Buying a Home for the First Time or Needing Some Cash? Learn How and When to Use a 1st, 2nd or Reverse Mortgage To Use The Equity

by: John R. Blakefield

Throughout your home owning experience, you may run into unexpected events that cause you to use your options of increasing and decreasing both your debt and home equity in your property. Mortgages are really just that, a change in the amount of money you owe (debt) and the amount of ownership in your property (home equity).

The first time you buy a home, it is very common to put down a down payment towards the home price, and then borrow money from a lender to cover the rest of the price. You then make payments with either a fixed or adjustable rate mortgage, based on a predetermined interest rate and terms. This transaction with you and the lender is called a mortgage. And if it is the only mortgage on a property, it is called a first mortgage.

In the case of this first mortgage, you most likely have a larger amount of debt than the amount of home equity, unless of course you borrow less than you put down, then you would have a greater amount of home equity than debt. Every time you make a payment to the lender, your debt decreases and the property’s home equity increases. This occurs until the life of the loan has been fulfilled, and the mortgage is paid in full. At this point, the property is free and clear, and you own the property out right.

Anytime during the life of the first mortgage, home owners may choose to borrow against the home equity built in the home and take out a second mortgage. A second mortgage is a mortgage on a property which has already been pledged as collateral for an earlier mortgage.

The process of a second mortgage is much like the process of taking out the first. However, because you are borrowing against the equity already built up in the home, the second mortgage carries rights which are subordinate to those of the first. This means that the second mortgage is second to make a claim and the second to collect if the first mortgage is in default. For this reason, interest rates are often higher for a second mortgage than a first mortgage.

When considering a second mortgage, it is important to outweigh the costs against the benefits. You should shop for credit terms that best meet your borrowing needs without posing undue financial risk. After all, with the responsibilities of a second mortgage, a home owner is more likely to default and possibly lose his or her home. Be sure that you shopped your second mortgage just as diligently as you did the first, comparing annual percentage rates, points, fees and prepayment penalties. All these terms can make a huge difference in the amount of money you will be paying in turn for borrowing against your home equity.

As in the situation of the first mortgage, a second mortgage generally increases your debt and decreases your home equity. The opposite, however, is that of a reverse mortgage.

In a reverse mortgage, a homeowner borrows against the equity in his/her home and receives cash from the lender without having to sell the home or make monthly payments. This cash can be given to the homeowner as a monthly cash advance, in a single lump sum, as a credit account that allows you to decide when and how much of your cash is paid to you, or as a combination of these payments. The homeowner does not have to make any payments as long as he or she lives at the residence. If the homeowner should move, sell the property, or die, then the loan would have to be paid off.

In order to qualify for a reverse mortgage, you must be at least 62 years of age and own a home. This option for a reverse mortgage is perfect for older homeowners who are equity rich, and cash poor. In the case of a reverse mortgage, your debt increases and your home equity decreases.

Depending on what stage of the homeowners experience you are in, it is important to always know your options as a homeowner. With the option to borrow against your equity, you can have cash to improve your home, make improvements to increase the overall value of your home, or live comfortably when there is not any liquid cash readily available to you, but you have equity in your home.

Being a homeowner can be rewarding in many ways, and being able to utilize the money in your home is one of them. Always research terms and conditions of any mortgage, and always borrow from a qualified, trusted source.

About The Author
John R Blakefield is a mortgage and real estate specialist. For more information, articles, news, tools and valuable resources on home mortgages or investment loans, refinancing, debt solutions, visit this site: http://www.scourtheweb.com/mortgage/

by: Michael Challiner

Late last year, accompanied by the usual razzmatazz, Gordon Brown announced the Governments new “Open Market Homebuy” mortgage scheme for first-time buyers.

Under the Homebuy scheme, first time buyers take out a mortgage for 75% of a home's value with no deposit and the Government and the mortgage lender will in practice buy the remaining 25% of the property. Then when the borrower eventually decides to sell the property, the borrower will receive 75% of the net sales proceeds and the remaining 25% of the sale price will go to the Government and the mortgage lender. In the mean time, if the owner wishes to buy out all, or part, of the Governments or mortgage lenders 25% interest, the borrower can simply repay the money the Government and mortgage lender initially put in.- there will be no penalty.

In our view, first time buyers shouldn't become too excited about this scheme for six reasons: -
• The Government has recently confirmed that buyers will have to pay a 1% premium on top of the usual mortgage rate.
• There has been no announcement as to the amount relative to income, which borrowers can qualify for. So at this stage it's impossible to judge what sort of house a first-timer could buy. However, we bet it's a very small one!
• Despite hopes that more mortgage lenders would join the Yorkshire Building Society, the Halifax, and the Nationwide, as co-sponsors of the scheme, no additional lenders have been added to the list.
• The Government expects Homebuy to lend to 4,000 first time buyers per year. That's only fractionally over 1% of the 361,000 first time house purchases arranged each year. In terms of availability, it seems as if Homebuy mortgages are going to challenge hens teeth!
• The Government hasn't even announced the rules under which a first time buyer can qualify to even apply for a Homebuy mortgage.
• The scheme is not planned to be operational until October 2006.

So even if you're happy to pay the 1% premium, your chances don't look too good for qualifying for an Open Market Homebuy mortgage. Our advice is to forget about them and find a top class mortgage broker to seek out a great deal on the open market.

