Buy House Plans Having

How to Buy House Plans - eHow.com Clear Instructions on How To Do (just about) Everything Web eHow.com Home Finance & Business Center Real Estate How to Buy House Plans Having trouble finding an existing house that you want to buy? Consider buying plans and building your own home. That set of blueprints, with or without minor modifications, may well be the first step you take to create your dream home. Steps: 1. Determine the size of the house you can afford to build. The National Association of Home Builders (nahb.org) has information on the average cost per square foot for new homes in any area. Multiply the square footage of the home you want by the average cost per square foot to determine a ballpark cost. 2. Draw up a detailed, prioritized list of what you want your home to include in terms of number of bedrooms and baths, and garage size. What are must-haves and what can you live without? Include outdoor features such as porches, decks and a pool. 3. Ask yourself how you want to use the house now and in the future. Do you like to entertain? Do you want a casual great room or formal dining and living rooms? Will your home eventually need to accommodate aging parents, returning adult children or grandchildren? Do you need a separate entrance for an au pair? 4. Consider your lot requirements, such as sloping, corner or zero-lot line (where one side of the house sits on one lot line). Foundation options (basement, crawlspace or slab) will be dependent on what the lot will allow, based on the grade and other factors. If you've found plans for your ideal home, buy them and then look for a lot on which that particular layout will work. Otherwise, if you find the perfect lot (see How to Buy a Lot ), you'll need to be pickier as you choose your home plans in order to be sure that they'll fit on your land. 5. Browse house plan catalogs and magazines found at home improvement stores or bookstores. Many architects offer plans for sale online. Some sites let you specify exactly what features you want, such as a certain size kitchen or number of bedrooms. 6. Evaluate the plan for overall size, traffic patterns, appealing exterior materials, efficient use of space and materials, and well-planned work and storage areas. Ask a contractor to review the blueprints as well. 7. Expect to spend anywhere from $400 to $1,300 for plans depending on the project size and level of complexity. Buy up to eight nonreproducible sets--enough to distribute to tradespeople, contractors and lenders, or one reproducible master set. 8. Hire an architect to review your plans. He or she can make any modifications you think are necessary. See How to Hire an Architect . Overall Tips: Chances are good that plans will need to be adapted to meet your family's specific needs, so don't be afraid to make modifications with the help of an architect. Seismic and local building requirements will also likely mandate changes. What to look for: Plans that suit your needs Architect to modify plans Lot requirements Please Share Your Tips with Us More Resources: Contribute to eHow: Write an eHow Article Suggest a Topic Give Us Feedback on This Article Related eHows: Hire a Builder Have Your Home Custom Built Buy a Lot Hire an Architect Pull Building Permits Project Details: Skill Advisory: Moderate New! -- Related eHows: Hire a Builder Have Your Home Custom Built Buy a Lot Hire an Architect Pull Building Permits Check out Thousands of How-To Solutions in eHow's Centers Automotive Careers & Education Computers & Home Electronics Family & Relationships Finance & Business Food & Entertaining Health Hobbies & Games Holidays & Traditions Home & Garden Personal Care & Style Pets Sports & Fitness Travel How to: --? Web eHow.com Home | Site Map | About Us | How To Books | Link to eHow Subscribe to the eHow of the Day Mailing List : Have the eHow of the Day appear on your My Yahoo! Page: Add the eHow of the Day to your RSS reader: © 1999-2005 eHow, Inc. How things get done. Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the eHow Terms of Use and Privacy .

