The Benefits to Homeownership Outweigh Mortgage Risks

For someone thinking about purchasing there first home, things can be a little intimidating. You just have to keep telling yourself the benefits far outweigh the risks. 

There are many benefits to owning a home. Sure, there are the usual obstacles to get over. First, most people don’t want to put a lot of their own savings into it, they’d rather just rent. 

Also, they don’t want to have to go through the lengthy process of buying the home and even searching for the right home in the first place. Then they don’t want to have to go through the mortgage process and go into debt to get the home. While these are definitely disadvantages, the simple fact is that there are so many major advantages to owning a home that going through these steps ends up being well worth it in the long run.

The most notable benefit to owning a home is equity. Equity is the value of the home. When mortgaging a home, your initial equity is the down payment you made on the home. As you make additional payments, your stake in the equity of the home rises (since the lender owns the rest of the equity). However, it is also important to note that equity also rises when the value of the home rises. If you are currently renting you are not only building equity for your landlord in most cases the rent you pay is usually a few hundred dollars more then what their mortgage payment is with their lender. When you own the home the equity is solely yours, the equity of the lender does not increase. Also because of recent foreclosures & short sales, there are actually quite a few homes on the market that you could actually purchase with allot of existing equity already in them by the time you close. Due to a lower sales prices vs the actual value of the home. This is why many homeowners are sitting on gold mines.

This equity in your new home can be used for valuable things such as home equity loans and home equity lines of credit. These are low interest loans with the home used as collateral. Equity opens up many valuable new doors and is just one reason why owning a home is one of the best things you can ever do.

Another advantage is the tax savings. So not only is your monthly mortgage payment cheaper then what it would be renting a home, Every dollar of interest paid in each month on the mortgage payments can be used as a tax write-off. This can be a very considerable amount, especially early on in the loan when the interest is front-loaded, and it can save you a lot of money in taxes or get you larger refund. 

Of course, it really comes down to the simple fact that you own a home. That home is yours and that with that comes a certain pride. Owning a home is one of the most important things you will ever do. Don’t pass it up, don’t choose to rent if you don’t have to. There are just too many advantages of owning a home to pass up.

About the Author:

ZFG Mortgage headquarter in Tulsa, Oklahoma is the #1 rated mortgage lender in the state of Oklahoma. At ZFG Mortgage we pride our selves in offering the lowest mortgage rates at the lowest closing costs.  We have & A+ Rated rating with the Better Business Bureau & have been nominated & won numerous awards like the BBB Torch awards and the BBB Honor Roll for NO complaints in the last 3 years! If you are need of a Home loan in Oklahoma, then go with the lender you can trust. Apply online or call for Free Rate quote or Pre-Approval.

ZFG Mortgage

6670 Lewis Ave # 200

Tulsa, OK 74136

Phone: 918-459-6530

Fax: 918-459-6535

Toll Free: 1-877-205-7266

http://www.zfgmortgage.com

Common First-Time Home Buyer Mortgage Questions

If you are considering your first home purchase, you probably have lots of questions. There are many issues to consider and many confusing terms that you will hear as you start the home-buying process. The following are some of the more common questions that first-time home buyers have about mortgages and they may help you in your quest for homeownership.

How much money will I have to pay upfront to buy a home?

The answer to this question is not a simple, one-size-fits-all answer. The exact amount will depend on the price of the home you buy as well the type of mortgage financing you choose. The basic costs for any home loan though will include the down payment and the closing costs. Depending on your loan program, your down payment could be as much as 20% of the home's price, although there are loans available that require as little as 3.5%-5%, and even some loans that will let you get by with no down payment at all. Closing costs account for all the fees associated with processing your loan. These include lender fees, appraisal, inspection fees, title feess, lawyer fees, insurance, and points. The typical range for closing costs is between 3% and 6% of the loan value. So if you are buying a $150,000 home, your down payment could be anywhere from $0 to 30,000 and your closing costs would likely be between $3,500 and $4,500.

Can I buy a home if I do not have money for a down payment?

