Third Mortgage Loans - The Basics of 3rd Mortgage Loans

Even when you already have a first and second mortgage on your home, you may want to secure a third mortgage. You may use the cash for some value-adding feature to your home, like a swimming pool or a new kitchen may be the reason. However, securing a third mortgage is not very easy.

A third mortgage loan stands subordinate to the first and second mortgage liens that exist. For this reason, it is very difficult to find lenders offering third mortgage home loans. The risk is much greater for the lender in case of a foreclosure. If the loan does get approved, which is difficult, it would be at a much higher rate of interest as compared to the earlier mortgages.

A third mortgage is a hard equity loan. The approval usually depends on the LTV or Loan to Value and SSR or Superior mortgage to Subordinate mortgage ratio.
LTV is expressed as a percentage of the present appraised value of the house, as against the total outstanding mortgage debt(s). Lenders expect the LTV for hard equity loans in the case of first mortgages to be sixty five percent and between fifty to sixty five percent, in the case of second mortgages. For third mortgages, it is anything between fifty to sixty percent.

The SSR is calculated by dividing the amount of the superior mortgage loan amount by the amount of the subordinate mortgage and expressed as a ratio between the two. For example, if the superior mortgage were for $100000 and the subordinate mortgage for $25000, the SSR would be 4:1. For hard equity lending, the SSR is usually in the range of 1:1 - 7:1. With a low LTV and SSR, a third mortgage loan may possible.

In a foreclosure proceeding, the first mortgagee is given preference over the subordinate/subsequent mortgagees as a general rule. This means that the entire debt of the first mortgagee is first satisfied, after which any remaining amount is applied towards the debt satisfaction of the second mortgagee. If anything is left after that, only then is the third mortgage paid off.

Zero Down Mortgage Loans - First Time Home Buyer Loan Programs

Because of a larger variety of mortgage loans available, first time home buyers may become easily overwhelmed with the home buying process. Understandably, those entering the housing market may not know which loan program best fits their needs. Working with a mortgage broker is helpful. They can guide you through the entire process and help you select a loan with the least out-of-pocket expense.

Main Setback of Purchasing a New Home

Buying a first home is an American dream. The home buying process involves paying out-of-pocket cash for down payments and closing costs. Unfortunately, many families are unable to achieve this dream because of having a small cash reserve.

Years ago, families would have to postpone buying a home until they had acquired adequate funds. Because of rising home prices, many families can no longer afford to wait. Thus, several first time home buyers are taking advantage of zero down mortgage loans.

How Do Zero Down Mortgage Loans Work?

There are many different types of mortgage lenders. Some lenders will only finance 80, 90, or 95 percent of the home price. Thus, homebuyers would need a down payment for the remaining percentage. With a zero down home loan, the lender offers 100% financing.

Zero down mortgage loans make the goal of purchasing a new home reachable. Even if a homebuyer cannot afford to pay their own closing fees, a mortgage broker should be able to locate zero down mortgage loans that offer 103% or 107 % loans. The majority of lenders require a high credit rating for the latter choices.

Options Available to First Time Home Buyers

First time home buyer loans offer unique financing, and most loans are tailored to individuals needs. Getting a home loan does not require good credit. In fact, several lenders are eager to offer first time home buyer loans to those with bad credit or past bankruptcy.

Try using one of ABC Loan Guide's Recommended Zero Down Mortgage Lenders.

Home buyers can choose from several loan terms: 15-year, 20-year, 30-year, or 40-year. Lenders offer a variety of loan options, which create affordable living. Because of low interest rates, buyers can take advantage of a low fixed rate. Furthermore, there is also the popular interest-only mortgage option for those buying homes in overpriced markets.

FHA Home Loans - Making Housing Affordable For Lower Income Americans

The government of the United States of America has over the years been able to provide for the country's citizens, specifically as it relates to housing. Various housing options have been made available for veterans and ordinary citizens alike, however the Federal Housing Administration has opened up the opportunity through FHA home loans for residents of the United States to own a home which they only dreamed of owning before. FHA home loans are federal assistance mortgage loans extended to lower income Americans for the purpose of purchasing a home. The loans have made it possible for many people in the United States to own a piece of the country they have lived in all their lives.

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) is a US government agency designed to help improve housing standards and conditions in the country. They are geared at providing adequate home financing for Americans through insurance of mortgage loans. It should therefore stand to reason that they are guaranteed by the government to provide loans and housing options for the citizens of the country.

