Second Mortgage Vs. A Home Equity Loan

If you own your home and need a loan for whatever reason you have probably considered a second mortgage or a home equity loan to help you pay your bills, buy a new car, or pay for some other investment. However, you probably don't know whether a second mortgage is better or worse than a home equity loan for your particular situation. However, don't despair because there are some tips that will help you decide whether asecond mortgage or home equity loan is for you.

Second Mortgage Tip #1 One Time Expenses
A second mortgage is the preferred option if you have a one time big expense you need to cover. Examples of this include remodeling your kitchen, paying for a wedding, or buying a new car. In these instances asecond mortgage will probably work best for you; however this will depend on the equity in your home and your credit score.

Second Mortgage Tip #2 Recurring Expenses
If you are going to have recurring expenses then you might not want a second mortgage because a home equity loan will work out better for you. The second mortgage is best for large amounts of money at once while recurring expenses like tuition are better paid for with a home equity line of credit.

Second Mortgage Tip #3 Repayment
You will also need to consider your ability to repay and which option will suit you best. A second mortgage can be financed similarly to your first mortgage, while the home equity loan can be paid back more like a credit card. Consider your financial position and ability to make monthly payments before applying for either asecond mortgage or a home equity loan.

If you still don't know whether a second mortgage or home equity line of credit is for you, then talk with your lender and see what is recommended for your equity, credit, and ability to repay the loan.

Guide To Homeowner Loans

A homeowner loan is a loan that is only available to people who own their own home. This type of loan is secured against your home and is also known as a Secured Loan. Because your home is used as the security against the loan, failure to keep up with your repayments may led to you losing your home.

The Advantages of a Homeowner Loan

Because your own home is used as the security in a homeowner loan you will be able to borrow a lot more money than you would be able to with a personal loan. Personal loans usually allow you to borrow up to 25,000 pounds whereas a homeowner loan can let you borrow a lot more than this.

Also as your own home is used as the security for a homeowner loan it means that lenders can often overlook some problems that you may have with your credit history or ability to get a loan from elsewhere. This means that people who are self-employed, have problems proving their income or have a bad credit rating may still be able to get a homeowner loan.

The Disadvantages of a Homeowner Loan

The biggest disadvantage of a homeowner loan is that your home is at risk if you do not keep up your repayments on the loan. Therefore you should think very carefully before using your home as security for a loan, and be honest with the lender from the start to ensure that you can realistically keep up with your repayments until the loan is paid off.

You need to think long-term when it comes to a homeowner loan as these can sometimes take some years to pay off depending on the amount you are borrowing and the company you are borrowing from. You need to be sure that you are financially stable for the foreseeable future and be prepared to deal with an unforeseen circumstances that may affect your ability to repay the loan.

If you are using your home as security for a homeowners loan then you need to consider if the purpose for the loan worth risking your home over? Finally, if thehomeowner loan is being used to consolidate existing debt, you need to make sure that you have made the necessary plans to ensure that all avenues of the existing debt are controlled to prevent a similar situation from arising again in the future.

125 Home Equity Loan

The real estate market slow down may be causing you some big problems. If you are like most home owners, you probably intended to stay in your home for a few years (average is five to seven years), then move onto a home that better fits your needs. But with a market slow down, it may be difficult to sell your home and move up. Have you ever heard of the125 home equity loan?

One option to consider is making improvements to your home or remodeling. But what do you do if you do not have the funds to remodel? Most remodeling projects require a lot more money than the average savings account. But you still have some options.

In this situation, lots of people turn to home equity loans. But even if you do not have a lot of equity in your home, you may be able to get enough money for your remodeling project. Instead of a traditional home equity loan, you could take a125 home equity loan, sometimes referred to as a 125% no equity loan.

Basically, this loan is available to home owners to allow and allows them to borrow up to 25% more than the worth of the home. If this loan sounds too good to be true, you should be aware that there are some restrictions to these loans and they vary from state to state.

