Do the words fixed rate, balloon loan, and adjustable rate mortgages mean anything to you? If they don’t and you are planning to buy a home, then you have to go through a quick terminology lesson. Those previously mentioned words happened to be the three most common types of home loans, so let’s discuss each one of them so as to choose the best mortgage deal.
You will want a fixed rate loan when you are planning to buy a home and stay in it until you pay it off. With this type, you will be given an interest rate that is fixed and will not change for the life of the loan. Now, if interest rates go higher, yours will remain the same however, when interest rates go lower, you are to pay a higher rate.
The second type is the adjustable rate mortgage or the ARM. This loan’s interest rate basically goes up and down with the market so if the interest rate is low, so will yours; and if high, your home mortgage rate will, too. One disadvantage of this type is that the interest rate on a home mortgage loan affects the payments so you will never know what your monthly mortgage payments will be so this type won’t be right for everyone.
For starters, if you are purchasing a house for investment purposes and you plan to sell it quickly, you might take advantage of low interest rates by getting this type of loan, particularly if it looks as if they may go lower.
Another smart move in using an ARM is to buy a home during the time when interest rates are on the decline. You can have the ARM changed to fixed rate home mortgage loan whenever the interest rates reach the bottom.
The third type is the Balloon Home Loan. With this type, you will make monthly payments for a fixed amount of time, with a fixed interest rate. The difference is that at the end of the payment schedule, you will likely owe the unpaid balance in one lump sum. So if you use a balloon mortgage, you will find that the interest rates are much lower than either a fixed rate mortgage or an ARM.
The only drawback of a balloon loan is at the end, you have to make a huge payment but if you plan to keep the house for only a short period, this can just be the right loan for you.
When you get to really understand the types of home loans then you will be more confident and prepared to make the right decision in getting the best home mortgage loan for you and your family.