Most of us cant afford to buy our new home outright, so we save up a down payment and then work out an arrangement to finance the balance. This arrangement is called a mortgage. You agree to pay a set amount and use the house as collateral. If you miss a certain number of payments, the bank has the right to declare you in default of your mortgage and foreclose on your property. You then lose everything you have invested plus the house. To avoid such problems, it is important to get the mortgage that fits your income.
There are many different kinds of mortgages. These include fixed- and adjustable-rate mortgages. There are sub prime rates for people with credit problems. There are also jumbo, balloon and construction mortgages. The most common mortgages are fixed rate mortgages where the borrower repays a fixed rate of interest over a period of 20 or 30 years. The interest rate is in effect for the life of your mortgage. The monthly payment (including interest) is determined when the loan is made. It does not change over time.
The adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) differs from the fixed rate because the interest rates and monthly payments go up and down depending on...