Re-Financing with an Interest Only Mortgage. Interesting Things to Bear in Mind
Finance July 31st, 2009Interest only mortgages are a quite modern trend in the re-financing industry as well as the home buying industry. While the appeal of an interest only mortgage is usually a greater monthly cash flow, this enlarged cash flow can come with a large price tag. In exchange for more cash flow every month, the homeowner may be sacrificing the ability to get a fixed rate mortgage as well as the ability to build equity. This article will further look at these features to provide the reader with more information on the issue of interest only mortgages.
Greater Monthly Cash Flow
The one main benefit for a lot of homeowners in an interest only mortgage is the ability to boost monthly cash flow. Homeowners who re-finance by utilizing an interest only mortgage will likely have more money obtainable every month for the reason that they will only be paying interest on their mortgage at first. The reduction of the principal payment can make it easier for the homeowner to either have the funds for a larger house or have the ability to live more extravagantly on their budget. However, there is often a significant price to pay for these types of re-financing options.
While interest only loans may not be perfect, they can be beneficial in the situation where the homeowner is having a great deal fulfilling his monthly obligations. In this case, the homeowner may be willing to sacrifice an overall financial loss for the ability to continue to pay monthly bills in a well-timed fashion.
Unknown Risks of an ARM
Interest only re-finance loans are typically offered with an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) this means the interest rate is not fixed and may change with the rise and fall of the prime index. This risk can be rather costly for the homeowner if the interest rate rises considerably. There is typically a cap placed on the amount, in terms of percentage, the interest rate can rise in a certain period but this can still be the very costly mistake for the homeowners.
An ARM re-finance option with an interest only element may be worthwhile in some situations. For instance if the homeowner has a hybrid mortgage which features a fixed interest rate during the interest only portion and an ARM during the principal and interest portion of the loan they might take advantage of this situation if they do not plan to stay in the home for longer than the interest only period. This period may fluctuate depending on the lender and the circumstances. Homeowners who plan to sell the house before the interest only period ends and the ARM period begins enjoy the benefits of lower monthly payments and the security of fixed interest rates previous to they ever have to worry about repaying the principal or dealing with the varying interest rates.
No Equity in the Home
A different disadvantage to the interest only re-finance loans is they do not allow the homeowner to build equity in the home during the initial period where only the interest on the loan is repaid. This can be a problem for homeowners who are looking to profit through the sale of their home. These homeowners may find the participation in an interest only re-finance has had a damaging result on the profit they are able to generate from the resale of their home.
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