There is no time like the present to make changes to your Oklahoma mortgage loan, changes that could save you hundreds of dollars this year. You may already realize that you can save a lot in interest by refinancing your loan into one with a lower rate, due to the historically low current mortgage rates. You may also know that if you have paid down your home balance and acquired 20% equity in your property, you can save hundreds by canceling your private mortgage insurance policy ”PMI”. If you have an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) that will be resetting this year, you may also know that refinancing into a fixed rate loan could save you from the impending “payment shock.” Even knowing all this, depending on your situation, there may be other valuable tips that can help you have a more productive mortgage this year.
If you do not have a fixed rate mortgage or a traditional ARM, you may have an option ARM loan that is not a very common loan in today’s mortgage market. This type of a loan allows you to decide between four different payment amounts each month for a certain amount of time. It may be tempting to stick with the lowest payment option, but if you can at all afford it, try to make the monthly payment that would allow you to pay off your mortgage in 30 years. If you can’t make that payment every time this year, at least try to make the interest-only payment during those months that you cannot make the 30-year payment option. If you consistently make the minimum payment option, not only will you be making no contribution to your loan’s principal, but you will not be covering the monthly interest charges and the negative balance gets added to your loan total. This means your loan balance is actually increases, instead of decreasing each time you make the minimum payment! With today’s real estate property values decreasing due to the high amount of foreclosures & un-employment, If you are planning on staying in your home for many more years you should consider simply refinancing into a 30 or 15 year fixed rate mortgage loan to avoid the temptation to make the minimum payment.
No matter what type of Oklahoma mortgage loan you have, it is often a good idea to make at least one extra payment to principle to further pay down the balance on your home loan. In fact, if you can consistently make one extra payment a year towards the principle balance on your loan, you will be able to pay off a 30-year mortgage loan in only 25 years, and in the process you will save yourself thousands in interest charges over the life of the loan.
Another tip is to consider the lifestyle changes you expect this year. If you are adding a new family member to your household this year, whether it be a new baby or an aging relative, you may need to get a cash-out refinance or a home equity loan in order to add on that new room or make necessary repairs or remodeling. If you have a child leaving for college this year or simply moving out, you may want to make a financial plan to throw more money toward your mortgage than you could have realistically done before. Another common reason that home owners obtain a cash-out mortgage refinance is to do some debt-consolidation mortgage.
These types of mortgages help homeowners lower their monthly bills by taking all of their current loans and rolling them into one. This means that multiple loans are replaced with a single loan and that single loan usually becomes due over a longer period of time at a lower interest rate, therefore lowering the amount due per month drastically. This also makes it easier for homeowners to keep track of their bills with one easy payment. If you have credit cards, a car loan, and a student loan, it can become difficult to keep track of due dates. After consolidating your loans you no longer have to worry about keeping track of multiple due dates as well.
Every homeowner’s mortgage situation is unique, but regardless of your particular home loan type, you should take some time to sit down and evaluate how your mortgage is working for you. Making some small changes may net you hundreds in savings this year!!
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