These loans are available to home owners with excellent credit. Borrowers can take a loan up to $125,000, of which, no more than $50,000 is cashed out. The home owner must use the money to improve the home. The loan can either be used as a first or second mortgage.

If the loan is a first mortgage, there are some obvious tax benefits, but you should always check with a tax consultant before taking any tax deductions. One of the downsides of this loan is that when you do sell your home, you have to repay the loan, which could exceed the purchase price of your home. But fortunately, the improvements you make to your property should allow your home to appreciate in value, especially after the real estate market rebounds in the future.

Just because the real estate market is not moving in the direction you would hoped, there is no reason why you cannot have a home you will be comfortable in. Sometimes you simply have to change your plans and get creative.

There are almost as many options for mortgages as there are homes out there. Do not be afraid to ask for more information about the125 home equity loan, or get creative with mortgage solutions. With a little creativity, you can be in a home that is perfect for years to come.

Getting Your Home Loan Approved

Home Loan Tip #1 Pay Your Bills
It is very important that you always pay your bills on time and never miss a payment. When you have this type of history paying bills your mortgage lender will believe you will be just as responsible with your home loan. If you want to be approved for a home loan, be sure you are current on all your payments and have been making them regularly for some time before you apply for a home loan.

Home Loan Tip #2 Employment History
In general, when an individual has been employed in the same job for at least two years, or at least the same type of job for that amount of time, a home loan approval is more likely. So, if you have been in your same job for a year and a half and are considering quitting or changing jobs, but are also looking at buying a house, wait until your home loan is approved before you make any changes. Once you have your home loan, you can make any changes.

Home Loan Tip #3 Pay Debt Down
Your debt to income ratio is considered when you apply for a home loan. If you really want to be approved for a home loan then you need to make sure you pay off as many debts as possible in order to look favorable to the home loan lenders. A home loan is approved for individuals who have a low debt to income ratio.

Home Loan Tip #4 Savings
Before applying for a home loan, make sure you have saved at least 20% of the down payment and also have enough money to cover several months of your home loan payment. When you have enough money in savings to cover you if you experience financial difficulty one month or even two or three then the lender will be more likely to approve your home loan.

Home Equity Loan: What You Need to Know

The idea of getting a home equity loan while interest rates are low to help you pay off your bills, buy a car, or even pay for your child's education may seem like a great idea. However, you should educate yourself first so you know exactly what a home equity loan is and if it is really right for you.

The basic idea of a home equity loan is that you can borrow against the current equity in your home, so the more equity you have the larger home equity loan you can receive. In essence, to receive a home equity loan you are using your home as collateral, or the basis, for the home equity loan. If you do not pay the home equity loan back, then your home is at stake and may be foreclosed upon. This is sobering news many people are not aware of, so getting a home equity loan requires some thought and the ability to repay the home equity loan as well.

However, you might be reading this and actually interested in a home equity loan, but have no idea what equity is or if you have any. Equity is how much of your home you have paid for. So, you take the home's current value and subtract it from the amount you still owe, and that is how much equity you have in your home and what will ultimately be used to approve or deny your home equity loan application. For example, your home is currently worth $400,000 and you have $280,000 left to pay on your mortgage. Your current equity is $120,000.

You will need to know all of this information before you apply for a home equity loan to know if you have enough equity to even apply for a home equity loan. Plus, the more you know about applying for and negotiating rates for a home equity loan the better deal you will receive. Remember, knowledge is power and the more home equity loan knowledge you have the more powerful you will be able to negotiate.

Unemployed Loans

Unemployment is a critical situation that needs to be dealt seriously. Unemployed loans have been designed to provide with money when you do not have a source of income. Your job acts the source of income for you but its unavailability can create disasters for you.

