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Archive for Homeowner Loans

Refinancing Your Home In Singapore

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

When it comes to mortgages, many individuals don’t refinance. A fundamental number are oblivious they have the choice of changing their loan to different financier; others are simply indifferent. They stick with their very first loaner and the “reward” for such loyalty tends to be higher interest rates. Due to the order of magnitude of housing loans and the tenure that the mortgage is amortised over, the interest we are speaking about here can easily stretch from 1000′s to 100,000′s of dollars. Take a look at the following components to see whether it’s time for you to consider refinancing.

Current Interest Rate

It is decidedly a positive indication for you to research refinancing when your current interest rate is higher than available housing loan packages on the market. A first step to take is to go back to your current bank or financial institution and ask them to revise your package, otherwise known as repricing. If your lender comes back with an offer, it will normally be better than your current one. You can then compare this offer with offers from other lenders to see whether you should switch or stay put.

Lock-in and Clawback Periods

When you take up a housing loan, there may be a lock-in period where your mortgage lender will charge you a penalisation fee, ordinarily a percentage of your outstanding loan amount, if you were to fully repay your home loan. Almost all mortgages also come with a clawback period where the lender will claim back “freebies”, such as legal expenses, that they “gave” you when you take up your loan (Note: lock-in period is separate from clawback period). It may not be worthwhile for you to refinance due to such costs.

Loan Quantum

The larger your mortgage amount, the larger your savings for the same reduction in interest rates. For example, 1% on a loan of S$100,000 is much less than 1% on a loan of S$500,000. However, fixed cost to refinancing, which comprises mainly of legal fees, do not vary much with loan quantum. The difference between your current and refinancing interest rates, therefore, has to be bigger for a relatively smaller home loan as fixed cost eats into a more fundamental part of your interest rate savings.

Perceived Interest Rate Movements

Your view on how interest rates is moving can be a factor when thinking whether you should refinance. If you are currently on a fixed rate package and think interest rates are dropping, you may want to refinance to a floating rate package. Conversely, if you are on floating rates and believe interest rates are skyrocketing, switching to fixed rates may be a positive choice.

Personal Financial Assessment

If there is a change in your financial state, you may want to change your package particulars via refinancing. For instance, you are opening your own business and do not want unpredictability in other areas. Give some thought to taking up a fixed rate package. Maybe you want cash to invest in another property. Consider raising your loan quantum. Or your monthly income has increased and you want to reduce interest loan payments. Contemplate reducing your loan tenure.

Consider calling us today if you are looking for refinancing in Singapore. We can save you a lot of money plus give you the latest advice all for free.

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Using A Mortgage To Consolidate A Multitude Of Debt Sources

Monday, January 18th, 2010

Debt consolidation is a new trend in which all debts that a consumer owns is paid for with a single mortgage loan. In doing so, it is hoped that the consumer will be better able to keep up with bill payments, yet also refinance interest rates to easier rates.

Saying that you can be back on the path of becoming debt-free and actually going through with your intentions are two different things. If you do make the motions to get a debt consolidation loan, realize that it is a serious matter that could put you into more debt if not handled properly. Debt consolidation loans may save money in some instances, but don’t let that stop you from putting as much money as possible towards your debts.

It won’t be easy paying your mortgage without first knowing what your commitments are each month in terms of expenses. Make a journal of every expense you have so that you can see where your money is going. Even though larger expenses might appear like the culprit, sometimes the smaller expenses can add up.

Every expense that you have found in your monthly statement should be ranked according to necessity. Paying a water bill would be a necessity, for instance. Going to see a Broadway musical might not be the best use of your money if you are in debt. This type of organization will also make it easier to see which bills should be paid first, and what order to pay consequent debts.

Make more than the minimum payment on your mortgage loan if you can. A large percentage of Americans will only pay the minimum each month- which might seem easier but really only dooms you to a longer period of debt. Even a small sum of money, such as $30,000, will amass to several times that amount once you pay it off with minimum payments. It’s not worth the convenience when you look at it from this perspective.

The smart home owner will refinance a consolidation loan every few years or so. The amount of time in which you can refinance depends on your contract with the lender- always check with them first before agreeing to refinance with a lender representing a different company. Some include fees if you repay the loan prematurely to prevent the lender from missing out on interest payments.

Closing Comments

Making sure your debt consolidation loan is paid should be your utmost priority until it is paid off. If it isn’t, you could very well be in debt your entire life. Even a small loan can span 30 years without the planning mentioned previously- so take the advice to heart.

Learn more on Remortgage For Debt Consolidation and Debt Consolidation.

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Cutting Back On Expenses By Refinancing A Rental Property

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

Real estate is a hot market all around the world, but also one that is hard to get into. One of the reasons it’s this way is because of the amount of financial interaction that comes with the title of landlord. If you aren’t aware of when and how to refinance, your profitability rating will plummet to the ground.

The prize at the end of the road, at least for real estate investors, is the day in which a mortgage is repaid. Once that day comes, the income that comes from tenants or businesses will be almost all profit with little to no overhead. The problem is getting to this day without defaulting on the loan when bad times strike. When they do, consider refinancing instead of selling the property outright.

Lenders will charge extra for a business mortgage than personal mortgages. Investors will be expected to pay more in terms of interest rates and such, so investors are always looking for a way to offset the difference. Refinancing is a good way to do so a couple years after the initial loan, in which time you should have better credit and good standing.

Timing is everything when you go to get a refinance on your investment mortgage. If you lock in at a rate that hasn’t hit its peak in affordability, you will be missing out on further savings if you are under a fixed rate mortgage. You are also limited in the number of times you may refinance, as some lenders have fees for switching lenders or an agreement on when and how you may refinance. As can be seen, talking to your loan officer is mandatory.

Investors with a large portfolio don’t refinance to better their chances in keeping a sound budget. Instead, they do it to build equity and continue the investment circle by hopefully being able to qualify for another mortgage on a new property. If a mortgage lender sees that an investor is taking appropriate action to develop equity, they will be more apt to give a new mortgage loan. The saved money, of course, is a big plus if the mortgage loan is a substantial amount.

Many investors are self employed, so it can be tough getting a lender to agree to refinance for further investment opportunities. The self-employed will need a better credit rating and history of responsibility than those on average. Perhaps not fair to some, lenders enact these rules to protect their own interests from those with jobs that might be temporary or unstable. Special loans exist for the self employed workers of the world.

In Conclusion

Being a landlord is never easy. Investment properties are much benefited by a refinancing plan, yet even the average home owner will have a lot to gain from the average refinancing. Speak to several lenders on your case to see if you qualify for refinancing.

Learn more on Investment Property Refinance and Low Deposit Buy to Let Remortgages.

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