FHA Mortgage Loan versus Conventional Mortgage Refinance for Debt Consolidation



The term conventional loan includes loans under the current lending limits set by the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC), commonly known as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, respectively. A Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan is a loan based on an insurance program that enables you to buy a home with a down payment of as low as 3%. FHA is administered by Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It is one of two government loan programs available to borrowers. The other is a Veterans Administration (VA) loan, available only to veterans of the military service.

The FHA loan program, similar to conventional loan programs, allows for mortgage refinancing of owner occupied properties as fixed mortgage rate loans and adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs). Similar to conventional refinances, FHA refinances can be used for such purposes as:

o Home Improvements and Renovations.

o Debt Consolidation, including consolidating a home equity loan (second mortgage), if 2nd loan is less than 1 year old.

o Large Purchases.

o Schooling.

o Vacation.

o Investment(s), including second home or vacation home purchase.

According to the FHA, 1-2 unit primary residences may cash-out up to 95% of the estimated property value. For other property type the maximum cash-out is 85%. This is at least 5% more than on a conventional refinance loan. And, you do not have to have an existing FHA loan in order to get FHA refinancing.

While FHA loans are funded by financial institutions such as mortgage centers or banks like conventional loans, it does not actually lend money but rather guarantees a loan in case of borrower default. As a result, there is less financial risk to the lender, allowing them to offer lower rates to borrowers than rates offered by conventional refinancing. And, FHA has the most forgiving credit criteria–FICO scores of 580 (east coast), 560 (Midwest) and 520 (west coast) being considered acceptable.

Similar to conventional loans, FHA mortgages require mortgage insurance. Conventional loan mortgage insurance is cancelable under most circumstances once you build at least 20% equity in your home. The FHA states that, in most cases, FHA insurance will drop off after five years or when the remaining balance on the loan is 78 percent of the value of the property, whichever is longer.

By: Maria Ny

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

How Does Debt Consolidation Work?



The problem

Being in debt exacts a heavy emotional toll on a person. When an individual is heavily in debt, it is easy to feel like the future is hopeless and without meaning. Life ahead seems bleaker with each passing moment. After all, what is there to look forward to in life when all you see are insurmountable debts that have to be paid?

The solution

It is easy to feel helpless when looking at the size of your debts, but feeling helpless will never do you any good! The truth is that millions of people have dug themselves out of their debts and gone one to live happy and prosperous lives. With a little bit of knowledge and some willpower, you too can get yourself out of a financial rut.

Debt consolidation is the first step to managing your debt levels. Debt consolidation is a catch-all term that defines the various methods used to better organize multiple debts in such a way that they are simpler to monitor and to pay. For instance, you may have five separate sets of debts, two of them charging 12 percent per annum, two of them charging 18 percent per annum, and one charging 21 percent per annum. In this scenario, you will be servicing five different debts at different interest rates – a waste of both time and money. When you consolidate your debt, you try to combine all these loans into a single loan with the lowest possible interest rates, in effect creating one that is easier to monitor and pay off. This one step alone can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars; therefore no one should neglect it.

By: Jeanette Pollock

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Solve Debt Riddle with Debt Consolidation Help



When number of bills accumulates, then it becomes bit difficult to manage and pay them off. Usually, in such situation one may need, help to tackle all the debts. Such help is provided in the financial market by means of debt consolidation help.

Debt consolidation help is basically merging and consolidating all the debts and finally paying them through single payment. The whole process of debt consolidation help can be broadly categorized into:

oAssessing an application

oMaking budgets

oProviding credit counseling

oAnd suggesting an appropriate measure.

In order to avail debt consolidation help, you are required to fill an application either in the physical market or through online. Then the companies providing help will asses your application and prepare a budget. After that you will be invited to come for counseling sessions. In those counseling sessions, you will discus your debt problem with credit expert. And finally, he will suggest you the best and suitable measure to your problem.

There are many financial companies who provide debt consolidation help. But choosing among them the best one is not an easy task. There is a need to do lots of research in order to find the most appropriate provider of the debt consolidation help. Other than in the physical market, debt consolidation help is also provided on internet. Applying for help through internet makes the rate further competitive as it involves low cost.

It is always recommended that debt consolidation help must be taken from such company who is well known in this field. Undergoing all the terms and conditions is always obligatory to avoid any undesirable situation. Estimate and clarify the total cost involved in the deal in order to protect in regard to any hidden cost.

Before taking such help from the market, also make an effort to control your debts by taking into account following points:

oControlling spending habits

oReducing usage of credit cards

oPlanning expenses before incurring

As the company providing debt consolidating help also manages all the debts thus it also improves the credit score.

Debt consolidation help will show you the way so that you are never trapped in the debts again.

By: Alex Jonnes

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,