You need money
to satisfy your daily requirements but due to the absence of work the Unemployed Loans get in to the stressful situations and any type of sudden expenditure could make the situation even more worse. In such situations it becomes quite tough for the unemployed to get loans. These loans are provided in the form of unsecured loans where the borrower is free from the placement of any sort of security. The borrower is subjected to get a fund amount ranging between £500 and £25000 which he or she needs to repay within the time period of 1 to 10 years. However the repayment period is decided while keeping in mind the borrower. The borrower has to take care of certain criteria of eligibility which he or she requires to satisfy. After meeting the eligibility criteria the applicant needs to fill an online application form. The details provided by the borrower in the form will be verified by the borrower. Once the lender approves the online application form you will be provided with loan as per your requirement. You can use it for any purpose as there are no set limitations for its usage.

Unemployed loans are available easily to the borrower and there are not much hassles involved in the processing of loan. These are basically meant for those who could not fetch money due to the absence of job.

Cash Loans to Your Door

Are you in the midst of a cash drought and need some urgent cash in order to please your hunger for funds? You needn’t go to your friends or other closed people to borrow money and put your image on stake. All you have to do is apply for the cash loans to your door. You might still be scared about those huge waiting queues and that hectic and time consuming formality. You must surf the web and find a creditor from the pool of creditors and the one who which takes a good care of your interests. Then fill the online application form and you might run away with the cash in no moment’s time.

Cash loans to your door might help you in availing money which will be ranging between $100 and $1500. This borrowed money should be repaid to the creditor within a span of 14 days to 31 days. The people who might not be in a condition to offer collateral as a security or guarantee cover against the loan can also avail the benefits of the cash loans. Moreover, the people who might be ailing from bad credit records such as CCJs, arrears, insolvency, defaults or bankruptcy might also find them eligible to avail the benefits of the loans. The rates of interest are on a higher note but can be afforded considering the level of services being provided.

There is a mandatory eligibility criterion which needs to be answered before applying for the cash loans to your door:
• The borrower should not be less then 18 years in age.
• The borrower should possess an active bank account.
• The borrower must be a citizen of United States of America.
• The borrower must be fulltime employed and earning at least $1000 per month.

DERIVE FUNDS FOR URGENT REQUIREMENTS

Searching for an external aid for sudden requirements? Want an immediate relief? For this purpose cash loans can be the most suitable option. These loans come with great financial assistance at the time when your monthly incomes falls short to deal with the demand of emergency. These loans come with negligible formalities, which help you to derive enough finance in a short time span as per your requirements.

There are certain simple terms and conditions which are essential by you for the approval of these kinds of Cash Loans. These are very simple to fulfill according to which:

* You have to be at least 18 years or more
* Your monthly income should be at least £1,000
* You must have an active checking bank account

After qualifying the above loan approval criteria you can borrow an amount ranging from £100 to £1500 for 14 to 31 days. Hence, you can utilize the loan amount for several purposes like-paying your electricity bills, medical bills, school fees, home installments or loan installments. These loans come up with higher interest rate, due to its short term nature of finances. So it is better to repay the loans amount on time, otherwise it may turn out to be expensive if extended.

The best facility provided by Cash Untill Payday Loans is that these are faster in approval and delivery of the loan, as these are free from credit check, fax and lengthy paperwork formalities. Thus, these loans give you an immediate financial relief from the troubles of unplanned needs on time.

Faxless Payday Loans

Someone said that the first impression is the last impression. This is fairly true to a large extent. The first impression which the loans might have left on you must be impudently waiting in that larger then life waiting queues and doing all sort of complex and hectic paperwork. But now with Faxless payday loans you needn’t fax any documents while availing a loan. All you need to do is search for a creditor on the web and then apply for the loan by filling in the online application form.

The people find it quite complicated to avail loans if they might not be in a condition to submit collateral as a security or guarantee against the loan or if they might not be willing to risk their property. Likewise, the people ailing from bad credit record such as CCJs, arrears, insolvency or defaults also have to toil hard to avail a loan. But not anymore as Faxless payday loans might help people who might be suffering from above slated problems in availing instant cash.

