Mortgage and Refinancing Information Channel:

We would like to thank the local libraries, schools, and universities for recommending students to visit us when doing research on any of our information topics.
 Please check back frequently as new topics are added and current topics are updated daily.

An Infinity Mortgage?

Here in Spain the concept of a mortgage period of 20 or 25 years is something new. The general feeling by the banks is that want their money back more quickly than banks in countries in which they are accustomed to longer periods. The borrowers are also accustomed to the idea that the guiding principle is to pay off the mortgage as quickly as possible.

First Timers

The problem for all those people starting out on the property ladder is the amount of money that has to go out each month to put the roof over one's head. At least this is true for the early years, but not necessarily as the4 years go by, since the advent of inflation. Cases that we studied showed e.g a couple, whose monthly income was £400, having to pay £150 per month in mortgage payment. Although the interest fluctuations since then have meant varying payments, as a percentage of their current monthly income of £2,000 per month, the mortgage does not now seem so horrendous.

Varying interest rates

The mistake made by many lenders in boom times is to conveniently forget the possible variation in interest rates during the early years. While a doubling of the payment in the case mentioned above would not be a disaster now, had it occurred during the early years it could have lead to foreclosure, and them losing their dream home. In our study we found various examples of interest rates going from 3% to 16% in very short periods of time. Maybe the lenders should have insisted on doing the relevant calculations, assuming a high rate, to check if the borrowers could afford the payment during the first few years in the event of this occurring. Asking the potential borrower would not necessarily have produced a sensible result, as many that we spoke to said, "It's OK, we'll manage somehow." Unfortunately, for thousands of borrowers, this turned out not to be the case. One case showed an initial payment of £269 per month, on an income of £800 per month, which ballooned to £690 per month on an income of £900 per month, with devastating consequences.

How long a repayment period ?

Many years ago, a borrower, my father, tried to convince lenders of the idea of a much longer repayment period. In fact so long that he gave the idea the name, infinity mortgage. The idea was to pay the interest, at whatever the actual rate would be, but not to repay the capital. Naturally in the staid world of banking this fell on deaf ears, and several so called bankers laughed at the idea. Eventually he was able to persuade an institution to go ahead with his proposal, and he purchased a house. He is now nearing retirement and still has not paid off the mortgage, and continues to pay the interest. He is happy with the idea that, when we inherit the house, we will have to pay off the capital, and so are we.

The current position ?

The house is now valued at £280,000. My father's income is £5,300 per month. And the mortgage payment ? The last time we spoke of the matter it was the mighty sum of £7.92 per month. The capital to be repaid ? The not insignificant amount of £1,900.

Whether your local currency is pounds sterling, euros or dollars, the principle is still the same. While the motivation at the time, as a penniless masters student, was to keep every payment down to a minimum, the capital repayment would not exactly have broken the bank once a few years had gone by. When he reached the point of what would have been the normal repayment period, and received advice from all and sundry that perhaps he might slip into the bank with a bit of loose change, and pay off the capital, he declined. He rather liked the idea of his infinity mortgage being just that, or at least being with him until his death. In that he will succeed, you know what some of these old folk are like.

© Jenny Barclay

About The Author

Jenny Barclay majored in math and economics, and obtained a masters in viability of banking institutions. She is currently studying Spanish in Andalucia, Spain.

This article may be reproduced on websites subject to credit being given to the author, and a link to her website.

http://www.regent-estates-group.com

MORE RESOURCES

used office furnishings-supplies-equipment-desks-cubicles-service-counters for sale in Akron Ohio   Die cast model cars for sale in Akron Ohio  
used cars for sale in Akron Ohio   unfurnished homes for rent in Akron Ohio