The answer is yes! In addition to no down payment loans, you can also try getting a government insured loan like an FHA mortgage where you can have down payment funds gifted to you. You can either arrange for the home seller to cover the down payment costs, or you can contact one of several non-profit organizations designed to grant down payment money to first-time home buyers. And don't despair if you have little or no money for closing costs either. There are gift programs available for closing costs as well. Another great option is the 100% USDA mortgage. A USDA Loan is a mortgage loan that is insured by the US Department of Agriculture and available to qualified individuals who are purchasing a home in an area that is not considered a major metropolitan area by USDA. In most city many suburban areas are considered rural so many buyers use this loan if they do not have a down payments.

Will I qualify for a home mortgage loan?

The only way to determine the answer is to do some research. You need to have some important figures handy. You need to know your annual income, your annual or monthly debt payments, and an idea about what your credit score is. (You can obtain a free copy of your credit report once a year from any of the three credit reporting agencies.) Lenders are able to work with a variety of financial situations, but they will definitely want to see that you have income sufficient to afford a monthly mortgage payment and that your current debt will not be so big of a burden that it keeps you from making those payments. They will also expect that you have a credit score between a certain range. There are lenders who will loan you money no matter what your score is, but basically, the better your score, the better the loan and interest rate you will receive.

Your approval for a loan may also largely depend on the price of the home you are buying. You may be able to qualify for funding, but just not for the amount you are seeking. You may have to start with a smaller or cheaper home to get a loan.

There are many, many more questions involved in making your first home purchase, but answering these basics will help point you in the right direction. Be sure to counsel with your financial advisor or a mortgage professional to determine all the specifics for your situation.

ZFG Mortgage headquarter in Tulsa, Oklahoma is the #1 rated mortgage lender in Oklahoma.At ZFG Mortgage we pride our selves in offering the lowest mortgage rates at the lowest closing costs.  We have & A+ Rated rating with the Better Business Bureau & have been nominated & won numerous awards like the BBB Torch awards and the BBB Honor Roll for NO complaints in the last 3 years! If you are need of a Home loan in Oklahoma, then go with the lender you can trust. Apply online or call for Free Rate quote or Pre-Approval.

ZFG Mortgage
6670 S Lewis Ave #200
Tulsa, OK 74136
(P) 918-459-6530
(F) 918-459-6535
(Toll Free)  1-877-205-7266

http://www.zfgmortgage.com

Basic Mortgage Terms Every First Time Home Buyer Should Know.

If it is your first time applying for a mortgage, there are a number of terms you should know. Educating yourself on the various mortgage terms you will run into will help you make better decisions when deciding which home you want to purchase. When you sign a mortgage contract, your home is used for collateral and it is your responsibility to make sure your payments are made on time each month.

The first term you should know is principal. The principal is basically defined as the amount of money you borrow for your home. Before the principal is provided you will need to make a down payment. A down payment is the percentage you will put towards the principal. The amount of the down payment will often depend on the cost of the home. Once you pay off the principal, the home is yours.

The next term you will need to know is interest. Interest is a percentage that you are charged to borrow a certain amount of money. Along with the interest rate, lenders may also charge you points. A point is a portion of the total funds financed. The principal and interest makes up the majority of your monthly payments, and this is a method that is called amortization. Amortization is the method by which your loan is reduced over a given period of time. Your payments for the first few years will cover the interest, while payments made later will be applied towards the principal.

A portion of your mortgage payments can be placed in an escrow account in order to go towards insurance, taxes, or other expenses. The next term you will hear a lot is taxes. Taxes are the amount of money that you have to pay to your state or government. When it comes to your home, these are known as property taxes. These taxes are used to build roads, schools, and other public projects. All homeowners must pay property taxes. 

Insurance is another important term that you will hear in the real estate community. You will not be allowed to close on your mortgage if you don't have insurance for your home. Home insurance covers your home against floods, fire, theft, or other problems. Unless you can afford to repair your home if it is damaged, it is usually a good idea to get insurance for your home. If your home is located within a zone that is known for having floods, federal laws may require you to have flood insurance.

