Homebuyers and homeowners need to decide which home Mortgage loan is right for them. Then, the next step in getting a mortgage loan is to submit an application ( Uniform Residential Loan Application ). Although we try to make the loan simple and easy for you, getting a mortgage loan is not an insignificant process.Below is a short synopsis of some loan types that are currently available.CONVENTIONAL OR CONFORMING MORTGAGE Loans are the most common types of mortgages. These include a fixed rate mortgage loan which is the most commonly sought of the various loan programs. If your mortgage loan is conforming, you will likely have an easier time finding a lender than if the loan is non-conforming. For conforming mortgage loans, it does not matter whether the mortgage loan is an adjustable rate mortgage or a fixed-rate loan. We find that more borrowers are choosing fixed mortgage rate than other loan products.Conventional mortgage loans come with several lives. The most common life or term of a
mortgage loan is 30 years. The one major benefit of a 30 year home mortgage loan is that one pays lower monthly payments over its life. 30 year mortgage loans are available for Conventional, Jumbo, FHA and VA Loans. A 15 year mortgage loan is usually the least expensive way to go, but only for those who can afford the larger monthly payments. 15 year mortgage loans are available for Conventional, Jumbo, FHA and VA Loans. Remember that you will pay more interest on a 30 year loan, but your monthly payments are lower. For 15 year mortgage loans your monthly payments are higher, but you pay more principal and less interest. New 40 year mortgage loans are available and are some of the the newest programs used to finance a residential purchase. 40 year mortgage loans are available in both Conventional and Jumbo. If you are a 40 year mortgage borrower, you can expect to pay more interest over the life of the loan.A Fixed Rate Mortgage Loan is a type of loan where the interest rate remains fixed
over life of the loan. Whereas a Variable Rate Mortgage will fluctuate over the life
of the loan. More specifically the Adjustable-Rate Mortgage loan is a loan that has a
fluctuating interest rate. First time homebuyers may take a risk on a variable rate for qualification purposes, but this should be refinanced to a fixed rate as soon as possible.A Balloon Mortgage loan is a short-term loan that contains some risk for the borrower. Balloon mortgages can help you get into a mortgage loan, but again should be financed into a more reliable or stable payment product as soon as financially feasible. The Balloon Mortgage should be well thought out with a plan in place when getting this product. For example, you may plan on being in the home for only three years.Despite the bad rap Sub-Prime Mortgage loans are getting as of late, the market for this kind of mortgage loan is still active, viable and necessary. Subprime loans will be here for the duration, but because they are not government backed, stricter approval requirements will most likely occur.Refinance Mortgage loans are popular and can help to increase your monthly disposable income. But more importantly, you should refinance only when you are looking to lower the interest rate of your mortgage. The loan process for refinancing your mortgage loan is easier and faster then when you received the first loan to purchase your home. Because closing costs and points are collected each and every time a mortgage loan is closed, it is generally not a good idea to refinance often. Wait, but stay regularly informed on the interest rates and when they are attractive enough, do it and act fast to lock the rate.A Fixed Rate Second Mortgage loan is perfect for those financial moments such as home improvements, college tuition, or other large expenses. A Second Mortgage loan is a mortgage granted only when there is a first mortgage registered against the property. This Second Mortgage loan is one that is secured by the equity in your home. Typically, you can expect the interest rate on the second mortgage loan to be higher than the interest rate of the first loan.An Interest Only Mortgage loan is not the right choice for everyone, but it can be very effective choice for some individuals. This is yet another loan that must be thought out carefully. Consider the amount of time that you will be in the home. You take a calculated risk that property values will increase by the time you sell and this is your monies or capital gain for your next home purchase. If plans change and you end up staying in the home longer, consider a strategy that includes a new mortgage. Again pay attention to the rates.A Reverse mortgage loan is designed for people that are 62 years of age or older and already have a mortgage. The reverse mortgage loan is based mostly on the equity in the home. This loan type provides you a monthly income, but you are reducing your equity ownership. This is a very attractive loan product and should be seriously considered by all who qualify. It can make the twilight years more manageable.The easiest way to qualify for a Poor Credit Mortgage loan or Bad Credit Mortgage loan is to fill out a two minute loan application. By far the easiest way to qualify for any home mortgage loan is by establishing a good credit history. Another loan vehicle available is a Bad Credit Re-Mortgage loan product and basically it’s for refinancing your current loan.Another factor when considering applying for a mortgage loan is the rate lock-in. We discuss this at length in our mortgage loan primer. Remember that getting the right mortgage loan is getting the keys to your new home. It can sometimes be difficult to determine which mortgage loan is applicable to you. How do you know which mortgage loan is right for you? In short, when considering what mortgage loan is right for you, your personal financial situation needs to be considered in full detail. Complete that first step, fill out an application, and you are on your way!