buy property with the

Advice for buying and reselling for a profit. - Oct. 14, 2004 Web CNN/Money Buying & Selling Investment Property Home Improvement Million $ Life Financing Best Places The art of the flip A new reality television show will follow real estate speculators as they buy, fix and "flip." October 14, 2004: 2:24 PM EDT By Sarah Max, CNN/Money senior writer SALEM, Ore. (CNN/Money) It's one thing to buy a house to call home. It's quite another to buy property with the sole purpose of turning around and reselling for a profit. It's called flipping, and in the coming months, a dozen aspiring real estate investors experience this firsthand -- on camera, no less -- as they attempt to buy, remodel and sell property within a period of six months. Flipping is the subject of an upcoming reality television series with the working title "Property Ladder," scheduled to appear on The Learning Channel in May 2005. "Everyone you talk to seems to know someone who has tried to flip property," said Char Serwa, the show's executive producer. In California, where most of show's subjects are buying, 2.6 percent of all houses sold during the month of May were owned for less than six months, according to DataQuick Information Systems, up from 1.9 percent the previous year. There are several varieties of flipping, said William Bronchick, author of "Flipping Properties." One is rehabbing, which is the focus of the show. Other flippers buy property that's in foreclosure or under construction and try to resell the property to other investors. "We're not advocating that people do this," added Serwa, explaining that each homeowner's story will be told in an individual episode, detailing the experience from purchase to sale. "This is truly an observational documentary," she said. "It's real life." Indeed, the homeowners featured on the show are not only footing the bill for the property and the cost of renovations, they're managing the projects on their own. Unlike other TLC makeover shows, seasoned carpenters and designers won't be pitching in to help. QUICK VOTE Have you ever bought real estate solely as an investment, and not to have a place to live? Yes No View results What the show's subjects do get is advice from host Kirsten Kemp, an actress, real estate agent and seasoned property investor. Whether the homeowners actually take that advice is another story. Viewers, meanwhile, may likely learn a few lessons as well, namely that buying, remodeling and selling property is hard work particularly when done in a matter of months. "A lot of things can go wrong," said Kemp. It's also financially risky. A slowdown in real estate means little to a homeowner settled in for several years, but it can be devastating if you're banking on selling for a quick profit. Buy it, fix it and sell it. Kristen Kemp, host of TLC's 'Property Ladder,' shares tips on flipping properties. Play video (Real or Windows Media) Factor in the transaction and renovation costs and there may be little profit at all. Any profit you do make, mind you, will be taxed at ordinary income if you sell in less than a year, noted Ron Phipps, of Phipps Realty in Warwick, RI. In seven years, Kemp flipped 40 properties, not always successfully. "I made money about 70 percent of the time, and 30 percent of the time I broke even or lost money." Here's a sneak preview of some of the lessons Kemp hopes to bring home. Leave your emotions at the front door When shopping for investment property, you want to find a house that tugs at you emotionally, said Kemp. If a house rouses your emotions, chances are it will do the same for future buyers will as well. When it's time to make an offer, however, your emotions cannot get the best of you. "You make money flipping in part by buying low," she said. "The people who say 'I just have to have this house' are the ones who overpay.'" Don't overdo it when renovating See the average cost for 15 common projects and how much they can add to the value of your home. Type of project: Bathroom Remodel - Mid-Range Bathroom Remodel - Upscale Bathroom Addition - Mid-Range Bathroom Addition - Upscale Maj. Kitch. Remod. - Mid-Range Maj. Kitch. Remod. - Upscale Master Suite - Mid-Range Master Suite - Upscale Family Room - Mid-Range Deck - Mid-Range Basement Remodel - Mid-Range Siding Replacement - Mid-Range Window Replacement - Mid-Range Window Replacement - Upscale Attic Bedroom - Mid-Range Average job cost (2003 Natl Avg): $ What will you get back? % Cost recovered % Value at sale $ Get your local results from Remodeling Online's 2003 Cost vs. Value Report "This is not the time to create your dream house," said Kemp. "You don't want to fix the property to a level that is not necessary." This is a dilemma many first-time flippers struggle with. On the one hand, they want to do a good job on the renovation. On the other hand, they don't want to put money in expensive light fixtures or elaborate built-ins if they aren't going to recoup the time or money they spent. That said, you don't want to cover up serious problems with a new coat of paint or a well-placed picture. "You want to attack anything thing that would be a red flag at closing," said Kemp. DIY when it makes sense The more work you can do yourself, the more money you'll make on the flip, said Kemp. Still, even do-it-yourselfers need help sometimes. Develop a list of reliable contractors, plumbers, electricians, drywallers and other experts to call on. Kemp, for one, says she has her own contractor to thank for getting her through many projects. While you're at it, find a good real estate agent, she said. "They can help you understand what is selling and what's not," she said. "They'll do a good job because if they do, they know you are going to list the property with them when you're ready to sell." Price the property to sell You give your blood, sweat and tears to a house, but it's no excuse to overprice it. "I encourage people not to get greedy," Kemp said. In fact, she recommends pricing property a little under market value. "Every day your house is on the market you're losing money." What if "Property Ladder" homes don't sell in time for prime time? That's just part of the story. And in real estate, sometimes that's the reality. --* Disclaimer Try an issue of MONEY magazine - FREE! More on REAL ESTATE • How to buy and build on rural land • Most overvalued housing markets • When booms go bust... TODAY'S TOP STORIES • Most overvalued housing markets • Risks to the economy in 2006 • Which was the worst ad of all in 2005? CNN Money contact us | subscribe to Money magazine advertising -- | site map | glossary | RSS | press room OTHER NEWS: CNN | SI | Fortune | Business 2.0 | Time © 2005 Cable News Network LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Terms under which this service is provided to you. privacy policy Reprints of site stories are available.