If the down payment you put towards your home is less than 20% of the total value, you will often be charged & additional insurance by the lender Called Mortgage Insurance. Mortgage insurance is not Home Insurance, It is called Principle Mortgage Insurance or PMI. This is a insurance added to the loan to protect the lender in the event that you default on your loans and fail to make payments. Without Mortgage Insurance , many people would not be able to afford a house. Once you have paid off about 78% of the home, the lender will stop charging you insurance premiums in most cases.

These are just a few of the basic terms you will need to know before your purchase a home. Understanding these terms will allow you to avoid many of the pitfalls that exist when purchasing a home by obtaining a mortgage. You want an interest rate that is low, and you should always try to get a fixed interest rate. This will allow you to focus your income on making payments towards the principal, and this will help you pay off the loan faster. A mortgage is the most important part of your financial situation, and you should always make sure you pick a home that you know you can afford. If you fail to make your payments, you may lose your house and worst of all ruin your credit which can take years to recover.

If you are interested in obtaining a home loan in Oklahoma, Please give us a call today.








ZFG Mortgage 
918-459-6530
http://www.zfgmortgage.com

 

How Getting Pre-Approved for a Home Loan First Makes Buying Easy?

Many people make the mistake of going house hunting without knowing exactly how a large a mortgage they can get. This leads to incredible frustration when a dream home is found, but you can’t get a loan. For some shoppers, the frustration and stress leads them to throw their arms in the air and give up on the process. While an understandable reaction, the stress and frustration can be greatly reduced by getting pre-approved for a mortgage loan.

Getting pre-approved by a lender involves going through the full mortgage application process. You are going to fill out all the forms, provide tax returns or salary verification, have your credit run and so on. The bank will do a full analysis regarding whether you are mortgage worthy. It will also lay out the specific requirements it expects you to meet including the down payment amount and the specifications your potential home must meet. To this end, the pre-approval process is always contingent on the appraised price of the prospective home and any defects found in the home inspection.

Once a lender approves you for a loan, a magical thing happens. The lender will issue a pre-approval letter. The lender letter indicates the bank has approved you for a loan, the specific amount of the loan and often how long the pre-approval will last.

The pre-approval letter is the golden egg in the home purchasing process. It gives you a significant advantage over other people bidding on the same home. Imagine you are a seller who receives to bids within a few thousand dollars of each other. One bid has a pre-approval letter from the lender and the other does not. Which are you going to choose?

Getting pre-approved also has additional benefits. As you go through the process, the bank may alert you to problems. You can then go ahead and take the necessary steps to fix the loans. Compare this to trying to get a loan while in escrow. You are under a lot of pressure to get the loan in a thirty or sixty day period. If you fail to get the loan, you lose your good faith deposit, which is often thousands of dollars. Obviously, that is a disaster.

Whenever possible, get pre-approved for a mortgage before shopping for a home. It will save untold amounts of stress and make the buying process much easier.

Call us today to start the mortgage pre-approval process
ZFG Mortgage
918-459-6530
Toll Free: 1-877-205-7266
http://www.zfgmortgage.com

The Cost Of Refinancing - What Costs To Expect When You Refinance Your Home Mortgage Loan

Refinancing can save you thousands, especially if you have several years left on your mortgage. However, you can also choose to refinance simply to tap into your home’s equity or reduce your monthly payments.

“How much will it cost?” is a common question for homeowners considering refinancing their mortgage. While costs vary between lenders and loan amounts, the following will give you some guidelines to help you compare financing companies and their offers.

New Home Loan Fees

When you refinance, you are getting a new loan and paying for all those fees again. Fees, including application fee, appraisal fee, survey costs, attorney review fee, title search, and home inspection, will usually add up to around $1000 and $2000. That is in addition to the loan origination fee, usually 1%, and any additional points.

Some lenders offer zero point loans and low refinancing costs but with higher interest rates. These types of financing packages make sense if you are concerned about initial costs and are willing to spend more over the course of your loan.