Faxless payday loans might allow the borrower to borrow an amount floating from $100 to $1500. This borrowed amount plus the interest will be deducted from the borrower’s bank account on the due date. This due date usually ranges in between 14 days to 31 days. The rates of interest are marginally high but can be easily afforded given the urgent requirement of cash. The borrower needs to answer the following eligibility criterion in order to apply for the loans: Firstly, the applicant should be at least 18 years in age. Secondly, the applicant should be a citizen of United States of America. Thirdly, the applicant should be regularly employed and earning a minimum of $1000 per month. Finally, the applicant should possess a valid bank account.

Installment Loans Definition

Installment loans
definition can be understood as the financial assistance for which the payback is an installment based structure. The borrower has to pay the money back in easy monthly installments. You may very comfortably settle down these loans and lessen your burden in future. The payback period can be mutually settled by both the parties and it can be according to the convenience of the borrower. You may satisfy all your needs and the money can be paid back in installments. This is a very good way of financing and you will not be having any burden on your paychecks.

The money can be used for several purposes you may pay your phone bills, car repair, education expenses and so on. This loan is specially designed to meet all your current needs. These loans are available in both the forms. You may for any form either secured or unsecured. The rates on which you are getting money will vary in these cases. The secured loans are relatively cheaper than the other one. This doesn’t mean that if you are having a bad credit than you are not eligible for the loan there are unsecured form of loan as well. These loans are available without any collateral. You don’t have to pledge anything for having this loan nor are you required to go through any credit checks. You may have to pay a little higher for these loans but that’s not a bad deal when you are getting too much facilities.

Getting an installment loan has become very easy you can get that in few hours only through an online form. But you should always make sure that you are dealing with the lender who is offering the best deal in the market. You may find yourself trapped if you are not dealing with a genuine party. You may find yourself in the nasty cycle of penalties if you missed a payment. This is always advisable that you look for the best deal available in the market. That is easy to do you can ask for quotes from different lenders and can compare them and choose the best one out of the bunch. You may also go for the consumer reviews for different lenders. This may help you to know the real experiences of people and the pros and cons of different schemes available. So if you are looking to take la loan than you may go for an installment loan.

Ways to solve your financial problems

Loans which are derived without any security are known as unsecured loans. The scarcity of funds can rise due to a number of reasons like over spending, salary cuts, unexpected payments etc. In order to meet those uninvited urgency of money you wish to grab money but always fear of collateral placement. Therefore this kind of loan can prove beneficial for you.

Unsecured loans can be grabbed within short span of time. It is useful to both tenants and land lords. They help you maintain your monthly budget in an effective way. This loan helps you to borrow funds ranging from £3,000 up to £75, 000. There are some basic criteria which are mandatory for a borrower to fulfill. After the fulfillment of the eligibility criteria fill in the online application form which would help you get funds at a faster pace. The amount that can be granted to the borrower by a lender depends on repayment ability, specific requirement and several other financial factors. There is no time wasted in credit checking so is a popular kind of loan in UK. This feature saves the borrower from the tedious processing of loan. Quick approval of the loan application makes it more feasible to fetch from this source of money. It should be remembered that these loans should be paid back on the due date otherwise they would land you in debt situation. It involves reduced paperwork and documentation. It is advised to go through the terms and conditions carefully before planning to go for these loans.

The unsecured loan facilitates the borrower in getting involved in the placement of collateral which gives tension jerks to the borrower. Due to this reason the borrower hesitate from applying for loans. In short you are being protected from loosing possession on your asset.

Secured Personal Loans

Secured personal loans have a history that dates back to centuries before the advent of modern banks and financial institutions. Even in the ancient times, borrowers were able to draw funds only when the lender was given rights to certain assets. Though a vast change is visible in the lending policy today, the popularity of secured personal loans sees no decline. Though homeowners do have the option to take unsecured personal loans, a majority of the group prefers to have loans the secured way.

