How a Bad Credit Mortgage Works

Whether you're in the market to purchase your first home, or simply refinancing your existing home loan, bad credit can cause some troubling headaches throughout the entire lending process. Have no fear, for modern day brings with it sub-prime lenders that specialize in bad credit mortgages, assisting those who suffer from a blemish or two on their credit reports, a bankruptcy, foreclosure, auto repossession, or anything else that could easily hinder a conventional loan from a traditional lender.

One key factor in bad credit mortgages is the down payment you provide or the amount of equity you have in your home. This is referred to as the LTV or Loan to Value ratio- how much your home is worth compared to the amount financed. The lower the ratio (loan amount), the lower your interest rate, fees and monthly payment will be. The higher the loan amount, the higher your interest rate, fees and monthly payment will be. This is because you are considered a risk, so a large loan will cost you more than the average consumer.

PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance) is another factor in a bad credit mortgage, especially for those who have a higher LTV (as explained above). This insurance differs from your hazard insurance, as that's bought from an insurance agent to protect your assets in case of fire, break in, etc. PMI protects the investors in your home incase you default on your loan payments and the house is sold at auction. PMI will cover any gap between what the home resold for and your mortgage balance, therefore protecting the investors.

Sometimes, in order to get you a lower rate on your mortgage, a sub-prime lender may offer you a "points" option. Points are typically equal to 1% of your financed amount, and are considered "prepayments of interest" that will reduce your interest rate. Sub-prime lenders may charge you upwards of 5 points or more to get you into a better loan program. More often than not, you can roll the points (and the closing costs) right into your home loan so you don't have to bring money to the closing.

Typical mortgage rates can be as much as 3% higher for borrowers with bad credit than those with sparkling credit for obvious reasons, so you shouldn't get too shaken up about the rates and fees. A bad credit mortgage should be considered a "temporary fix" to allow you to get caught up on some bills while ironing out your credit. You've worked hard for your house; it's more than just walls, a floor, a roof and some furniture- it's your home! Allowing it to work for you simply proves the valuable resource that homeownership is.

John Cassidy recommends 123 Mortgages for information about bad credit mortgages.

What the Bank Won't Tell You About Mortgage Refinancing

So you have a mortgage, and you need to refinance to get your interest rates low. Most people simply walk into their bank, ask to refinance, and then end up paying more money long term than they would have otherwise. Some banks would like everyone who is refinancing to remain ignorant, but I am here to tell you what banks don't want you to know. Refinancing can be very beneficial, but one has to understand the terms of the deal, and be very careful when choosing a bank.

One mistake many people make is going to the bank and deciding to refinance before actually looking at the home loan. Some think that their interest rates are too high, and they have too many debts, so refinancing is the only option. Be sure to look at the numbers, and then go over those exact same numbers with your financial advisor. After discussing it, you can then decide to refinance. It is always a good idea, even after you go over the numbers, to ask your bank, "Do I need to refinance?" They cannot lie to you, but they can withhold information. Banks do not want you to understand that fact. Asking questions is one of the best things you can do. Banks love to let customers make bad decisions. As a financial advisor, banks are obligated to tell you the best possible course of action, but not required. Unfortunately, some banks simply want profit, and so the customer's financial situation is not of the utmost importance.

It is up to you then to be informed about all aspects of your financial situation before you walk into the bank. It is advisable to know just as much, if not more than the bank does. Banks take advantage of the uninformed. Some want their customers to be uninformed, because the uninformed individual poses no threat and can be manipulated easily. An uninformed person may accept the banks offer simply because the interest rates are lower. However, some banks try to give lower interest rates for refinancing, but let the consumer end up paying more over the lifetime of the loan. Additionally, banks can expose you, as a borrower, to greater risks than you had with your previous mortgage with a higher risk loan.

Along with understanding your own financial situation, understand the terms being offered by the bank. The bank does not want you to "read the fine print" because you might find something that you don't like, and they would have to change it, or get a new customer. All aspects of the new loan have to be made available to you. Again, all the information about your loan is made available. You, as the customer, just have to seek it. Most customers simply look over the terms of a new loan briefly, merely focusing on the interest rate. They then sign on the dotted line. Simply "skimming" the terms of a loan is never a good idea. Banks won't tell you, but it is always a good idea to understand the loan more intricately than even the bank itself.