Home Loans Bring Would-Be

Home Loans - Forbes.com - New Home Loans U.S. | EUROPE | ASIA Jump Select Section Home Investment Newsletters Polls & Discussions Premium Tools Special Reports Video & Audio Watchlist IT Research Library IT Product & Service Search Business -Manufacturing -Technology -Commerce -Services -Energy -Healthcare -Small Business Technology -E-Business -Enterprise Tech -Infoimaging -Personal Tech -Science & Medicine -Wireless Markets -Equities -Economy -Commodities -Bonds -Emerging Markets -Currencies Work -Careers -Compensation -Entrepreneurs -Management Lists -Companies --Forbes 500s --Forbes Global 500 --200 Best Small Cos. --400 Best Big Cos. --Largest Private Cos. -People --World's Richest People --100 Top Celebrities --400 Richest Americans --Best Paid CEOs -Places --Best Places Personal Finance -Estate Planning -Funds -Philanthropy -Retirement -Strategies -Taxes Lifestyle -Collecting -Health -Real Estate -Sport -Travel -Vehicles -Wine & Food Columnists Magazines -Forbes Magazine -Forbes Global -Forbes FYI -Forbes ASAP -Best of the Web -Archives -Subscriptions Tools About Us Contact Us Help Reprints/Permissions Sitemap Advertising Conferences Forbes Collection Forbes Mobile Special Advertising Search Quote HOME PAGE FOR THE WORLD'S BUSINESS LEADERS Home Special Advertising Section Tell Us About Your Property Loan Type * Refinance Purchase Home Debt Consolidation Home Equity Home Description * Single Family Multi Family Town House Condo Estimated Home Value * $ Select One 75,000 - 80,000 80,001 - 85,000 85,001 - 90,000 90,001 - 95,000 95,001 - 100,000 100,001 - 105,000 105,001 - 110,000 110,001 - 115,000 115,001 - 120,000 120,001 - 125,000 125,001 - 130,000 130,001 - 135,000 135,001 - 140,000 140,001 - 145,000 145,001 - 150,000 150,001 - 155,000 155,001 - 160,000 160,001 - 165,000 165,001 - 170,000 170,001 - 175,000 175,001 - 180,000 180,001 - 185,000 185,001 - 190,000 190,001 - 195,000 195,001 - 200,000 200,001 - 210,000 210,001 - 220,000 220,001 - 230,000 230,001 - 240,000 240,001 - 250,000 250,001 - 260,000 260,001 - 270,000 270,001 - 280,000 280,001 - 290,000 290,001 - 300,000 300,001 - 310,000 310,001 - 320,000 320,001 - 330,000 330,001 - 340,000 340,001 - 350,000 350,001 - 360,000 360,001 - 370,000 370,001 - 380,000 380,001 - 390,000 390,001 - 400,000 400,001 - 420,000 420,001 - 440,000 440,001 - 460,000 460,001 - 480,000 480,001 - 500,000 500,001 - 520,000 520,001 - 540,000 540,001 - 560,000 560,001 - 580,000 580,001 - 600,000 600,001 - 620,000 620,001 - 640,000 640,001 - 660,000 660,001 - 680,000 680,001 - 700,000 700,001 - 720,000 720,001 - 740,000 740,001 - 760,000 760,001 - 780,000 780,001 - 800,000 800,001 - 820,000 820,001 - 840,000 840,001 - 860,000 860,001 - 880,000 880,001 - 900,000 900,001 - 920,000 920,001 - 940,000 940,001 - 960,000 960,001 - 980,000 980,001 - 1,000,000 1,000,000+ 1,500,000+ 2,000,000+ Tell Us About Your Current Loan Your Mortgage Balance * $ Select One 0 1 - 5,000 5,001 - 10,000 10,001 - 15,000 15,001 - 20,000 20,001 - 25,000 25,001 - 30,000 30,001 - 35,000 35,001 - 40,000 40,001 - 45,000 45,001 - 50,000 50,001 - 55,000 55,001 - 60,000 60,001 - 65,000 65,001 - 70,000 70,001 - 75,000 75,001 - 80,000 80,001 - 85,000 85,001 - 90,000 90,001 - 95,000 95,001 - 100,000 100,001 - 105,000 105,001 - 110,000 110,001 - 115,000 115,001 - 120,000 120,001 - 125,000 125,001 - 130,000 130,001 - 135,000 135,001 - 140,000 140,001 - 145,000 145,001 - 150,000 150,001 - 155,000 155,001 - 160,000 160,001 - 165,000 165,001 - 170,000 170,001 - 175,000 175,001 - 180,000 180,001 - 185,000 185,001 - 190,000 190,001 - 195,000 195,001 - 200,000 200,001 - 210,000 210,001 - 220,000 220,001 - 230,000 230,001 - 240,000 240,001 - 250,000 250,001 - 260,000 260,001 - 270,000 270,001 - 280,000 280,001 - 290,000 290,001 - 300,000 300,001 - 310,000 310,001 - 320,000 320,001 - 330,000 330,001 - 340,000 340,001 - 350,000 350,001 - 360,000 360,001 - 370,000 370,001 - 380,000 380,001 - 390,000 390,001 - 400,000 400,001 - 420,000 420,001 - 440,000 440,001 - 460,000 460,001 - 480,000 480,001 - 500,000 500,001 - 520,000 520,001 - 540,000 540,001 - 560,000 560,001 - 580,000 580,001 - 600,000 600,001 - 620,000 620,001 - 640,000 640,001 - 660,000 660,001 - 680,000 680,001 - 700,000 700,001 - 720,000 720,001 - 740,000 740,001 - 760,000 760,001 - 780,000 780,001 - 800,000 800,001 - 820,000 820,001 - 840,000 840,001 - 860,000 860,001 - 880,000 880,001 - 900,000 900,001 - 920,000 920,001 - 940,000 940,001 - 960,000 960,001 - 980,000 980,001 - 1,000,000 1,000,000+ 1,500,000+ 2,000,000+ Current Interest Rate * Select 3.00 3.25 3.50 3.75 4.00 4.25 4.50 4.75 5.00 5.25 5.50 5.75 6.00 6.25 6.50 6.75 7.00 7.25 7.50 7.75 8.00 8.25 8.50 8.75 9.00 9.25 9.50 9.75 10.00 10.25 10.50 10.75 11+ % Existing Rate Type * Fixed Adjustable Fixed/Adj How Much Additional Cash do You Wish to Borrow? $ Tell Us about Your Home Purchase Is there a Specific Home You Want to Buy? * Yes No Purpose of Property * Primary Secondary Investment Vacation Property State * Select One Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Iowa Idaho Illinois Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Missouri Mississippi Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Down Payment * Select One 0 1 - 5,000 5,001 - 10,000 10,001 - 15,000 15,001 - 20,000 20,001 - 25,000 25,001 - 30,000 30,001 - 35,000 35,001 - 40,000 40,001 - 45,000 45,001 - 50,000 50,001 - 55,000 55,001 - 60,000 60,001 - 65,000 65,001 - 70,000 70,001 - 75,000 75,001 - 80,000 80,001 - 85,000 85,001 - 90,000 90,001 - 95,000 95,001 - 100,000 100,001 - 105,000 105,001 - 110,000 110,001 - 115,000 115,001 - 120,000 120,001 - 125,000 125,001 - 130,000 130,001 - 135,000 135,001 - 140,000 140,001 - 145,000 145,001 - 150,000 150,001 - 155,000 155,001 - 160,000 160,001 - 165,000 165,001 - 170,000 170,001 - 175,000 175,001 - 180,000 180,001 - 185,000 185,001 - 190,000 190,001 - 195,000 195,001 - 200,000 200,001 - 210,000 210,001 - 220,000 220,001 - 230,000 230,001 - 240,000 240,001 - 250,000 250,001 - 260,000 260,001 - 270,000 270,001 - 280,000 280,001 - 290,000 290,001 - 300,000 300,001 - 310,000 310,001 - 320,000 320,001 - 330,000 330,001 - 340,000 340,001 - 350,000 350,001 - 360,000 360,001 - 370,000 370,001 - 380,000 380,001 - 390,000 390,001 - 400,000 400,001 - 420,000 420,001 - 440,000 440,001 - 460,000 460,001 - 480,000 480,001 - 500,000 500,001 - 520,000 520,001 - 540,000 540,001 - 560,000 560,001 - 580,000 580,001 - 600,000 600,001 - 620,000 620,001 - 640,000 640,001 - 660,000 660,001 - 680,000 680,001 - 700,000 700,001 - 720,000 720,001 - 740,000 740,001 - 760,000 760,001 - 780,000 780,001 - 800,000 800,001 - 820,000 820,001 - 840,000 840,001 - 860,000 860,001 - 880,000 880,001 - 900,000 900,001 - 920,000 920,001 - 940,000 940,001 - 960,000 960,001 - 980,000 980,001 - 1,000,000 Over 1,000,000 Rate Type * Fixed Adjustable Fixed/Adj Tell Us about Yourself Your Credit Profile * Excellent Good Fair Poor Annual Income Occupational Status Employed Self Employed Retired Unemployed Monthly Debt Payments Select 0-249 250-499 500-749 750-1,000 Over 1,000 