Mere apprehension of losing homes through repossession fails to motivate borrowers to change loyalties. At least borrowers who have been regular in credit transactions or had not more than one or two incidences of bad credit will not put their weight for loans without collateral. Loans without collateral or unsecured personal loans do not claim a direct charge on the borrower's home, but compensate the risk with a very high rate of interest and equally strict terms. Therefore, while the safety of home is ensured, the cost of loan rockets up.

It is obvious that the cost of secured personal loan is lesser because of the lower interest rates and less strict terms. When the loan comes over for repayment, secured personal loans will be easier to repay because of lower cost involved.

The intention of loan providers who try to influence the decision of borrowers to take secured personal loans is often viewed disapprovingly. Lenders prefer secured personal loans because of the lower degree of risk placed by them. People interpret this as the lenders eye on their home. Lenders are in no way interested in repossessing house or any other asset kept as collateral. Since, repossession, maintenance and liquidation put a huge cost on the lender, he would better allow the borrower to himself repay the loan provided. Only in the most extreme of cases when the loan appears to become a bad debt, lenders undertake to repossess collateral.

Consequently, the fears regarding secured personal loans are misplaced.

Advantages of secured personal loans are numerous. Principal among them is the treatment meted out to borrowers who opt for secured personal loans. The preference that the secured personal loan borrowers enjoy is well known. Since the fate of an asset of theirs is on stake through collateral, not many borrowers would take the step to be irregular in repayments. Consequently, the risk involved in secured personal loans is lower. Leniency in other terms is the result of the reduction in risk.

Interest rate, for instance, is the lowest in secured personal loan. Typical APR ranges from 6% to 25%. The interest rate chargeable on any other loan will be much higher. The asset pledged towards collateral helps determine the APR that the borrower has to pay. Home and real estate property commands the lowest APR. Automobiles and title to motor vehicles too command a good interest rate, albeit higher than in homes.

The collateral offered also determines the amount that can be had through secured personal loan. Home presents the safest bet for lenders. Thus, maximum amount will be lent against home. As a rule, the largest amount is offered through secured personal loan . When secured personal loans is offered against home, it is the equity that decides the amount of loan offered. Thus, borrowers planning to use the loan proceeds to huge expense heads like debt consolidation, home improvement and car purchase will be benefited more through a secured personal loan.

Though the repayment options presented to the borrowers of secured personal loans are no different from that available to the unsecured loans borrowers, repayment is a relatively smoother journey for the former category of borrowers. Most lenders will make the terms of repayment flexible enough to suit borrowers. Some loan providers have deployed experts to educate borrowers about the various options that are available to them for loan repayment. The method used for disbursal of loan will be suggested after gaining a proper knowledge of the borrowers financial condition. A proper study indicates if the borrowers' finances will be able to support the repayment method and the loan itself.

Secured personal loan do have a few drawbacks. Proper decisions and accurate planning on secured personal loan however minimise the impact produced by these drawbacks.

Personal Loan and Types of Personal Loans

All financial institutes and banks offer personal loans. The basic aim of a personal loan is to provide essential finance to fulfill all the demands of an individual at best terms and conditions. Personal loan is a multipurpose loan; it can be used for a number of purposes including home renovation expenses, purchase of a car or bike, wedding expenses, education expenses, holiday or to payoff all the current debts to improve credit score. In order to make personal loans accessible to every one bank and financial institutes offer personal loans in two different ways. One is secured personal loans and the other one is unsecured personal loans. This makes more people eligible to apply for personal loans. Property owners and non property owners both are eligible to apply for personal loans. Bad Credit Owners can also apply for a personal loan. These loans offer very flexible terms and conditions of repayment.

Secured Personal Loans

A personal loan secured against any property is known as secured personal loans. Secured personal loans offer large amounts of money as a loan. Borrowers with bad credit history, who find difficulty to get unsecured personal loans, can also apply for secured personal loans. Lenders provide secured personal loans with more flexible terms and condition when you have been rejected for unsecured personal loans. The amount of money you can borrow ranges from £5,000 to £75,000, with payback period of 5 to 25 years.

