There is a big debate these days whether it even pays to take out a mortgage loan or if renting ends up being cheaper. Since most people can’t buy a house outright with cash, and depend on getting a mortgage loa, there are some reasons that might make renting more attractive in the short-term. However, if you are looking for stability, a way to build wealth and a home you can call your own – a mortgage loa is the way to go.
The Benefits of Renting
Renting allows a certain mobility in your lifestyle. You sign a lease for a particular timeframe, and if you have to move you can still leave by paying a penalty. On the other hand, if you own your home, you can’t get out of your mortgage simply by moving. You have to sell the house and that can be a problem if your job takes you to many places. If you are very mobile, it’s difficult to make up the 6% you will have to pay the real estate agent to sell your home.
You do have fewer maintenance issues when you rent. If something breaks, you just call the landlord. A mortgage loa does not cover the monthly expenses of maintenance and they can cost a lot. If your roof needs to be replaced, you will spend in the thousands of dollars. However, if you rent the maintenance and appliances are taken care of by the leasing company.
The Benefits of a Mortgage Loa
While these types of benefits for renting are huge, there can be even bigger rewards for buying. When you rent, all of the money you spend for rent is not tax-deductible and does not serve to build up equity for you. In that sense, rent can be like throwing your money away. If you buy, you can find ways to generate equity and use the interest on the home mortgage loa payments as a tax write-off too. This can put you in a lower tax bracket and easily save you thousands, on top of the thousands you make in equity in a rising market.
There are many different types of mortgage loans out there. You can get an adjustable rate mortgage loa or a fixed rate mortgage. Often, the payments you make on a mortgage can be less than what you would pay for an apartment. However, this all depends on the housing market. Right now, there are some markets where rentals are cheaper than buying, so be sure to check your local market to find out which is best for you.
It’s quite true that today’s mortgage lenders come in all varieties. The mortgage fallout of the foreclosure scandals have some people doing a double take on their lenders, both when they are buying and since they have bought. Countrywide remains as one of the ugliest mortgage lenders of the housing bust, so much so that the FBI is now investigating their lending practices for evidence of fraud. There are still good lenders out there, but it pays to scrutinize any loan offer you are signing so that you don’t get caught in perilous lending practices that can put your home on the auction block.
How to Protect Yourself
If you have a loan that is currently under any mortgage lenders under investigation, it doesn’t mean you can’t refinance with someone else. You also want to steer clear of mortgage companies that may be going bankrupt as this can block the closing of the house sale at the last minute. You want to work with a reputable lender who isn’t in financial straits, to make sure you are not faced with a lender pulling out right before the papers are signed.
Get several offers from a variety of mortgage lenders, so that you know exactly what to expect. If your realtor or builder tries to get you to sign with one lender only, then this may be a tactic to keep you uniformed. The more offers you review, the more knowledgeable about what is a good offer for your particular financial situation.
Do your own homework. Don’t expect realtors or mortgage lenders to have your best interest at heart. You need to understand the terms of the loan as clearly as possible. If you don’t, you can always attend local homeownership courses at your local community college or through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Never sign anything you don’t understand, especially if you are being pressured to do so within a short timeframe.
Never lie on your loan documents and avoid lenders that encourage you to fudge the numbers. This is an indication that you can’t afford a particular home and fudging the numbers is not likely to help you in the long run. It will, however, help the mortgage broker who makes a commission on preparing the loan documents. So, stick to the guidelines and try to stay within budget.
Avoid lenders that offer to fill in the blanks for you, just allowing you to sign on the bottom line. This can also be a practice of fraudulent “home ownership counseling” programs that make a commission on house sales in a particular area. Again, you should be the most informed consumer on how you will manage the debt of a home mortgage, not your lenders, your real estate agent, or even a counseling program.
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