FHA home loans offer much lower interest rates than standard loans. In addition, there are lower down payments, depending on various factors. One of those factors is the cost of the house that the applicant is interested in buying. The limits loaned to an individual depend on the type of housing as well as the state or county it is located in. In very real cases, a specific type of property in one state can allow an applicant to borrow much more than for the same sized property in another state.

FHA home loans are not only available for buying a new home. Applicants for this loan can also acquire it if they need to repair the home or make it more energy efficient.

Your qualification is tied in with your credit history and having a good credit history will give you a better chance of being approved for an FHA loan. In terms of FHA loan requirements, there is quite a bit of information that needs to be provided by the applicant to get the process started. This includes:

o The applicant's social security information
o Past employer information for the past two years
o Current gross salary per month
o Information about savings and checking accounts
o Current address information
o Details of existing loans
o Details of real estate owned
o Total value of personal property
o Certificate of eligibility and DD-214 (for veterans only)
o Check stubs and W-2 forms the last two years
o Personal tax returns, balance sheet and income statement for the last two years for self-employed people

You will also need to pay for a credit report as well as an appraisal of the property you are interested in purchasing.

Applying for FHA home loans can be the difference between forever living in a rented or leased apartment and having something you can call your own. If you are a lower income earner, your best bet to owning your own home would be to check out what is available through the FHA loan options.

Are You a First Time Buyer? Give a Glance

It cannot be denied that home purchase is a costly deal. Very few people can deposit enough money to buy a house. Rest of all depend on mortgages to own a house. Fortunately there are various types of mortgages available in the market. Thus there are mortgage for a first time buyer also. It is a useful mean to buy a house for the first time in a favourable manner.

A first time buyer mortgage makes it easy to bridge the gap between tenancy and house owner. There are plenty of mortgage packages for first time buyer. What a first time buyer need is to choose the most suitable one. Being a first time buyer if you are not competent enough to make a choice then you can take mortgage advice.

Mortgage for a first time buyers remains available irrespective of their status. You may be a council tenant, housing association tenant or living with your parents; even then you can qualify for a first time buyer mortgage. A first time buyer mortgage will remain available even if you have a bad credit record. But you have to be a little careful while choosing a mortgage package. It's because a mortgage is a big deal and puts you in long term financial commitment.

Therefore, it is necessary for a first time buyer to do some homework before accepting a mortgage deal. Among the things to be considered are the amount you can afford to borrow, the rate of interest of the mortgage, its duration and the fees you have to pay. It is recommended to dedicate some time for searching out the suitable mortgage.

Useful Tips for Obtaining First Time Home Loans

Everybody dreams of having their own home someday. If you feel that today's the right time to own one yourself, then maybe you'd be interested in applying for first time home loans. First time home loans are considered by many as the most difficult loans to process and obtain approval for.

How High Can Your Income Go

One of the most important questions in your loan application form would ask how much money you're earning right now. And naturally, the higher the income stated, the better. There are several legitimate ways to increase your income. If you think you qualify for a promotion, you could ask your boss to consider giving you a raise so that your loan application would have a better chance of getting approved. It is ideal to go into the loan application process with as much demonstrable income as possible.

What Kind of House Are You Interested In?

Yes, we all wish to have the type of home that would get featured in a glossy magazine or a TV show. But we have to be realistic. Aim for a house that appeals to your taste and makes you feel comfortable but will not prove to be expensive in the long run.

Credit Scores and Credit Repair

If you have an excellent credit rating, you may use that as a bargaining chip to lower the rates your mortgage company will charge you. If you have bad credit, however, it's best to postpone submitting your loan application for the time being, or at least, until your credit is somewhat repaired. Wait for at least six months before applying for a first time home loan - and pay your bills on time during this period. It is also a good idea to try and bring down your overall debt as much as possible during this period.

Compare Rates

This is something that all financial experts would advise you to do when deciding on a product or service. Shop around. Make sure you compare rates before signing any loan contract.

Refinance or Second Mortgage? Combining 1st & 2nd Mortgages Together

I had a recent conversation with one of my clients, Mr. Jackson, who is a finance savvy homeowner from Virginia Beach, VA. He asked me an interesting question that I wanted to share with you, because it seems to be a common dilemma for homeowners in many states.