Unsecured Personal Loans

An unsecured personal loan is an excellent option for non homeowners who can not apply for secured loans. Tenants can also apply for unsecured personal loans. Nothing is required as collateral to get this loan. Lender solely relies on the repayment ability of the borrower. Unsecured loans are granted with high interest rates as compared to secured personal loans. The amount of money you can borrow is as little as £500 and it can be increased upto £25,000 maximum with payback period of six months to ten years. An unsecured loan is more expensive with shorter payback periods.

Prerequisites for Personal Loans

Different lenders demand different documents before granting personal loans. It also depends on the type of personal loan you applied for. For example for a personal loan amounting to a small sum, lender usually asks for only a driving license, proof of employment, address information, and a post dated check of amount of loan plus interest amount. Some online lenders do not even ask for employment proof. Whereas for a large unsecured loan, lenders may ask for all the documents mentioned in the loan policy as well as detailed description of the home or any large equity you are going to purchase from the borrowed money.

In case of secured personal loans borrower also need to submit information about the collateral, proof of you partner’s income and credit capacities.

In case of hybrid loans such as combined business and combined personal loans borrowers have to provide additional information about their company these information include every thing from permits and licenses of the business or project, agreement of business to insurance documents of the business. Borrower is also required to explain the economic reliability of the project before issuance of the loan. Whatever the document requirement is, borrowers must complete all the prerequisite documents before moving forward with loan application process in order to get loan fast and easy.

Unsecured Loans and Alternatives

Unsecured loans can be very difficult to get. There are many factors a bank is going to consider that might make it impossible for you to achieve a positive response about unsecured loans.

Unsecured loans are loans for a business where the company doesn’t have to put up any collateral for the loan. These unsecured loans are common for very successful businesses that show a lot of revenue and assets. It is very difficult for most people who want an unsecured loan for a business to get a good response from a bank if they don’t meet many different stipulations of unsecured loans.

The unsecured loans stipulations usually required from a bank when you are asking for unsecured loans usually require good credit. You must have a high credit score for some of the unsecured loans. The company must have a proven track record of high revenues and success for the past year or two for some of the unsecured loans. The company must show more assets than liabilities and not be in the negative on the books in any way to receive most unsecured loans.

There are alternatives to unsecured loans if lenders are not seeing the big picture that you do. The best alternative to a lender giving you money is through a friend or a family member. If you have a friend or a family member who has the money to help you with the money you need then you won’t have to worry about getting turned away from the banks. A friend or family member also won’t charge you large interest rates like a bank will on unsecured loans.

Another alternative to unsecured loans is by finding government grants for your small business. There is millions of dollars that goes unclaimed every year and if you can get a grant you won’t even have to repay the money but show the government that you spent it on your business. This is an excellent idea for any type of small business because you don’t have to pay all grants back like unsecured loans. Grants are free money the government sets aside for small businesses as a way to stimulate the local economy. Most small business owners never consider business grants before they ask a lender for unsecured loans.

Loan Modification

You know what a mortgage is, how it works, and what to watch out for. But when you go asking for mortgage assistance, your lender’s words make about as much sense as alien banter. That’s what makes the Loan Modification process so confusing for many homeowners—and why many of them simply give up.

But you don’t have to be a financial expert to make sound decisions. A working knowledge of the lending and loan modification industry can help you better understand your situation, and know exactly what your lenders mean. Below is a list of terms you’re likely encounter in a loan modification, and what they mean for you.

Amortization: The repayment of a loan (usually a mortgage) through regular installments. The payments are determined by the term of the loan, the principal balance, and the interest rate.

Annual Percentage Rate (APR): The total cost of the loan, including the interest, mortgage insurance, points, and other associated fees.

Adjustable-Rate Mortgage (ARM): A type of mortgage in which the interest rate changes according to market conditions. This means your payments may increase or decrease from month to month. Most ARMs have a payment cap that keeps the amount from rising beyond certain levels.