Have You Declared Bankruptcy? No Not in the last 7 years 1-2 years 2-5 years Your Contact Information First Name * Last Name * Email * Street Address * City * State * Select One Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Iowa Idaho Illinois Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Missouri Mississippi Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Zip * Primary Phone * Secondary Phone Best Contact Time * Morning on Primary Morning on Secondary Afternoon on Primary Afternoon on Secondary Evening on Primary Evening on Secondary * REQUIRED FIELDS Service and Data Privacy provided by Secure Rights Note: Secure Rights is responsible for the collection and transfer of information on this page for the purpose of completing your request. By submitting your request you agree to be contacted in accordance with Secure Rights Privacy Policy . View Secure Rights licenses . Paid Advertisement Article Home Loans Bring Would-Be Homeowners Closer to their Goal If you’re looking to buy a house, it’s unlikely that, in today’s economy, you’ll be able to pay in full up front. That’s why home loans exist – to aid aspiring homeowners in acquiring and financing the homes they’ve dreamed of – without bankrupting them in the process. Home loans can be acquired through banks and home loan companies. Either route you take, you’re entitled to personal service by a representative who will review your finances, credit report, and help you decide which is the best home loan solution for your needs. In order to gather all the information they need, the bank or loan company will re-appraise the market value of your house to determine the proper loan amount. You will then work together to go over the different loan options available and determine which is best for your personal situation. Different Home Loans for Different Folks There are two main types of home loans , each with its own advantages. Fixed-rate loans divide the amount to be repaid over a set number of years. “Fixed rate” means that no matter how the interest rate fluctuates over the years, the amount of payment will remain the same. If the interest rate dips, your mortgage consultant will help you refinance to take advantage of the lower rate. In contrast, adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) are dependent on the fluctuation of the interest rate over time. When the rate is low, payments are low, but when interest rates are high, the payment increases also. ARMs are slightly easier to qualify for than fixed-rate loans, but they also carry more risks. When you are choosing a home loans company, take into consideration the additional “home loan origination fee” (usually 1% of the total amount borrow, so if you borrow $100,000, the fee is $100), as well as closing, settlement and appraisal fees. Most companies will allow you to “roll” these fees into your home loan, an excellent option that allows you to pay them over time if you don’t have the funds to pay up front. When you’re ready to move forward with a home loan, or if you’d just like to start exploring your options, submit the form at the top of this page to acquire your own mortgage consultant to help you get started with the mortgage process and explain which home loans might be best for you. ^ Paid Advertisement Article ^ Ad Information        Forbes.com Wireless        Reprints / Permissions        Subscriber Services        ©2004 Forbes.com™      All Rights Reserved       Privacy Statement        Terms, Conditions and Notice Search Engine Marketing by 360i, Inc.