Refinancing a mortgage is a large financial commitment. It is important to be as informed as possible on all aspects of your own finances and the deal offered in the loan. Banks do not what you to know that they are required to provide all the information to you. Also, as your financial advisor, they are obligated to offer information, but not required. However, when asked directly, if they lie to you, they can be in a whole world of trouble. Knowledge is the single most important thing to have when refinancing. If you know what to watch out for when refinancing, and what banks have to tell you, then you will have the upper hand. Having the upper hand will allow you to refinance your mortgage in a way that is best for you financially.

Paul Ashter writes about personal finance, and specializes in information concerning mortgage refinancing.

The Right Time for Mortgage Refinancing

If interest rates have dropped by a percentage point or more since you got your first mortgage, refinancing could save you big bucks. And if you have enough equity so that your new mortgage is for less than 80% of your home's value, you'll be able to stop paying Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI), which will save you even more.

Mortgage refinancing could also result in lower monthly payments, depending on factors such as:
▪ If any 'points' are paid to lower the interest rate on the new mortgage
▪ how much cash is taken out at the time of refinancing
▪ the duration of the new mortgage
▪ whether the new mortgage is a fixed-rate, adjustable-rate or variable-rate loan

"A vast majority of people close their loans, make their payments and don't worry about it again," says Bob Cannon of BancMortgage Financial Corp. "They don't refinance when they should be looking at it."

Even if you have bad credit and have to pay somewhat higher interest rates, mortgage refinancing will still cost less than other forms of borrowing because the loan is secured by your home. And if you use the money wisely, you can get out of credit trouble and raise your FICO score. This will qualify you for better rates in the future.

Your FICO score is computed and tracked by the three major credit bureaus: Trans Union, Equifax and Experian. Your score is updated quarterly and is negatively affected by such things as: late or missed loan payments, filing for bankruptcy, having too much debt compared to your income, and credit card balances being too close to their limits.

Fixing Bad Credit
If you are a homeowner, mortgage refinancing can go a long way toward improving your financial situation. Here are a few other positive steps you can take to speed up the process:

Credit card discipline - Reduce the number of cards in your wallet or purse to one. Take it out only when necessary and pay it off each month.

Credit union membership - If you aren't already a member, join a credit union. They're a good source of loans for purchases like a car or a home.

Automatic savings - Have your bank automatically deposit a set amount from your paycheck into your savings account or retirement plan.

Avoid credit repair scams - There's nothing a credit repair company can do that you can't do yourself with a little research and effort.

Many of the homes on your block have probably been refinanced in the last few years. Now it's your turn. For more information on bad credit mortgage refinancing and a quote based on today's best rates, visit
www. badcreditmortgagerefinancingnow.com.

Mike Hamel is the author of several books and the Senior Writer for AIM Techs, an Internet marketing company that specializes in advanced SEM techniques and developing sites like http://www.EasySecondMortgages.com.

Mortgage Police. Funny!

You got to watch this. Really funny :-)

Debt Consolidation with Mortgage Refinance

One of the best ways to obtain debt relief is by consolidating your debts with a mortgage refinance. In debt management, refinancing refers expressly to a new loan or mortgage in order to pay off the existing one. Refinanced mortgage is a form of debt help for the borrower, who will be able to pay down the old mortgage with the money of a new loan.

The benefit of mortgage refinance is based in not only debt consolidation of other debt, but in getting a lower interest rate, lower pay off, and taking cash out of the home equity. Although every borrower may have their particular reason for applying for a new loan, all of them share the desire for debt relief by reducing their mortgages' interests' rates and liquidating cash from their home equity when possible.

Debt management intended for debt consolidation may be applied on a different basis of the original debt or you can apply for a secured loan intended to replace an existing loan, which is also secured by the same assets. Debt advice on home mortgage can easily be obtained through the lender, financial institutions and Government Consumer Protection Offices.

Because the ultimate goal of debt consolidation is to pay off your debt with mortgage refinancing, careful research needs to be done in order to obtain the lowest rate loan is strongly suggested. Because secure loans and mortgages are backed up by collateral property or a guarantee for any other sort of asset, lowering the rates means more savings and debt relief.