Signs that our reticence is shared amongst Members of Parliament came from a comment from Michael Grove, shadow housing minister. He is reported as telling the Sunday Telegraph that he wanted to see the Homebuy scheme made easier and cheaper for lenders in order to encourage greater participation from the mortgage providers. We think that's fine, but participate in what? Until we know who can apply and how much they can borrow, the scheme means nothing.

About The Author
Michael Challiner writes for Scrouge Online( http://www.scrouge-online.co.uk ) who offer Life Insurance and critical illness insurance. Click here information on mortgages http://www.scrouge-online.co.uk/mortgages.php

How To Make Money In Real Estate Without Buying Any Property: Become A Mortgage Broker

Will Real Estate prices keep going up or will the bubble burst?

Who knows? Either way, real estate is a risky business. Tying up all that money and having very little liquidity can spell disaster for any investor.

In any hot market there are always ways to make money without taking any risk yourself.

Just look at Levi Strauss. He traveled west during the Gold Rush to make his fortune as a gold miner. But he found that it was harder than advertised. So instead he did the next best thing, he started selling to the miners. He sold them something they all needed - jeans! And he made his fortune without risk. In fact, many of the store owners in that area got rich selling to the people who had the “gold bug”

If you want to make money on the real estate boom, I suggest you sell to the people who have the “real estate bug”. The people who want to get in on the bull market and make a killing. Sell them something they all need- money!

You can do it just like I do, become a mortgage broker.

Become a mortgage broker and you can easily make hundreds of thousands of dollars by helping other who want to get rich quick in real estate.

There is very little cost to get started and no risk. When you become a mortgage broker, you can still keep your day job and work part-time while making a full time income.

In many states you don’t even need a license to become a mortgage broker. You can get started today!

There is more demand for mortgage brokers today than ever in history. And demand will continue to grow. The U.S. population continues to grow. Everyone wants the American Dream of owning their own house. If you become a mortgage broker you can make that dream come true for your fellow Americans.

If you want the cards stacked in your favor you should really look a little closer at the trends that give more reasons to become a mortgage broker.

- The U.S. Population is growing exponentially.
- Americans are saving less then ever before - if someone wants to buy a house, they have to borrow money. They have no choice. They must use your service.
- As home prices go up, so do mortgage broker commissions. The fees are a percentage of the loan amount.
- More and more people are buying second homes and vacation properties.
- Over 65% of people getting a loan use a mortgage broker instead of a bank.

When you become a mortgage broker and work part-time you can work from home and keep your day job. If the market goes up - great!. If the market goes down, people will be selling their homes and investors will be buying. These investors will need loans from you to buy. You make money either way.

You could also be a real estate agent. But you’d have to drive people around all day. Becoming a mortgage broker means you can sit in your office while people come to see you. There is no need for you to go anywhere.

After you become a mortgage broker, life will never be the same.

About the Author
Ameen Kamadia, “The Millionaire Loan Officer” is a mortgage consultant, coach and trainer. He still does loans in his free time. To learn more about how to become a mortgage broker visit www.mortgagebrokertraining.com

Applying For A Credit Card With No Credit History

Oddly enough, not only will bad credit work against you when applying for a loan or a credit card, but no credit will too. Even though this doesn’t seem fair, it is the way things work in the complicated world of consumer credit. Lenders are leery about opening accounts for people with no credit history because they simply have nothing to base your reliability on.

So, if you can’t build a credit history without credit and you can’t get credit without a credit history, just what has a person to do? It’s nearly impossible to rent a car, stay in a hotel, or shop online without a credit card, so let’s explore a few of the options that can eliminate this Catch-22.

Available Credit Options

Although many of the major credit card companies won’t give you a card without a credit history, some smaller ones, like department stores, will. Find a department store that will issue you a card and apply for it. You can try getting a gas station card also. Either way, use your card but be sure to make all payments on time. Your goal is to build a good credit history, not just get a credit card.

Find a credit card company that will review your overall financial situation and not just your credit history. Some lenders will look at your employment history, your housing situation, and how often you have moved. If this is all on the up and up, they may approve your application. Again, use this card wisely.

Credit Unions

If you are a credit union member, or are eligible for membership, see what their card issuing terms are. Although they are no giving out cards with their eyes closed, they will often have more relaxed conditions for members. You no longer have to work for a specific company to be eligible to join a credit union. So it’s well worth checking if there’s one in your area.

Secured Credit Cards

Secured credit cards are offered by lenders who will give you a line of credit that either matches, or is slightly higher than, a cash deposit that you give them to hold. As your experience with the card grows, these lenders will often raise your limit without requiring you to increase your deposit. Eventually, you can use your experience with this lender to apply for cards that are not secured.

Student Credit Cards

If you are a student, then you’ll be best off with a student credit card. Student credit cards can be a great way of building the credit history that you will need to depend upon after graduation. The important thing here is to remember to use that opportunity wisely. Many banks will issue college students a credit card, especially banks that are located in college or university cities and towns.

When you do manage to get a credit card, remember that you are establishing a credit history. Show that you are a good financial risk by paying the bill on time. Don’t go crazy with the spending. It will only cause you problems in the future.

About the Author
Michael Chau is the owner of www.givingucredit.com - One of Internet’s leading website dedicated to educate people who are looking to apply for a Credit Cards Debt and Finance issues.