What the best solution for refinancing my first & second mortgages? Mr. Jackson elaborated, "I have an 6% 1st mortgage with a balance of $255,000, and a second mortgage at 14% with a balance of $52,500. We did a 125% second mortgage to pay off some credit cards. If I add the loans together, we exceeded our homes equity, as the property was appraised at $280,000. We are satisfied with the 1st mortgage rate, but we wanted to lower the rate on the second mortgage. A few years have passed since we took out the 2nd loan back in 2002, and importantly our home's value has increased to about $325,000." He continued, "Should I refinance the second by itself and try and get a lower rate, or should I refinance the 1st and 2nd mortgage together for one mortgage payment?"

Wow, what a good question. I praised my client for consolidating his credit card debts with a fixed rate loan. He was very satisfied with his monthly savings with the 125% loan and because it exceeded his property value, he did not consider refinancing that loan until neighbor hood housing costs went up significantly. Now that his house has increased its value it appears that his combined loan to value was under 100%. His refinancing options become much greater with the increased equity from the home appreciation.

I asked Mr. Jackson a few questions so I could help him find the best solution. How is your credit? Do you know your credit score? Is there a pre-payment penalty on your second mortgage?
Does your first mortgage have a fixed interest rate?
Jackson answered quickly: 689 credit score no pre-payment penalty after 3 years, and his 1st mortgage is at 6% with a 30 year fixed rate.

Combining first and second mortgages into one loan can be challenging, but sometimes it makes sense financially as well as being practical. In Jackson's case, the best option was to leave his first mortgage alone, and simply refinance the 125% home equity loan with a 95- 100% second mortgage to lower his monthly payments. So Mr. Jackson was approved for a fixed rate 2nd mortgage. He had inquired about a home equity line of credit, but I reminded him that they have adjustable rates that have been increasing rapidly in the last few years. Since he was paying off long term debt, a fixed rate loan with simple interest was the only way to go. I was excited for Mr. Jackson, because we were able to get him approved for a loan with no pre-payment penalty and we were able to reduce the closing costs, because of his credit score.

Depending on the home equity program, 2nd mortgages may cost you a few thousand dollars in closing costs. Most closing costs are tax deductible and getting the lowest possible rate pays off in the long run. For example, With a 15 year term, you would recover the cost of the second mortgage within a few years, so if you can get 1% or more better paying some closing costs, it would be better than a home equity loan with no points. The lending reality is that most no point no fee 2nd mortgages require credit scores over 700, and the combined loan to value will most likely need to be under 90%.

If you are able to get the second mortgage with no penalty for early payoff, then get that feature with your loan, because if your home's value continues to increase, then in a year or two, you may find yourself ready to refinance because you are back at the golden 80% combined loan to value. If 1st mortgage rates happen to drop again, then you may find yourself in a great position to finally combine both loans together. If the 1st mortgage rates dropped to the 6% zone, and you still plan to live in your home for many years to come then make the move to refinance. It all comes down to what the rate are doing, when the time comes.

Obama Tax Rebate For First Time Home Owners - How to Claim Your Tax Rebate?

The 2009 Stimulus Package announced by President Barack Obama' Federal Government has brought special tax rebate and grants for the first time home buyers. The key is the right knowledge regarding rebate on tax and acting at the right time.

Here are some tips that would help you claim your tax rebate:

· You have to fill in the form for online on the FHA (Federal Housing Administration) & HUD (US Federal Housing & Urban Development Department) website to claim tax rebate

· The ones who have bought the home between January 1, 2009 & December 1, 2009, you can apply for tax credit up to $ 8000.

· In case you have purchased the home between April 1, 2009 & January 1, 2009, you are eligible for the tax rebate up to $ 7500.

· Unlike the year 2008, this year the tax credits do not have to be repaid to the authorities.

· If you are single, to get the tax rebate your income must be below or equal to $ 75,000 per annum.

· In case of a couple the per annum income must not be more than $ 150,000.

· The house you are considering must be in US.

· Here we are not literally talking about the first time buyers. Actually the US Federal Government law defines the 'first time' clause as follows: 'One or both the persons (in case of a couple) must not have a principle home ownership in their name since three years or more.'

· The house you are buying must be for residential use and not for commercial purpose

· In case you have got the house in inheritance or as a gift, you are not eligible for this benefit.

· If you are purchasing the home from someone within the family or acquaintances you cannot get this tax rebate benefit.