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How to Shop for Low Interest Only Mortgages

Where do you find low interest, interest only mortgages? Almost every store on the street offers these types of mortgage products, but who is the best, and who is the lowest? That’s going to take some work on your part, and maybe just a little luck.

What kind of information will you need in order to shop for and secure a great interest only mortgage, with a great low interest? Well, you’re definitely going to need a good credit rating, proof of income, an appraisal on the property, and a little bit of luck. There are several products out there in the interest only mortgage segment of the market, and a few are actually going to have a pretty low interest rate tied to them.

For example, the 3/1 ARM, or the 5/1 ARM, these mortgages should have great interest rates, and if you have great credit, you should be able to find financing to suit your budget, your desire for a low interest rate, and an interest only mortgage that you can live with. These types of adjustable rate mortgages offer the interest only feature for a very limited time, and this is what the average consumer should discipline him or herself to use for financing. Extending the interest only option out past these years, could put the consumer in a dire position, should the real estate market take a downward turn, they’re going to be left with a huge mortgage, and property that is no longer worth the original mortgage amount. Now, that’s not likely to happen since the value of the average home in America has seen a steady 5 to 6% growth for the last 10 years. But, it could happen. Take a look at the stock market after the tremendous growth spurt of the late nineties.

Other variables in your quest for a low interest rate will be determined by the type of lending institution you choose, the determination of any government program eligibility, and your geographical location.

Banks are traditionally a little higher with their down payment requirements, but their interest rates are usually lower than those of a mortgage company. The exception: online mortgage lending. Thanks to the fact that this is an area of growth that everyone and every company are promoting, they’re striving to compete with even the lowest interest rate lenders, in order to grow their market.

What kinds of government approved mortgage loan programs are available for the low interest-only mortgage shopper today? There are actually more programs available today than any other time in recorded mortgage history; and the ability to qualify for these programs is at an all-time high. Fannie Mae, or the Federal National Mortgage Association and Freddie Mac set guidelines and product availability for homeowners and residents that quality for low- to moderate income based mortgages. They also offer low-interest only mortgages in order to accommodate an ever broadening market. The graduated payment mortgage is an option for FHA homeowners who currently have low to moderate incomes but expect them to increase substantially over the next few years; this can be compared to a balloon note or the interest only products in use today.

Your location will play a key role in your ability to obtain the lowest interest rate using the interest-only mortgage option, also. Prospective homeowners looking to purchase a home in a high end, resort area will, of course, have more choices available, as there are more buyers and sellers competing, as well as lenders for business. The other geographical contributing factor is the real estate market in your area. If the market is great, prices are not suppressed, and there is moderate movement in the buy and sell market, it increases your chances of obtaining the low interest rate you’re seeking.

The interest only mortgage product and a low interest rate are not mutually exclusive. They can be paired, and under the right circumstances produce a winning mortgage product for the right consumers. The route to achieving this goal will take education on the part of the consumer, hard work, and a little luck in locating the right mortgage lender.

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Interest Only In Your Best Interest

Prior to the depression of the 1920s, there was a mortgage loan product used by many of the American people, known as the interest only loan. Why did this long disappear? And why has it suddenly reappeared? Let’s take a moment to answer each question, and hopefully provide some food for thought.

During the 1920s and into the early 30s, many of the citizenry of this country chose to live above their means. They chose the interest only loan because it allowed them to purchase a larger home for less money. What happened when the stock market crashed and jobs were scarce, and there was no income? Many of these people were left without homes; as they had chosen to simply pay the interest on their mortgage there was no equity built into their homeownership. When no equity builds, and the income ceases, the bank forecloses and residents or forced from their homes.

During the Great Depression this happen to many many homeowners. It was at this juncture that many landing institutions chose can remove this loan product from their offered products as it was simply too risky. But with the creation of the many mortgage products offered today, the interest only loan has made a return. And what a return!
Today the interest only loan market segment comprises some 30% of the entire loan market; a development of only four years. Prior to 2001 days only loan market was a 3% segment of the entire market; the exponential growth we’ve experienced has set new records not only for the mortgage market, but for many financial markets in general. Add to this tremendous growth the also tremendous growth of the housing industry, and you have a very delicate situation.

But does the interest only loan good for the average consumer? Not very much. There are individuals who truly benefit from an interest only loan, but they fall into a very small category. The greatest benefactors of interest only loan would-be investment individuals and young professional individuals who do not intend to retain their home for more than five years. How many of the actual mortgage applicants follow into this category? Less than 5%. So how do we have only 5% of the population that actually qualify for the interest only loan, and an interest only loan market of 30%?

We have these conflicting figures because not everyone that purchases in interest only loan truly benefits from an interest only loan. The mortgage lender is not concerned with the benefit of the product to the purchaser. The mortgage lender is interested in the profitability of the product he or she has sold. And interest-only loan is a truly profitable product. In fact, the entire payment is a profit to the lending institution. Not one penny of the payment applies to principal for a specified term. Interest only payments, generally comprise only five to seven years of the entire term of the loan. After the initial five to seven year interest only term, the consumer begins to pay greater payments that apply to both principal and interest. As you can say this is truly not in the interest of the consumer, as most consumers do not begin to see a rise in income as quickly as they begin to see a rise in mortgage payment.

Investors who have a trying staff of financial advisers and lending specialists truly understand how to use an interest only loan in order to turn a profit, but there is where an investor is not a homeowner. For homeowner has no interest in profitability, they are concerned with residency stability. They cannot afford to lose their home; an investor can afford to lose an investment. As you can see, there may have been merit and validity to the decision to remove interest only loans from their product offering during the 20s and 30s; it’s quite possible today, that we have lost sight of the devastation and destruction witnessed during the Great Depression. Let’s just hope the bubble doesn’t burst. Interest only loans are encouraging borrowers to live at the limits of their means, and I don’t think that’s good for the borrower, the economy or the housing market. What happens to the homeowner, should the bubble burst?

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