Posts Tagged ‘Mortgage loans’

Interest Only Mortgages

Saturday, January 10th, 2009

Well, let’s examine this information, one piece at a time. The first piece to examine is the basis for the desired interest only mortgage product. What type of investor is looking for the interest only mortgage? Many of your real estate investors are business people, looking for a way to maximize their profit, while minimizing their capital investment.

It is for these investors that the interest only mortgage options should be used. The borrowers are business people, with business plans, and enough knowledge about the workings of commercial and mortgage loans, to understand a good investment from a bad one. The commercial mortgage industry is a huge market and the interest only mortgage product serves this market segment well.

Today, however, we live in a society that encourages instant gratification, and the concept of me, me, and me. In this society of self, this new player has emerged, the interest only mortgage, and he’s a big hit with those self-gratifiers. The interest only mortgage allows a buyer to purchase more for less. More house for less money is the concept being used to sell this interest only product to the average consumer, and I don’t think impulse buying is a good thing when it comes to your mortgage. An interest only mortgage cannot serve a good purpose, except for the right consumers under the right circumstances. Those circumstances are few, and the average consumer doesn’t fit into the category most of the time.

The interest only mortgage is not a risky move, if you’re business oriented, with a business purpose, beyond that of living above your financial means.

I still am not an advocate of the interest only mortgage, but for some situations they are the best option. In a business setting, when many factors have been thoroughly discussed, and the interest only option has proven itself to be the best choice, I think the interest only mortgage should be used. But this option should remain as the knowledge of many other financial options among the masses, virtually unknown.

A tool being used by many commercial lenders to offset the risk involved with the commercial interest only mortgages is known as LIBOR. The LIBOR has traditionally affected more of the commercial market than the private sector. As the private market moves into a bigger risk sector than ever before, the LIBOR will loom as a larger figure in the ratio used to determine the interest to risk factor that your local banker, mortgage company, or finance company will assume. The interest only mortgage option is a bit riskier than the traditional mortgage products, in that it requires little or no down payment, and over the course of the mortgage, the interest is the only initial monies collected. That means at the end of the term, say 5 years for most, the buyer still owes the same amount of principal. This is where LIBOR begins to play a bigger picture. Commercial loans, primarily an investment tool, have traditionally been considered the bigger risk, since these loans weren’t providing housing for the borrower. These new age borrowers aren’t really that committed to these homes, either. Most are using the interest only option as an economical and inexpensive way to fund their ability to turn a profit with little or no investment. Each option means a bigger risk for the lender; and LIBOR helps to set risk percentages and provide stable financing options for the lender.

The commercial interest only LIBOR mortgages are for commercial borrowers. These borrowers are investing in residential unit complexes. In other words, they’re borrowing to buy apartment complexes, not individual homes; nonetheless, they too are being offered the interest only options and the interest rate for these commercial interest mortgages is set by the LIBOR rate plus a certain percentage above.

It is for these commercial investors that the interest only loan options should be used. The borrowers are business people, with business plans, and enough knowledge about the workings of commercial mortgage loans, to understand a good investment versus an impossible dream.

Interest Only Mortgages for the Wealthy Investor

Friday, January 9th, 2009

It is for these types of investors that the interest only mortgage options should be used. The borrowers are business people, with business plans, and enough knowledge about the workings of commercial and mortgage loans, to understand a good investment from a bad. The commercial mortgage industry is a huge market, and since most of the monies borrowed exceed the $100,000.00 amount, the international bank rates, or LIBOR, are used for determining the commercial mortgage rates.

Wealthy investor usually means successful investor. These investors are very educated in the investment process, be it real estate or stocks, they understand the risks they’re taking, and how to maximize the risk for the profit. The real estate investor and the interest only mortgage are a perfect pairing. The real estate investor looking to retain an investment for short term can really benefit from the lowered capital investment of the principal payment. Especially in a situation where the investor is improving the property and the value is certain to increase.

Many of the consumers, who are being offered these interest only loans, are not business people; they’re not wealthy investors looking for a way to invest excess capital. They’re simply consumers looking for a place to live.

The investor normally has an investment analyst at his or her disposal, with tools and resources that can determine a good investment, the risk involved, and measure it against the amount of risk the investor is willing to take. All these factors go into determining if an investment is a buy or sell. This particular borrower fully understands the risks involved in an interest only mortgage, and has spent the time needed to determine if the product is right for his investment needs. The real estate investor is a business person, not a consumer borrowing to pay for a place to live.