Rental Property Tips Home

Rental Properties - Tips and Techniques  You are here: About > Home & Garden > Home Buying / Selling > Investing & Foreclosures > Rental Property Tips Home & Garden Home Buying / Selling Essentials 10 Things Home Buyers Shouldn't Do Best Tips for First Time Home Buyers "Must-Do" Tasks Before You Sell How to Buy a Home, Step by Step For Sale by Owner Advice Articles & Resources How To Buy a Home How To Sell a House Celebrity & Historic Credit Reports & Scores Design & Remodel Home Maintenance Inspections & Appraisals Investing & Foreclosures Modular & Manufactured Mold, Radon, Lead, etc. Mortgage Advice Moving & Relocation Real Estate Careers Real Estate For Sale Vacation Homes Buyer's Guide Before You Buy Top Picks Home Buying Books Foreclosure Books Mortgage Books Product Reviews Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Home Buying / Selling newsletter! See Online Courses   Search Home Buying / Selling > Investing & Foreclosures > Rental Property Tips Rental Properties - Tips & Techniques How much should you pay for a rental property? How much rent should you charge? Here's a set of links that will help answer many of your questions about buying and managing a rental property. Articles & Resources Sort By : Guide Picks | Alphabetical | Recent Acquiring Income Producing Property Here's a multi-page document that offers tips and techniques on just about every aspect of buying and managing rental properties. How To Calculate Cash Flow from Rental Properties This document takes you step-by-step through a cash flow calculation. How To Set the Right Rent Tips to help you determine the right rent to charge for your investment properties. Investment Property / Rental Home Calculator This calculator provides an analysis of cash flow and net worth on investment property purchases. Take a look. Property Investment: Single Family Rental Homes Homestore.com explains why single family homes are a popular investment choice. This articles includes information about financing and taxes, and discusses probable scenarios about cash flow.        Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | Help User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy ©2005 About, Inc., A part of the New York Times Company . All rights reserved. Around About Oprah's Life Vacation Ideas Shop Safely Online VIDEO: Craft Rooms VIDEO: Christmas Traditions What's Hot Coping with Unethical People How To Buy Land Real Estate Appraisal Before You Buy a Log Home Package Home Buying / Selling - GuideReviews Headlines Getting Ready to Sell Your House Guests and lots of activities make it difficult to show... Before You Buy Gas Logs Gas logs are growing in popularity every year, so manufacturers... Pros and Cons of Becoming a Real Estate Agent You've decided you want to become a real estate agent,... Step-by-Step Directions Help You Measure Square Footage Each year, home owners discover that their new home's square...

