Contact your real estate agent (some even specialize in such transactions) or read up on lease options at the public library. If you have a real estate attorney, ask if he or she has any prepared information you can review. Most bookstores have a fairly hefty real estate book section these days. Many current real estate books have at least a section on lease options.
If you are considering a lease option, be sure you do your homework first. And have an attorney or financial advisor on hand to review any paperwork before you sign.
What is a lease option?
When a renter signs a lease with an option to purchase a property for a specific price within a certain time frame, that is called a lease option. In most lease-option situations, a portion of the rent is applied to a future down payment.
Lease options are most popular among buyers who don’t have enough funds for a down payment and closing costs.
What about splitting my mortgage in two and paying bi-weekly?
Some people set on paying off their home loan early and reducing interest charges opt for a biweekly mortgage. Monthly payments are divided in half, payable every two weeks.
Because there are 52 weeks in a year, the program results in 26 half-payments, or the equivalent of 13 monthly payments per year instead of 12. Using the biweekly payment system, a homeowner with a $70,000, 30-year biweekly $255 Payday Loans Online mortgage at 10 percent interest could save $60,000 in interest and pay off the balance in less than 21 years.
Are 40-year mortgages a good idea?
Smaller monthly payments are the primary advantage of adding 10 years to the traditional 30-year mortgage, but real estate experts say the shorter-term loan usually is more beneficial for the home buyer. The drawback becomes apparent simply by calculating the cost of additional interest payments, which can total thousands for a few dollars difference in mortgage payments.
What are no-doc loans?
“No-doc” loans are mortgages for which lenders require very little loan documentation as long as the borrower puts down a sizable down payment, generally 25 percent or more.
These mortgages are common among self-employed people who say they earn a certain amount of money but whose tax returns show that their earnings are much lower.
What about a 15-year v. 30 year loan?
The difference in payments and overall savings between a 15-year fixed-rate loan and a 30-year fixed-rate loan depends on the interest rate and the loan amount. Using a $100,000 loan and 7.25% interest rate as an example, monthly payments on the 15-year note would be $912.86. Monthly payments on a $100,000 loan at 7.25% fixed for 30 years would be $682.18.
The 15-year note offers the opportunity to save considerable money over the life of the loan, since the period of amortization is half that of the 30-year note. This means that the total interest paid on a 15-year note as compared to a 30-year note is significantly less.
However, calculating the overall savings of the 15-year note over the 30-year note depends on several individual circumstances, such as the borrower’s changing income status.
Can someone who is unemployed get a loan?
Generally, lenders will not make loans to unemployed persons because someone without an income would seemingly have no way of making monthly mortgage payments.
However, there are home loans for which lenders require very little loan documentation as long as the borrower puts down a sizable down payment, generally 25 percent or more. These “no-doc” loans are common among self-employed people who say they earn a certain amount of money but whose income tax returns show that their earnings are much lower.
Borrowers should check directly with lenders when seeking a no-doc loan. If specific lenders do not offer them, ask for a referral.
