Buying a house is an expensive proposition. It’s the only thing most people will ever buy that will take decades to pay off. As such, it is not something most buyers enter into lightly. The financial demands are significant and the payment has to be made each and every month for the next thirty years or so. Adding to the complexities of the process are the current sky-high prices of housing and the fact that interest rates are steadily rising. This adds up to a situation where many buyers may find themselves looking at loans they can barely afford to pay.
Lenders are aware of these market situations that have made buying a home a difficult endeavor. The industry has responded by creating a wide variety of loan options in order to meet the needs of just about anyone. Some of these loans, however, offer terms that can make buying a home somewhat of a risky proposition. Option ARM and interest-only loans can both shock buyers several years down the road when they adjust, creating huge increases in the monthly payments. Yet sometimes, when the buyer asks about these things, the lender will reply with “You can refinance later.”
In theory,...