Loan Points

Each point equals 1% of the loan, which is due at the loan’s signing. So a point on a $100,000 loan would be $1,000. Besides the loan’s origination fee of 1% or more, you can also purchase lower interest rates with points. If you plan to stay in your home for over seven years, then you can probably save money with lower interest payments.

Locate Lower Costs

You can also sometimes locate a lower cost for your mortgage by comparing companies. The easiest way to do this is to request quotes online to compare interest rates and fees.

You can also sometimes negotiate a lower interest rate or closing cost with your original mortgage company. It helps if you can tell them that you have found a better offer with another lender. But sometimes other lenders will have the better deal.

Different Loan Terms

A shorter loan term or a fixed rate mortgage can also save on long term interest costs. By picking a 15 year term loan, you can nearly cut your interest costs in half. You can also protect yourself from rising interest rates with an adjustable rate mortgage by converting to a fixed rate mortgage.

To apply for mortgage refinance in Oklahoma with the #1 rated mortgage lender in the state the last 4 years, log on to our site http://www.zfgmortgage.com or call 918-459-6530

Mortgage rates for 30-year fixed loan hit new record low: 3.49 percent!!

Based on an article in the Washington post from 07-26-2012. The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage fell again, this time dropping below 3.50 percent for the first time on records dating back 60 years.Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the rate on the 30-year loan declined to 3.49 percent. That's down from 3.53 percent last week and the lowest since long-term mortgages began in the 1950s.The average rate on the 15-year fixed mortgage, a popular refinancing option, dipped to 2.80 percent. That's below last week's previous record of 2.83 percent..The rate on the 30-year loan has fallen to or matched record-low levels in 13 of the past 14 weeks. Cheaper mortgages have helped drive a modest but uneven housing recovery this year. Sales of new and previously occupied homes fell in June but were higher than the same month last year. Home prices have started to stabilize in many large markets. And builders are more confident and are putting up more houses than they have in nearly four years. Fewer Americans signed contracts to buy homes in June, the National Association of Realtors said in a separate report Thursday. The group's index of sales agreements fell to 99.3, down from May's reading of 100.7.A reading of 100 is considered healthy. The index is 9.5 percent higher than it was a year ago. There's generally a one- to two-month lag between a signed contract and a completed deal. Low mortgage rates could also provide some help to the economy if more people refinance. When people refinance at lower rates, they pay less interest on their loans and have more money to spend. Many homeowners use the savings on renovations, furniture, appliances and other improvements, which help drive growth.Still, the pace of home sales remains well below healthy levels. Many people are still having difficulty qualifying for home loans or can't afford larger down payments required by banks.The sluggish job market could deter some from making a purchase this year.U.S. employers added only 80,000 jobs in June, a third straight month of weak hiring. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 8.2 percent, the government reported last week. Slower job creation has caused consumers to pull back on spending. Mortgage rates have been dropping because they tend to track the yield on the 10-year Treasury note. A weaker U.S. economy and uncertainty about how Europe will resolve its debt crisis have led investors to buy more Treasury securities, which are considered safe investments. As demand for Treasurys increase, the yield falls. To calculate average rates, Freddie Mac surveys lenders across the country on Monday through Wednesday of each week.The average does not include extra fees, known as points, which most borrowers must pay to get the lowest rates. One point equals 1 percent of the loan amount. The average fee for 30-year loans was 0.7 point, unchanged from last week. The fee for 15-year loans rose to 0.7 point from 0.6 the previous week.The average rate on one-year adjustable rate mortgages rose to 2.71 percent from 2.69 percent. The fee for one-year adjustable rate loans edged up to 0.5 point from 0.4 point.The average rate on five-year adjustable rate mortgages jumped to 2.74 percent from 2.69 percent last week. The fee was unchanged at 0.6 point.To find out the rates on a Oklahoma Mortgage Today. Log on to http://www.zfgmortgage.com or call ZFG Mortgage at 1-877-205-7266