Home Loan Home Loan

Mortgage Refinancing, Loan Refinance Contact | Mortgage Rates | Mortgage Calculators Mortgages Refinancing Debt Consolidation Mortgage Resources Loans FHA Loan VA Loan What Type Of Loan Are You Looking For? Please Select.... VA Home Loan Home Loan VA Home Refinance Home Refinance FHA Home Loan What Is The Approximate Value Of Your Property? Factors to consider before refinancing a mortgage If you are considering refinancing your home, there are several factors you should think about before making your decision. These factors include the interest rate on your current mortgage, the current market interest rate, how long you plan to live in your current home, and whether or not you need money for other things (such as home improvement, a new car loan, or paying off credit cards). Qualify for a Streamline Refinance Today's Mortgage Refinancing Rates If you would like advice about refinancing, you may speak to a refinancing specialist at 800-930-9201 . Things to consider before refinancing: 1) The Interest Rate You Are Paying Consider the interest rate you are now paying before refinancing . Compare it against the current interest rate to see how much you would save by mortgage refinancing. Use our free mortgage calculator to determine your new monthly payments. (Use our Mortgage Calculator ) 2) The Current Interest Rate Check the current interest rate. To get the benefits of a lower rate, you may have to pay fees associated with the loan, unless your lender is doing a no fee loan. Before committing to a refinance , be sure you have discussed the fee options with your loan officer. [Get the Current Mortgage Refinancing Rates ] 3) How Long You Will Live In Your Home The median length of stay in a home is 8.2 years. However, you may have a better idea of how long you will be in your home. If you do not plan on owning your home for much longer, the lower payments associated with the refinancing may not cover the mortgage refinancing fees. If you plan on staying in your home for a long period of time, refinancing could be an excellent way to reduce your monthly payments. Also, if you are planning on moving into a new home while retaining the old home as a rental property, refinancing is a solid plan. You can lower your monthly mortgage payment and in turn, increase your rental income. 4) Consolidation If you have several outstanding bills, you may want to consider refinancing your home and in turn, consolidating and paying off your other debts. If you have equity in your home, you may be able to access that equity through a "cash out" refinance . You could choose to apply that equity to a debt consolidation plan, a new car, or home improvements. For what reasons would it make sense for me to refinance my mortgage? 1. If you are able to get a lower interest rate If you are able to get a lower rate that what you currently have, you can save tens of thousands of dollars over the life of your loan. Also, most lenders don't charge as many fees to refinance a mortgage and depending on how much equity you have in your home you may be able to roll the closing costs into your new loan, still have a lower balance than your original loan, a lower rate, and a lower payment. 2. Change the term of you mortgage Changing the term of your mortgage can help in several ways. First, if you were to refinance your current mortgage from 30 years to 15 years, you will accelerate the rate at which you pay towards principle each month meaning your house will be paid off quicker. Also, you will save an unbelievable amount of money in terms of interest because you would likely be taking 10 to 15 years off the life of your loan. Second, you can also refinance a 15 year mortgage to a 30 year mortgage. It seems like it might not make sense to do this, but if you have an immediate need to free up monthly cash-flow and you don't want to take out a home equity loan, this can work out to your benefit. When you take a 15 year loan and refinance it to 30 years you will have the same balance only the payments can be hundreds of dollars less than the 15 year loan. The only draw back to this is you will pay more in interest over the live of the loan. 3. You need a large amount of cash, now When you do a cash-out refinance you are leveraging the equity in your home in order to receive a lump sum of cash at closing. Many individuals and families use this type of loan if they want to remodel their home, or they have kids that are attending college soon. 4. You know you will be moving soon If you know that you will be moving in 3 to 5 years, you might want to consider refinancing to a 3 or 5 year ARM (adjustable rate mortgage). These loans typically have a much lower rate that a traditional fixed rate loan such as a 30 year fixed, but they do have a fixed rate for the first 3 or 5 years of the loan. This will enable you to benefit from the lower rate, but you won't ever have to worry about the risk of a rate adjustment because you will be selling the home before the fixed-rate period ends. What you should look for in a mortgage company 1. Is the company reputable There are literally thousands of mortgage companies all over the country. It is important that you choose a reputable one. Most reputable companies will be part of the Better Business Bureau or other community watchdog group. Good companies will also have websites that rank well on search engines such as Yahoo and Google. 