Mortgage & Refinancing Information

Buying a Home? Dont Get Saddled with Two Mortgage Payments


I have a lot of friends and family who are currently buying houses. Many of them have had a problem with timing. In other words, they buy a house and sign a contract that says that they have to pay the seller in 30 days. (Incidentally, it's never wise to go less than 45 days.) Now, it takes two to three weeks to sell their house, and they sign a 30-45 day contract, so they don't get their money in time to help finance the down payment for the house they are buying. The answer to this problem is simple. Get a bridge loan.

Now, in order to make this strategy work, you need a considerable amount of equity in your current home. Let's say, for example, you are selling a $200,000 home, and you owe $110,000. You have $90,000 in equity (200,000 value minus your debt of 110,000). A bridge loan uses the equity in your home to "bridge" the gap between the sale of your home and the purchase of your new home.

Here's how it works. A bank will loan you 80 percent of the value of your current home, or $160,000 in our example (200k times 80% is 160,000). $110,000 will go toward paying off your current lender, the one you owe $110,000. The remaining $50,000 is yours to use for down payment money on your new purchase and moving expenses, or for any reason you like. The beauty of these loans is that they are treated like home equity lines by the lender. In other words, you pay interest-only on the loan (probably 4-6 percent). So, if you had to pay 4 percent, interest-only on a $160,000 bridge loan, your payment would be $533.00 per month.

Wait one more minute, though. Another thing about bridge loans that makes them a truly marvelous tool is that your payments are deferred for up to 90 days. Imagine getting $160,000 from a lender to help you pay off a mortgage, put money down on a new house, and have left over expense money, and you don't make a single payment for three months. Wow, this is true power! So, in the long run, you may wind up never making a payment on your bridge loan. Outside of some small fees to get it, you are basically getting free money, because you will sell your house for $200,000 and pay off your bridge loan.

Meanwhile, you now have just your new first mortgage on your beautiful new home.

Mark Barnes is the author of the new novel, The League, the first work of fiction, based on fantasy football. He is also an investment real estate and home loan finance expert. Learn more about this suspense thriller at http://www.sportsnovels.com Get his free mortgage finance course at http://www.winningthemortgagegame.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Wachovia Posts Loss, Exits Wholesale Origination Business
Mortgageorb, CT - Jul 22, 2008
By MortgageOrb.com on Tuesday 22 July 2008 Consistent with previously announced expectations, Charlotte, NC-based Wachovia Corp. has reported a net loss in ...


New housing law: Something for everyone
Seattle Post Intelligencer - Jul 30, 2008
The legislation allows homeowners struggling to make their mortgage refinance into more affordable, fixed-rate loans, insured by the federal government. ...


NeighborWorks America Supports Sweeping Housing Legislation
MarketWatch - Jul 30, 2008
In addition, the mortgage refinance product introduced in the new housing law will provide an alternative to the problematic mortgage products that have ...


Sturgis Bancorp Reports Earnings for Q2 2008
FOXBusiness - Jul 29, 2008
Income from mortgage banking activities increased $93000, as lower rates spurred mortgage refinance activity. Noninterest expense increased $513000, ...


ABC News

Money Managing Matters: Three Dos, Don'ts
ABC News - Jul 17, 2008
If you have an adjustable rate mortgage, refinance into a fixed rate one. Interest rates on adjustable rate mortgages are only going to go up, ...


Banks Compete for FHA Borrowers
CNNMoney.com (press release) - Jul 29, 2008
... by providing real offers to customers for home loans such as new purchase mortgage, refinance and home equity, as well as personal and auto loans. ...


Best Syndication

Who Wants Low Mortgage Rates?
Best Syndication, CA - Jul 27, 2008
Despite the reported increase of previously low mortgage rates, rates today are still low enough to consider a mortgage refinance for your home. ...


Market rescue, round two
Livemint, India - Jul 14, 2008
The stocks of the two mortgage refinance institutions fell to levels last seen 15 years ago on concerns about their bearing the brunt of the exposure to ...


Mortgage rescue bill isn't cure-all to crisis
Augusta Chronicle, GA - Jul 28, 2008
AP NEW YORK --- Congress' plan to allow people to refinance into more affordable mortgages won't just relieve thousands of homeowners -- it's also expected ...


Paulson says covered bonds may help housing market
SmartBrief, DC - Jul 9, 2008
At a mortgage lending forum on Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson touted the idea of using covered bonds to help revive home-buying activity. ...

Mortgage-Refinance - Google News

Good Credit Loans | home | site map | School Bus Clothing | Florida Pool Heating
© 2006