Secured loans as opposed to standard loans used for debt consolidation. Debt management for refinancing your mortgage lets you cash out your equity to be applied for debt consolidation purposes, allowing you to qualify for lower rates than a home equity loan, because having a single mortgage is considered less risky by lenders than having two loans.

Heading out for debt relief, do not forget to pay attention to overall rates on mortgage refinance, because people who are seeking debt help by refinancing may be paying higher rates than those generated by their low rate mortgage making it a useless effort when trying to consolidate their debts.

When in doubt, ask. There is no one better than a financial advisor to find answers to your enquiries. Discuss the pros and cons of your current mortgage, and compare the actual interest rates you are paying off in comparison to those resulting from your new debt management perspective, considering collateral involved in the debt and possible future risks.

Genuine debt help comes when you weigh the pros and cons of debt consolidation. Obtaining a mortgage refinance may be the best option for debt relief, remembering that you will have to follow a similar process like the first time application so make sure to keep a good credit history before you apply.

Natalie Aranda is a freelance writer. She contributes to Ecommerce Guide and Gift Ideas for Wedding and Valentines.

The Online Mortgage Calculator Top Ten

An online mortgage calculator top ten can solve the sometimes tricky financial aspect of purchasing and owning a home. Fortunately, you can take the confusion in hand and make sense of it by using resources like an online mortgage calculator. Regardless of the what type of information you are seeking, chances are you can find it in these ten assortments of mortgage calculators.

For example, one of the first calculators available in an online mortgage calculator top ten assortment is the monthly mortgage payment calculator. This calculator will help you to determine the amount of your monthly mortgage payment before you buy a home.

The additional mortgage payment calculator will provide information to help you understand how much money you can save by making additional payments on your mortgage.

Not sure how much money you have to make to afford the house of your dreams? Check out one of the most popular calculators in the online mortgage calculator top ten assortment. This calculator will tell you how much you need to earn in order to afford that home you've been eyeing.

Is it possible that you already have too much debt and won't be able to afford the home you want? There's a qualification calculator in the top ten assortments that can help you discover the answer by calculating your monthly debt obligations in comparison to your gross annual income and the specifics of your prospective mortgage loan.

In an alternate version of this same calculator, you can also find out exactly how much house you can afford if you already know how much you can afford to spend per month on a mortgage note. This affordability mortgage calculator tallies the total according to the 28/26 rule; which most lenders use to determine whether they will approve a loan or not.

Basically, the 28/36 rule says that you can spend no more than 28% of your gross monthly income on housing expenses and no more than 36% of your gross monthly income on all recurring debt obligations plus housing expenses.

Many homeowners struggle with making the decision of whether they should pay discount points in order to obtain a lower interest rate or not. One of the mortgage calculators in the top ten assortments can help to make that decision a little easier by comparing an interest rate with discount points to an original interest rate.

Refinancing a home can be a good way to obtain funds to pay for a variety of expenses including remodeling as well as college tuition or to take advantage of lower interest rates. The problem for many homeowners; however is in trying to figure out how long it will take them to recoup the cost of refinancing their home loan. This is because you must take into consideration the loan origination fees when you refinance. A refinance mortgage calculator is in the online mortgage calculator top ten assortment can help you to do just that.

One of the biggest advantages of home ownership is being able to deduct all that interest on your taxes. Just how much can you save in taxes? Find out with a special mortgage tax savings calculator available through the mortgage calculator top ten.

Finally, by taking advantage of one of the mortgage calculators available in this assortment you can also discover whether it's feasible for you to actually pay off your home loan early by using a bi-weekly payment technique. This bi-weekly mortgage calculator will tell you how much time and money you'll save.

In addition to these calculators, you can also take advantage of many others that can help you answer a variety of questions, such as the following:

• How much do you save by paying a little more on your mortgage loan every month?
  
• How much can you save every month when you buy a home instead of rent?
  
• How much money can you save if you use an interest only payment plan?

This wide variety of online mortgage calculator top ten tools can not only help you sort through the confusion of finances when it comes to purchasing and owning a home, but it will also help you to get your budget on track.

You can find much more about using all these mortgage calculators by visiting http://www.mortgage-calculator-tips.com.

Learn the right way to use a mortgage calculator to secure the best mortgage. Mortgage Calculator Tips site can be reached at Mortgage Calculator Tips Website