Mortgage & Refinancing Information

Total Cost Of Credit vs Monthly Payments


I read a press release the other day which points to the fact we need to be very careful with our finances. The subject of the release was home mortgages. A company was announcing the availability of 40 year mortgages for its customers. The stated purpose was to lower the monthly payments to make buying a home more affordable.

Whenever I hear the phrase "more affordable", I put my hand on my wallet because the attempt to empty it will begin any moment. Almostnever is that phrase used in relation to the total cost of financing. It isalways used in reference to the size of the monthly payment, as in this example.

Let's see what it really means. I did the math. A mortgage for a $100,000 home at 6% for 30 years would have a monthly payment of about $600 for principal and interest. You would pay about $216,000 over the life of the loan of which $116,000 would be interest..

A mortgage on that same home for 40 years would be at 6.25%, with a monthly payment of $565. The payments over the life of the loan would total about $271,200 and $171,200 of the total would be interest.

The forty year mortgage has a higher interest rate (usually between.25 and .50 percent) because the lender has his money at risk for a longer time (Lenders are well aware that time is money. You should be as aware).

This higher rate coupled with the extra ten years of the loan, has the borrower paying 47% more interest, or $55,000 more over the life of the loan. Even with a lower payment that supposedly makes it more affordable to purchase that home. Sounds like a pretty good deal for the lender.

Another problem the borrower faces is building equity much more slowly in the beginning of the loan. The extra interest expense paid for the extended length of the loan prevents equity from building up quickly. All of this for a monthly payment that is only $35 less.

You need to think in terms of overall cost and not just monthly payments. The total cost is what you will give back to your creditors. The focus on the monthly payment takes attention away from the total amount to be repaid. You need to look at this with any indebtedness, car payments, personal loans, credit cards: figure the total cost, not just what you pay each month.

You'll begin to hear more about these loans I'm sure. Think long and hard before you lengthen your indebtedness. The goal is to become debt free and to do it as fast as possible. Advise your families and friends to do the same.

David Wilding works with indiviuals and groups to help them get rid of debt. For the past ten years he has attempted to change attitudes toward and acceptance of personal debt. Visit his website http://www.debtattack.com for more ideas, tools, and strategies to become debt free.


MORE RESOURCES:

Mortgage Refinance Options to Think About
3x24 - Your Newspaper and News Magazine, Germany - Aug 26, 2008
Mortgage refinance options are always available no matter what type of mortgage you already have in place on the home you are living in. ...


Taking Home Mortgage Loans
3x24 - Your Newspaper and News Magazine, Germany - Aug 25, 2008
... you find your exact Loans and Credit Cards. Visit us now to get your Free Mortgage Refinance Loans Quotes Get your free report on Guaranteed Credit Cards.


MLive.com

Family's money woes center on the house
MLive.com, MI - Aug 2, 2008
File: Leisa Thompson, The Ann Arbor NewsJay and Betty Jahnke: Still worried about their mortgage payment and tuition bills for their daughter. ...


Refinance your Home Loan and Get Extra Cash
Corsavoo.com, France - Aug 23, 2008
There are online sites offering access to a complete and up-to-date list of lenders dealing with mortgage refinance and this will make the process a lot ...


Borrowers feel fallout from mortgage giants' woes
Salt Lake Tribune, United States - Aug 20, 2008
By Alan Zibel AP Jeff Jaye, a mortgage broker in Northern California, used to rely on homeowners looking to refinance their loans for more than two-thirds ...


openPR (press release)

Hartford Title Enters into Partnership with Penner Law Firm to ...
openPR (press release), Germany - Aug 26, 2008
... Hartford National Title will continue to offer its real estate closing services for mortgage refinance transactions throughout all 50 states. ...


Housing And Economic Recovery Act
Mondaq News Alerts (subscription), UK - Aug 21, 2008
The Act also expands the target population served by the FHA and creates the "Hope for Homeowners" voluntary FHA-insured mortgage refinance program. ...


Buyers flock to FHA, government-backed loans
Inman.com (subscription), CA - Aug 18, 2008
... by raising loan limits and creating new products that allow borrowers who are behind on their existing mortgage refinance into more affordable loans. ...


DD Mortgage plans to open branches in İzmir, Ankara
Turkish Daily News (subscription), Turkey - Aug 15, 2008
Focus areas include first-time home buyers, second home buyers, upgraders, buy to let, let to buy, university mortgage, refinance, Turkish people residing ...


Bernanke prefers caution over optimism
domain-B, India - Aug 7, 2008
Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae dominate the home mortgage refinance market in the US. Both firms are now in deep trouble and in urgent need of large capital ...

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