Student Loans are a bit overwhelming at first. Especially when you’ve just graduated high school and you have so much other stuff on your plate.I remember when I graduated high school, the only thing I wanted to know was “What will it take for me to get a college degree”. Whatever it was, I was prepared to do it. So I applied for financial assistance using FAFSA (the letters stand for Free Application for Federal Assistance in case you were wondering). Then once I actually got to college, I was ushered into a room and made to sign all this paperwork with the underlining idea being: Unless you’re going to pay your tuition cash or through some scholarship fund, you need to sign these student loan documents. I ended up signing and practically forgot about my student loans until I graduated. Then I got the bill…. OH BOY!I believe everyone should know something about student loans before signing your life away… I mean the loan documents. Not to say that student loans are BAD per say, just that an informed person is more prepared to deal with something than someone who doesn’t know their hands from their feet.So let’s get into it!What kind of Student Loans are there?The first one we’ll discuss is: The Direct Stafford LoanThe money being borrowed from this loan comes directly from your good ol’ Uncle Sam. Yes, Uncle Sam cares about you too! Direct Stafford Loans are “low-interest loans for eligible students to help cover the cost of higher education at a four-year college or university, community college, or trade, career, or technical school.” I’m sure you’re asking what the requirement is to receive the Direct Stafford Loan and as with all complicated questions, the answer is, IT DEPENDS.There’s two types of Stafford Student LoansThere’s the Subsidized Stafford Loan and then there’s the Unsubsidized Stafford Loan.With the Subsidized Stafford Loan, you are not charged interest as long as you’re enrolled into school at least half-time and during grace periods and deferment periods. The Federal Government actually pays the interest for you while you’re still in school. So the loan value is actually the same amount you really borrowed. Sounds great right? Well there’s a catch. The catch is that this loan is dependent on the financial needs of the student. This loan isn’t available to everyone, its availability actually dependent on what tax bracket you and your parents fall into. Another catch is that your school actually determines how much you can barrow.The second type of Stafford Loan is Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. This type of loan is geared toward those who are qualified for Subsidized Stafford Loans, but need a little more money to pay their tuition as well as those that aren’t qualified for Subsidized Stafford Loans but still need money to pay their tuition. Just about every household is eligible for Unsubsidized Stafford Loans.How is that possible? Well for Unsubsidized Stafford Loans interest begins accumulating from the first time money is paid out. So the very first semester that your Unsubsidized Stafford Loan is applied to is also the beginning of interest accumulation on your loan. What that also means is the longer you decide to stay in college, the more interest will accumulate on your loan.What a great way to motivate you to complete your degree in 4 years right? Well, not really, but it’s definitely worth keeping in mind. However, as a word of advice, you should try paying at least your accumulated interest while your still in school to avoid blowing up your loan even further. By doing so, you could get the same benefit that Subsidized Stafford Loans give by only being responsible for the amount of your loan by the time you graduate. If you decide not to pay anything towards your loan while still in school, you’ll end up with a hefty bill by the time you graduate since your accumulated interest ends up accumulating its own interest as well.Another important point about Unsubsidized Stafford Loans is that, like Subsidized Stafford Loans, your school decides on the amount you receive. The Unsubsidized Stafford Loan isn’t quite the blank check you wished for, but it does help take care of those semesters at more expensive schools.How much money can you barrow with the Stafford Student Loan?Well as I mentioned above, ultimately your school decides that, but they also have to work within the limits set by the loan. The maximum amounts your school could allow you to barrow are listed below:Dependent Undergraduate Student (except students whose parents are unable to obtain PLUS Loans)First Year: $5,500- No more than $3,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.Second Year: $6,500- No more than $4,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.Third Year: $7,500- No more than $5,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.Maximum Total Debt from Stafford Loans When You Graduate* (aggregate loan limits): $31,000-No more than $23,000 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.Independent Undergraduate Student (and dependent students whose parents are unable to obtain PLUS Loans)First Year: $9,500-No more than $3,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.Second Year: $10,500-No more than $4,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.Third Year: $12,500-No more than $5,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.Maximum Total Debt from Stafford Loans When You Graduate* (aggregate loan limits): $57,500-No more than $23,000 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.Graduate and Professional Degree StudentFirst, Second, and Third Years: $20,500-No more than $8,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.Maximum Total Debt from Stafford Loans When You Graduate* (aggregate loan limits): $138,500-No more than $65,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans. The graduate debt limit includes Stafford Loans received for undergraduate study.* You can spend more than 4 years in college but the maximum total amount you barrow from the Stafford Loan cannot exceed the limit above.Here’s an interesting fact: Outstanding Student Loan Debt in the USA is about $850 Billion and growing while consumers owe about $828 billion in revolving credit, including credit card debt.