Posts Tagged ‘mortgage product’

How Does Fannie Mae Work

Sunday, December 28th, 2008

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. 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. Investors just like you and I can purchase stock in the Fannie Mae Corporation, and not only increase our won wealth, but also help to fund the home ownership possibilities for a new generation of Americans.

In 1968, just thirty years after her government commissioned birth, Fannie Mae became a private company operating with private capital. She had outgrown her need for federal funding and supervision. That does not mean, however, that the government does not still closely work with the Fannie Mae Corporation. It does. The housing industry has continued to grow, and currently the entire mortgage market is experiencing phenomenal success. Fannie Mae’s focus, however, is still on the low to middle-income American.
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.

Through this partnering, and the existence of FHA backed mortgage loans, the Fannie Mae Corporation and your local lender can offer a greater variety of loan products, and reach a much broader client base. This increases once again, the homeownership possibility for many, more Americans. Thanks to the expanding mortgage product line, the increase in real estate values, and the efforts of Fannie Mae, more Americans own their own home than ever before. Where will the future take Fannie Mae, and corporations like her? I think the Fannie Mae Corporation will continue to foster growth and the realization of the American Dream for many successful years to come.

Financial Planning and Interest Only Mortgages

Wednesday, December 24th, 2008

I have observed many changes in my life over the course of living it, and I can tell you that as you grow older, Caution will become your friend; when you’re young, you simply throw him to the wind. As you get older, you wait for him to blow by, and then you reel him back in, why? Caution has only a few friends, but several adversaries: Haste and Waste; after several trips around the block with these two, Caution begins to look like a much better friend.

Part of the requirement for being a friend to Cautious, is that you take the time to examine all your options, and make a good sound decision. This is when I was introduced to Financial Planning, 401(k) s, Retirement Funds, etc.

I’ve told this from a story standpoint, but it is in all honesty, the truth. As you get older you do become more cautious in your investments, with your time and your money. Interest only mortgages are one of those options, that if you’re investing in real estate for the short term, and you’ve consulted with a reputable financial advisor, you might want to consider. Investment portfolios do not generally include real estate, so more than likely this is a business venture or an investment business. In either situation, financial planning is a must. This is one of those options, that should however, be considered only after careful planning and thought. The trade off, may be or may not be to your benefit.

Long-term investments, those with capital gains, and purposes other than a quick profit, I don’t’ believe are candidates for the interest only mortgage. The interest only mortgage doesn’t offer much in the way of building and growing investment value, because you simply never increase the value of the asset to you. You increase the value of the loan for the lending institution, because you are continually providing a profitable situation for the lender. Your principal investment responsibility never decreases.

What about the short-term implications and your financial planning? Well, this leaves many doors unopened and many avenues unexplored. However, given the fact that you’re considering the impact of the interest only mortgage product on your financial planning expectations, there aren’t very many “short-term” considerations open for discussion. The only short-term advantage to interest only is that your monthly payment is often very low during the term of the interest only payment.

When you consider the impact your 401(k), an MSA, an IRA, or any other tax deferred savings or retirement program can have on your bottom line, the interest only mortgage doesn’t really have that much to offer in the realm of tax savings, or tax deferment; yes, it’s true that your mortgage interest is tax deductible, but not on a one-to-one ratio. Tax deferred retirement accounts, even SEPs, for the self-employed individual have a one-to-one ratio of tax savings.

Another long-term financial planning consideration: when you would normally have paid out a regularly amortized loan, you will still be paying on the interest only mortgage. What could the potential savings be, for you, if you weren’t still paying on a mortgage? The time value of money is a concept that few consumers ever learn to appreciate. It means the dollar you have today, will be worth less tomorrow than it is today, therefore saving today yields a much better benefit than waiting until you’re 35 or 40 to begin saving and planning for retirement.

Quite often, your home is your greatest asset, and is the only savings that many consumers have managed to accumulate. If the only payments you have made were for the interest due on the principal, you effectively have no accumulated savings. Now, that might not be an issue for someone in their 20s or early 30s; however, by the time you reach your 40s, you have begun to contemplate retirement, and ways to save for that phase of your life.

As I stated earlier, caution and good sound financial planning may determine that an interest only mortgage will benefit you greatly. But, I would only consider this option only after I had taken time for careful consideration and good financial planning.