Debt-to-income ratio (DTI): The ratio of the amount you pay on the loan to your total income. Lenders use this to determine whether or not you can comfortably pay the loan. According to the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the mortgage payments should not exceed 29% of your monthly income before taxes, and your total debt (including credit cards and other loans) should not go over 41%.

Deed-in-lieu: A deed that passes interest in your property to your lender as settlement for your debt. It doesn’t let you keep your home, but it helps you avoid the foreclosure proceedings and associated costs.

Equity: The amount of financial interest you have in your own property. This is calculated by subtracting the amount you still owe from your home’s fair market value.

Fair market value (FMV): A theoretical price given to your home considering the current market conditions. The FMV assumes that the buyer and seller are acting freely and have all the pertinent information for the deal.

Fixed-rate mortgage: A type of mortgage that uses a fixed interest rate throughout the term of the loan. This gives you more stability as a borrower, as your payments will remain the same regardless of the market figures.

Foreclosure: A process wherein your property is sold off and the proceeds go to your lender, allowing them to recover their losses when you default on the loan.

Forbearance: An agreement in which your lender revises your payment plan to help you get current and avoid foreclosure. This may involve lowering your monthly payments or suspending them for a given period. Unlike loan modification, this is usually temporary and is often used as a loss mitigation option.

Good faith estimate (GFE): An estimate of the total cost of the loan, including all the closing fees, lender charges, and insurance costs. All lenders are required to give you a GFE within three days after you apply for a loan.

Interest: A percentage of the principal added to your monthly fees, as a way of paying your lender for the use of money.

Interest Only: A loan structure in which you only pay interest for the life of the loan, and pay the principal only after a given period.

Lien: A claim held by your lender against your property as a form of security in case you default on the loan.

Loan-to-value ratio (LTV): The ratio of the total amount you pay on the loan to the actual price of your home. The higher the LTV, the less you have to put out as down payment.

Loss mitigation: A process that helps borrowers to avoid foreclosure and lenders to minimize their losses on delinquent borrowers. When you fall behind or apply for a loan modification, your lender’s Loss Mitigation office will handle your case and make the decisions.

Mortgage banker: A firm that resells loans to secondary lenders, such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Mortgage broker: A person or company that serves as a mediator between agents, buyers, sellers, and mortgage lenders. Brokers are paid by a percentage of the amount earned by the lender or seller. Lenders are required by law to disclose all fees paid to brokers and other parties, so you can be sure they’re not making kickbacks at your expense.

Mortgage insurance: An insurance policy that helps minimize losses for your lender in case you fail to keep up with payments. This is usually required for borrowers who make a down payment lower than 20% of the purchase price.

Principal Balance Reduction: A type of loan modification in which your lender reduces your principal balance to lower your monthly payments. Lenders usually grant this only to people from heavily depreciated areas, or when the amount they write off is still lower than the cost of foreclosing on your home.

Refinancing: A process wherein you take out one loan to pay off another. This allows you to enjoy better loan terms, such as a lower interest rate or a more stable structure.

RESPA: Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act. This is a law that requires all lenders to give you a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) of the loan and disclose all the fees involved. It also gives you the right to dispute any fees or even cancel the loan within a reasonable time frame.

Short sale: A common alternative to foreclosure. In a short sale, you sell the home for less than its fair market value, and give the proceeds to your lender as payment for the home. Although it won’t let you keep your home, it’s less damaging to your credit than a foreclosure.

Teaser Rate: An introductory interest rate offered on many mortgages to draw in borrowers. After the introductory period, the interest reverts to normal rates, increasing your monthly payments for the rest of the loan.

Teaser Rate: A temporary rate reduction at the inset of a loan.

TILA: Truth in Lending Act, also known as the National Consumer Credit Protection
Act. This law requires lenders to give you complete information about the terms and total cost of the loan.