortgage refinance loan. One should do a practical comparison by considering all the features like total costs, interest rates and other loan provisions. One should stick with the bad credit mortgage refinance loans which are reputable and credible in the market.

Check the current credit report to assure that it’s correct

There are few cases noted where the credit report of the borrower is inaccurate due to some human errors. A few point of difference in the credit score can make a person loose his low interest rate. Thus the credit report should be reviewed from different credit agencies and if any errors are found than should be immediately given for changes. Possessing a good credit score implies to qualify for mortgage refinance loans with low interest rates.

Negotiate for the best terms

All the terms and condition of the loan should suit the need of the borrower. The compensation given by the lenders depends on the current terms of the existing mortgage. One should hire a broker if he thinks he is not capable of better negotiations. The professionals can do the work easily and could find the best lenders for the mortgage refinancing loans.

Check the complete service which is provided by the lender

One should check the complete service which is provided by the lender, he should not choose the lender just on the lower interest rates. One should not work with the lender which treats his borrowers horribly. As a borrower, even if one possesses bad credit history then he is entitled to a respectful and kind service. This should not be compromise on any means. The company should always take care for the specific needs of the borrowers and should formulate it terms and conditions depending the on one’s financial and personal interest. All the above points should be taken care and should be followed sincerely to get the best mortgage refinance loans. One should always do his homework and find the best lender whose terms and conditions suit him.

Make a Mortgage Broker Part of your Financial Plan

For most Canadians, buying a home is the largest financial decision they will make in their lifetime. Yet, consumers across the country are more likely to painstakingly review dozens of investment possibilities for their portfolios than to scrutinize their mortgage choices. The mortgage world – like the investment world – can sometimes be confusing. There is a vast array of choices – open, closed, fixed, floating, long or short amortization, prepayment options, portability… and of course, the rate itself.

Making the right mortgage decision can have a huge financial impact over the long term. Many Canadians have an investment advisor to help them sort through their choices. Now, Canadians are also beginning to turn to mortgage brokers to help them make better mortgage decisions. Canadians are just now catching up with their counterparts south of the border, where mortgage brokers already arrange approximately 70 per cent of mortgages for U.S. properties.

So what is a mortgage broker? The role of a mortgage broker is to understand your mortgage needs, seek out the best options for your situation, and guide you through the lending process. A mortgage broker does not work for any individual institution or lender, but is independent, and has up-to-the-minute loan rates for a wide array of banks and other lending institutions.

There was a time when the banks exercised the view that they “owned” their customers, and mortgage brokers were perceived only as a last resort for home buyers with poor credit history. But times have changed, and home buyers in every bracket are learning they can benefit from the professional advice of a mortgage broker.

A good investment advisor can make you thousands of dollars. But a good mortgage broker will SAVE you thousands of dollars. Whether you are buying a home or renewing a mortgage, consider making a mortgage broker part of your financial plan this year.

Fixed or Variable-rate Mortgage?

“Wow!” you say to your spouse as you hit the brakes on the car. “Did you see the mortgage rate those guys are advertising?” Your worries are over, you’re thinking. Just lock in a rate like that for the next ten years, and you’ve got it made.

Not so fast. That rate may not be the one for you. Typically, the lowest available rate – and the one that makes the rate sign look great from the street – will be for a variable or adjustable-rate mortgage. That rate has the potential to be like a roller coaster. The posted variable or adjustable rate is the rate you’re getting today. Unless you have an economic ouija board, you won’t be able to predict what kind of ups and downs are ahead of you.

Let’s take a closer look. A lender will offer different rates for different types of mortgages. The rates are determined based on financial risk -to the institution and to you. When a customer is willing to take on the risk, he/she is rewarded with a lower rate. If the lender is taking on the risk (that is, the customer is promised a particular rate… regardless of what happens in the future), the rate is higher. The longer the term, the higher the risk for the financial institution.

So how do you decide? Fixed-rate mortgages, because they require a low risk tolerance, are usually better suited to first-time buyers or those who haven’t owned a home for a very long period. Ask yourself these questions: Do you like or need to know exactly what your payment is going to be over a longer period of time? Do you want to avoid the need to consistently watch rates? Do you have less than 25% down? If you answered “yes” to all, or most of these questions, a more conservative fixed-rate ontario mortgage could be the better choice for you.

A variable or adjustable-rate mortgage is best suited to people who have a flexible budget and can tolerate higher risk. Ask yourself these questions: Do you watch market conditions? Can you handle any sudden rate increases that could increase your payment? Do you have 25% or more equity in your home? If you answered “yes” to all, or most of these questions, a variable or adjustable-rate mortgage might best suit your needs.

Some lenders offer a special promotional rate for the first few months of a variable-rate mortgage, which you should discuss with your mortgage broker. Also discuss what your rate will be based on – prime minus 0.5% or 0.6% or on Bankers’ Acceptances (BAs) plus 1%. The latter being a new kind of adjustable-rate mortgage that has recently been introduced to the marketplace. Most variables or adjustables allow you to exercise an option to “lock in” a fixed rate at any time for the remaining portion of your mortgage term or for a longer term.

If the uncertainty of a floating rate is going to give you sleepless nights, you’re in good company. Many Canadians prefer the certainty of a fixed-rate mortgage. They know exactly how much they will pay over the term of their mortgage, and they can plan accordingly… with no financial surprises. But if rates do drop… and drop… and drop… you are committed to the “promise” that you have made. Your best option – have a mortgage broker help you decide which option best meets your needs.