When you compare this with the consumer buy or sell, you’re not even comparing apples to apples.
Some investment opportunities for the wealth-building investor will at some point require an additional amount of monies to turn the investment into a profitable situation; do you suppose the average consumer has another ten or fifteen thousand dollars at their disposal, in case the interest only option should become a problem, or they’re home should need unexpected repairs, in order to remain at the purchase value? Most likely, the answer here would be no.

The short-term real estate investor or developer wants to keep his or her expenditures at a minimum during this investment period, saving as much of the expendable cash as possible for the actual renovation or preparation for sale of the property itself.

The less money spent on mortgage payments, or in the investor’s eyes, investment expense, the more money there is to actively and aggressively pursue potential buyers and increase the value of the property. This is good business, and good business is based on sound business decisions.

It is here that every consumer needs to stop and reevaluate their borrowing situation against that of the investor. The wealth-building investor is a business person. Their livelihood depends on their knowledge of the product they market, in this case real estate. Normally, a business person is not going to take a risk with their personal investments; not like the risks they will take with a business investment. Why? Because the home they share with their family is much more important than a business deal, most are not willing to risk losing their home.

I still am not an advocate of the interest only mortgages, but for some situations they are the best option. In a business setting, when many factors have been thoroughly discussed, and the interest only option has proven itself to be the best choice, I think the interest only mortgage should be used. But this option should remain as the knowledge of LIBOR is among the masses, virtually unknown.

Home of Your Dreams

Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008

Ever wonder about owning your own home? If you’re like millions of Americans, the dream is a real possibility. Thanks in part to the government, and their foresight in establishing the Fannie Mae Corporation. Until recently, Fannie Mae was a part of the US Government, and was overseen by the Housing and Urban Development branch of that government. Now, however, Fannie Mae is a privately held, stock ownership company that promotes the growth of the housing industry by making it possible for many low-to-middle income Americans to own homes.

How did all this come about, and what does it mean to the mortgage industry? Let’s take just a moment to explore Fannie Mae’s history, mission, and place in the current mortgage industry.

In 1938, Fannie Mae was established by the US Government to promote the growth of home ownership by providing a secondary mortgage market. What is a secondary mortgage market? Well, the secondary mortgage market exists in the buying and selling of a mortgage from one lender to another. The bank, or Mortgage Company that provided you with your loan, can turn around and seek to sell your mortgage to a company such as Fannie Mae. This frees up their cash to make another mortgage loan. And the cycle of growth is expanded and sustained in this manner. The idea and concept worked, and today, Fannie Mae has helped millions of Americans achieve the dream of home ownership.

In 1968, just thirty years later, Fannie Mae became a private company operating with private capital. She had outgrown her need for federal funding and supervision. The housing industry has continued to grow, and currently the entire mortgage market is experiencing phenomenal success.

Thanks also to the available technology, Fannie Mae helps today’s lenders approve customers in less than 24 hours. Many lenders use the automated system provided by Fannie Mae to seek and get approval for borrowers much faster than anything available, even 10 years ago. Fannie Mae Corporation has done a fantastic job of promoting the growth of housing among the low-to-middle income Americans for the last 10 years, and thanks to those efforts, more American own homes now, than in any other period in history. That’s quite an accomplishment, by a company that never directly lends money to the consumer.

Fannie Mae deals only in the secondary mortgage market, this way Fannie Mae Corporation can ensure that money for mortgages is available throughout the 50 states and that as many homeowners as possible can take advantage of home ownership.

How does Fannie Mae continue to fund the mortgages that she buys? Through the issuance of mortgage backed securities. These securities known as MBS are issued to investors. When Fannie Mae issues the MBS, she is guaranteeing the investors a return on their investment, and at the same time, providing a source of funding for issuing further mortgages. This provides the nation’s lenders with a steady stream of cash to continue to make mortgages available to the consumer.

How does all this relate to the home of your dreams? Well, stop just a moment to connect all the dots. Fannie Mae buys mortgages from your local lender. The lender receives the proceeds from that purchase, and can then offer a new mortgage to you. It’s a steady and continual circle of growth. Why? Well, Fannie Mae isn’t the only lender in the secondary market. Insurance companies, pension funds, securities dealers, and other financial institutions buy mortgages on the secondary market. Who invests in these insurance companies, pension funds and securities dealers? Where do they get their money? From taxpayers just like you. Mortgage holders just like you. Now can you see how Fannie Mae and other mortgage lenders in the secondary market, work to foster home ownership and community growth, all in one process?

The primary focus for Fannie Mae, operating under a government directive, is to provide the maximum amount of help to lenders in making mortgage loans to the low, to middle, to moderate income families across America. Fannie Mae is also involved in a nationwide effort to join with lenders and community partners to create even more home ownership possibilities.