2. Integrity of their loan officers Many companies in this industry will do what ever they can to get away with charging you as much as they possibly can. Some of the ways they do this is not disclosing all the third party fees involved in a loan such as title insurance, appraisals, pre-paid tax and insurance escrows etc. It is important that you ask the loan officer you're speaking with about third party fees. If you don't they may not tell you and give you a good faith estimate that sounds fair, but at closing you'll find out that you have to pay a couple of thousand dollars more in fees you were unaware of. A good loan officer at a reputable company should have no problem disclosing all fees that pertain to your loan and should also make sure you understand what the fees are for. Divorce and Refinancing If you are divorced, refinancing your home can make things easier in regards to what happens to mortgage payments when the home is given to one of the parties. If you refinance the house, you can have your ex-spouse's name removed from the deed. Whoever gets the home will now be the sole owner and will be solely responsible for the payment. If you don't have one of the names taken off the deed, the person who is responsible for making the payments might fall behind and will effect the credit of the person's whose name is still on the deed even if they don't have the house. Refinancing Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs) An adjustable rate mortgage is just that. After the fixed-rate period of your loan, typically 3 or 5 years, the rate will adjust with the market. If rates remain low, no problems arise. On the other hand, rates can go up. Sometimes this can cause a mortgage payment to almost double. Many people that have an ARM are not financially ready for a large increase in their house payment. You can do several things to hedge the risk of a rate increase. First, you can refinance your loan into a fixed-rate loan before the end of the fixed period of your ARM. You will likely see a payment increase, but it will be a one time increase. If you keep the ARM, your payment might keep increasing year after year. Anther thing you can do is refinance into another ARM and have a fixed-rate for another 3 to 5 years. Just realize that you will likely have to refinance every 3 to 5 years. The same principles apply to home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) Your home is not just a home - it is a financial tool You can do many things with your home other than just live in it. You can use the value in your home for fiscal gain. First off, you can use the equity in your home to pay off debt at a much lower rate. For instance, say you're paying $1,500 a month on $30,000 of debt. If you have the equity, you can do a cash-out refinance and pay off the debt and your mortgage payment might only go up $300. This gives you an additional $1,200 in monthly cash flow. For this to be really effective you need to realize that you can't get into that much debt again because you might not have the equity to bail you out again. Another thing you can do is take all the equity out of your home and invest it. You may be able to make more money on the investment than you pay out in interest over the life of the new loan. It is important to know that if you choose to take cash out of your home and invest it, you should seek the advice of a certified financial planner. Not many people take advantage of this because it can be risky, but it is an option. If you are considering refinancing , also remember that there are a variety of different mortgages. If you plan on living in your home for a long period of time, you may want to consider the traditional fixed-rate 15- or 30-year loan. Another option is to choose an adjustable rate mortgage and consider refinancing again in a few years. By refinancing , you can choose the perfect mortgage for your needs, which may have changed since you first bought your home. A mortgage broker can be a useful tool to help find the most appropriate mortgage for your refinancing. Info on an FHA STREAMLINE REFINANCE You may also call a specialist at 800-930-9201 to get additional advice about what factors you should consider when deciding whether or not to refinance. The specialist can also show you what mortgage brokers and lenders are the best to deal with. If you have served in the Armed Forces, you can qualify for a VA Loan . A Debt Consolidation Loan may save you hundreds of dollars per month. If you have questions or would like help with your mortgage, you can call us at 800-930-9201 . "Nathan, I wanted you to know that everything went very well at our closing. It was quite pleasant. Thank you for everything." -Vicki Ficklen Mcdonough, GA More Testimonials Equal Opportunity Lender License Information We can help you find the lender (mortgage bank) that can get you the best deal for your financial situation (including setting you up with the best financing rates and loan term). MRC does not originate loans in MA, NJ, NY, ND, PA, VT, NV, WV, or DC. If you are getting a mortgage in one of these states, we will help you by directing your information to a lender in your state. Get additional information about a VA Loan , Home Loan , or 1031 Exchange : Privacy Policy .