RELATED MORTGAGE AND REFINANCING ARTICLES: Home Mortgages: Should You Apply Now? If you're thinking about applying for a new mortgage or refinancing your current mortgage, you might want to take action now. In its survey this week (the week of Aug. Guide to Home Equity Loans Here is a useful guide to home equity loans. A home equity loan is quite simply a loan against your house. Bad Credit Refinance Loans - Finding a Good Lender Finding a good lender to help you with refinancing your home loan can be tricky if you have bad credit. There are plenty of predatory lenders out there who would like to take advantage of you with excessively high interest rates and fees. Reverse Mortgage Providing Peace of Mind Without Sacrificing Safety or Security For many seniors one of their greatest sources of security is their home. It not only provides a comfortable and familiar environment, but it provides a sense of independence and a source of many fond memories. What is a Repayment Mortgage? A repayment mortgage is the type of mortgage that most people think about. The idea behind a repayment mortgage is that you pay monthly for a set period and each payment consists of an element of capital and interest. Home Equity Loans - How To Use Your Homes Equity to Consolidate Debt If you've got a wallet full of credit cards, and monthly payments on them that total more than 25% of your monthly income, chances are that you've considered debt consolidation loans or some other means of taming your credit card debt. But did you know that a home equity loan is another way to get the money that you need to pay off your creditors, reduce your monthly payments, and get out from under the weight of all those monthly payments? A home equity loan is essentially a second mortgage taken out with your house as the collateral. What to Really Expect for Closing Costs Closing on a property is a very challenging time for a would-be homeowner. Being informed, either through your mortgage broker, your real estate agent, or through self knowledge is the best thing you can be when going through this procedure. Consolidate Your Debt With a Home Equity Loan and Improve Your Credit Score A home equity loan is a loan based on the difference between what your current home value is and what you currently owe on your house. There are also mortgage companies that will loan a little over the equity you have in your home. Home Equity Line of Credit or Second Mortgage Loan Online - Things To Do With Your Homes Equity If you are wanting to get a home equity loan, rates are still low enough that you may want to make use of that equity in your home. Do you need some ideas on what you could do to multiply your equity or make some extra money off of the capital that could be available to you? Here are some suggestions of ways to put the equity to good use when you go to take out a home equity or cash out refinance loan. Home Mortgage Loan Refinancing Online - 3 Tips on Refinancing Your Home When refinancing your home, it's helpful to know a few things about refinancing. When you refinance, you usually pay off the old loan and sign for a new loan, whether you are refinancing your 1st mortgage, second mortgage or home equity loan. A Guide to Direct Homeowner Loans Are you considering applying for direct homeowner loans? Perhaps you're simply wanting more information on direct homeowner loans so that you'll be able to make an informed decision? Direct homeowner loans can be very useful for a wide variety of purposes ranging from purchasing new vehicles to consolidating old debts, but as with all loans should be researched and carefully considered before any final decisions are made. How direct homeowner loans work. Direct homeowner loans are based upon the equity that you have in your home? equity, of course, being the percentage of your home's value that is free from any mortgage or loan. 6 Things to Consider Before Refinancing Perhaps you're a homeowner in need of some quick cash.Maybe you want to consolidate your debts so you have better control of your money. Home Mortgages: Up, Up and Away! Refinance NOW-before it's too late. If you haven't found the time to refinance your existing home mortgage, it's time to take action-like yesterday! Every time Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve Board Chairman, opens his mouth, you can bet that the federal funds rates will rise by at least a quarter of a point, or by 25 basis points in investorese. What that means to you is that home mortgages will rocket as well. Non-conforming Home Loans vs. Conforming Loans The simple definition of a "non-conforming home loan" is: You have a job and can make the payments. Your credit is used only to determine your interest rate and the loan amount to value of the home ratio. Home Equity Loan - Beware of Equity Stripping Scam The market for mortgage refinancing has been brisk during the last few years. The boom in business can be attributed to interest rates that have been at or near historic lows, and to lenders who have more money to lend now that they aren't investing in risky tech stocks anymore. Home Loans and Mortgages - The Myth of Tax Deductible Interest Home ownership has risen sharply in recent years, and the percentage of Americans who own their own homes is approaching a record seventy percent. That's a good thing; we'd all rather live in our own home than consider the alternatives. A Home Equity Loan - What You Should Know? Asking yourself, "Is a home equity loan right for me?" is the first and most important step to take. Home equity loans have become so popular today because of increasing home values. What Your Mortgage Lender Is Not Telling You About Accelerated Mortgages For years, mainstream banks and financial advisors have been recommending that you pay extra cash into your mortgage account in order to cut down the huge interest amount and reduce the period over which you pay back the loan. For example, if you borrow $200,000 over 30 years at a rate of 5%, your monthly repayments would be around $1074. How To Tap In To Your Home Equity With today's relatively low interest rates and climbing property values, many consumers are considering taping into their home equity to finance everything from home improvement projects to debt consolidation. Secured home loans, also called home equity loans, are loans backed by the borrower's equity in their property. What is a Tracker Mortgage? A tracker mortgage 'tracks' the Bank of England base rate, meaning your mortgage stays in line with interest rates and the market in general. The result on your monthly mortgage interest payments is that they go up when the base rate goes up and go down when the base rate goes down.

HOME | SITE MAP © 2012 - 2023 All Rights Reserved Increase pagerank with HitsSurfer