"If you have to forecast, forecast often."Edgar R. Fiedler
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Do You Know What's Going On With Your Pension Plan?
That’s a good question, do you know whether or not your pension plan is stable, and if so will it remain that way? Well, if you’re part of your employers pension plan, you should find out the answers to these questions. Once you find out, stay informed ...
Merit-Based Financial Aid - a real merit to students
Merit-based financial aid is one of the main financial aid packages awarded based on their merit or merit plus of students. Merit-based financial aids usually come from state or federal sources or private sources. These types of financial aid packages are ...
You And The 30 Year Home Loans
In this article, we will discuss why this subject is so important and how you can benefit from this information. It used to be the first choice of most borrowers, because since the total payments are spread over a longer period of time with the interest ...
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Buying a home vs. renting is a big decision that takes careful consideration, as most mortgage consultants will agree. But the rewards of home ownership are great. For many years, purchasing real estate has been considered an extremely profitable investment. It is an achievement that offers a sense of pride, financial stability and potential tax advantages.
Yes, there are certain responsibilities associated with owning a home. Landlords will often argue the benefits of renting, and for obvious reason. If you are renting, you’re helping them make their mortgage payment.
The numbers are staggering if you look at it this way. If you are paying $1,000 per month for an apartment, and you know your rent will increase 5% every year, then over the next five years you will pay your landlord $66,309. If you are currently renting a house, you may be paying much more than that each month. Either way, you gain no equity by shelling out this monthly housing expense and you certainly won’t benefit when the property value goes up!
However, if you were to purchase your own home or condominium, you would be well on your way toward building equity within that same five-year period. By choosing a fixed-rate loan program, you can have the comfort of knowing that your monthly mortgage payment will never go up. In fact, you would have the option of refinancing to a lower interest rate at some point in the future should interest rates drop, and this would cause your monthly mortgage commitment to go down.
In addition to building equity, there are tax advantages that come into play with home ownership. Depending on your tax bracket, owning a home is often less expensive than renting after taxes. Interest payments on a mortgage below $1 million are tax-deductible, and your mortgage consultant should help you evaluate the tax advantages of various loan scenarios, and share this information with your tax consultant to glean feedback on your behalf.
To find the loan program that is right for you, your mortgage consultant will need to evaluate your monthly household income, current assets and savings, as well as any monthly obligations you may have for credit card payments, car payments, child support, etc. These prequalification factors, along with the report of your credit score, will determine how much house you can afford and what interest rate you will pay for financing. It is also important to let your mortgage consultant know what your future goals are, because this will help narrow down which loan option is the best fit for your long-term needs.
There are many different types of loan programs available, including “low” and “no” down payment mortgage programs. These types of programs require the borrower to provide less than 3 percent of the loan amount as down payment. FHA lenders rule that the mortgage payment, including principal, interest, taxes and insurance (PITI) should not exceed 31 percent of your gross income, and the PITI plus other long-term debt (car payments, etc.) should not exceed 43 percent of your gross income.
Housing is an expense that takes a big bite out of the monthly budget. If you are a renter and feel that “home” is more than just someplace to hang your hat, think about the advantages of purchasing real estate. It may be time to take the step into building your personal net worth as a home owner.
About the Author Mical Johnson is affiliated with Rock Financial, Inc., a Licensed Correspondent Mortgage Lender, Florida Department of Finance. Mr. Johnson hosts Home Buyer’s Seminars which are open to the public each month in the TampaBay area in Florida. To obtain a free copy of Mr. Johnson’s Home Buyer Handbook contact him at www.TampaMortgageGuy.com He is also a contributing author at www.Debt-Free-Personal-Finance.com
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Wednesday's Personal Finance StoriesMarketWatchRobert Powell writes in his Your Portfolio column today that if you have ever had an investment plan or worked with a financial adviser, you've probably filled out a risk-tolerance questionnaire. The problem is that most investors really don't ...and more » |
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The sad state of personal finance educationChicago TribuneYet little attention is paid to educating our citizens in personal financial planning. There never has been a comprehensive attempt to provide even basic education in this area -- but all evidence suggests it is sorely needed.and more » |
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The sad state of personal finance educationChicago TribuneYet little attention is paid to educating our citizens in personal financial planning. There never has been a comprehensive attempt to provide even basic education in this area -- but all evidence suggests it is sorely needed. |
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