Can Your Job Give You a Discount?

Can you get special assistance or qualify for a low-cost mortgage New Jersey based on the type of job you have? Does working as a teacher, nurse, police officer, firefighter or other career in public service let you qualify for special mortgage programs not available to other borrowers?

Well yes – and no. In reality, there are almost no mortgage programs specifically targeted at certain professions that aren’t available to the general public. But that’s not to say there aren’t any – or that there aren’t certain advantages that teachers, cops and other have when shopping for a mortgage.

A search on the Internet will easily turn up tons of special mortgage offers targeted at these professions. Searching for “mortgages for teachers” or “mortgages for nurses” will turn up page after page of mortgage promotions directed at these professions.

Stable employment = good loan risk

However, almost none of these are actually special mortgage programs New Jersey designed for those professions. Instead, teachers, nurses, firefighter, police, professors, state employees and others in institutional careers share certain characteristics that make them attractive customers for mortgage companies – so many of them design special appeals aimed at people in those jobs.

What those careers share are stable employment prospects and income. Unlike salespeople, factory workers, managers or others in the private sector, people in institutional jobs tend to be at very low risk of being laid off or fired – and often stay with the same employer for many years. Their incomes tend to be stable as well, unlike, for example, a salesperson or small business owner.

All this makes them very safe candidates for a mortgage loan New Jersey. And that’s what can enable you to get attractive terms on a mortgage, rather than a special program aimed at your profession.

HUD Good Neighbor Program

One major exception to this rule is HUD’s (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) Good Neighbor Next Door Program. This program does offer huge discounts for K-12 teachers, law enforcement personnel, firefighters and emergency medical technicians who purchase HUD properties in specific areas.

The incentives are considerable. The program allows you to purchase a home at 50 percent off the appraised value with only a $100 down payment. The catch is that the property has to be a foreclosed home reclaimed by HUD and located in a “designated revitalization area.” These areas tend to be less desirable than other areas, with elevated rates of vacant properties and crime, but are considered potentially attractive to young people looking for areas that may rebound.

The Value of Your Mortgage

If you are like most homeowners, you are focused -for good reason - on finding the best possible rate for your mortgage. Your mortgage broker Reevytown can offer you the best range of rate options and terms. If a mortgage broker can get you one per cent off the posted rate, that could translate into more than $13,000 in interest per $100,000 borrowed over a 25-year amortization schedule. If, however, you believe that most mortgage rates are basically the same from one institution to the next, then consider the fact that even an eighth of a point difference in the rate can offer significant savings over the duration of your mortgage.

But it's also important to look beyond the rate. There are other ways to find savings in your mortgage. Your mortgage broker Reevytown is up-to-date on market trends and new opportunities... as well as some of the tried-and-true ways to save money in a mortgage.

Do you get an annual bonus in your job? You may want to use that bonus to pay down the principal of your mortgage. If you pursue this strategy consistently over the life of your mortgage, you could save thousands of dollars in interest by paying your mortgage off sooner.

Are you paid bi-weekly or bi-monthly? Consider a change from the usual monthly mortgage payment. Set up your mortgage payment schedule to coincide with your pay period. Again, you can shave years off your mortgage, and enjoy thousands of dollars in savings.

In the coming weeks, we'll look at some of these savings opportunities in more detail. In the meantime, consider the old penny proverb again. How much is your time worth? Time savings is one of the key, unexpected benefits that clients say they have enjoyed when they choose to work with a mortgage broker Reevytown. Above all, a mortgage broker is an expert in customer service, and that means that your broker looks after every detail of your mortgage research and negotiations on your behalf.

Different Kinds of Mortgages

Below we will discuss the different types of mortgage loans and some key points of each one. Before we begin that, we must address rates, a dynamic that transcends all different types of mortgage loans and affects them immensely.

Fixed Mortgages New Jersey
Over approximately the past four years, the average of 30-year fixed rate mortgage loans has remained below 6.5 percent. While Federal Reserve short term interest rate increases do have an affect on fixed mortgage rates, yields on long term government bonds and fixed rate mortgages are closely tied. Sub 6.5 percent rates will become a financial endangered species as rates move into the upper 6s in the second half of 2006 approaching the ten-year average of 6.9 percent.

However, borrowers are still favoring fixed rates mortgages New Jersey over adjustable rate mortgages because the difference in initial rates is not worth the risk; current 30-year fixed rate averages 6.34 percent, while a 5/1 ARM is 6.08 percent and a one-year ARM is 5.73 percent. You might be asking yourself, Why doesn't everybody have fixed-rate mortgage loans, why take the chance? Some people who can handle rate fluctuations and are willing to play against the odds might see their rates go down if the Federal Reserve does have to lower short term interest rates to stimulate investment even though that does not at all seem likely in the immediate future.


Adjustable Rates
The fluctuations of Adjustable Rate Mortgage loans New Jersey (ARM) are inexorably linked to short-term interest rates determined by the Federal Reserve. Since Ben Bernanke's takeover as Fed chairman, he continued to move short term interest rates upward to thwart possible inflation; most experts state that he will definitely error on the side of caution - raising rates higher in the foreseeable future. Borrowers already in an ARM mortgage should be bracing for a jump in their payments that in many cases will be quite substantial. The one year Treasury, a common index for adjustable rate mortgages, may top five percent by the time the Fed is done raising interest rates, add on the margin of 2.5 percentage points and many ARM borrowers will be looking at a rate of 7.5 percent. Depending on your loan balance and previous interest rate one simple adjustment can make your monthly payments much more of a burden.

15 Year Fixed Mortgage

What is a 15-year fixed mortgage?

A 15-year fixed mortgage is a loan whose interest rate stays the same for the duration of the loan. For example, on a 15-year mortgage of $300,000 with an interest rate of 5.75%, the monthly payments would be about $3,097.90. So, the interest rate of 5.75% stays the same for the life of the loan.

Who should get 15-year fixed mortgages?

People who desire a predictable, fixed deduction from their monthly budget, want a shorter loan term, and can tolerate a higher monthly payment are well-suited for 15-year fixed mortgages.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of 15-year fixed mortgages?

The pros of a 15-year fixed mortgage: it's a predictable monthly payment; the paydown on a 15-year fixed is half the time of a 30-year fixed; the rates are usually lower than a 30-year fixed mortgage; and it's relatively simple and maintenance-free once you lock the rate (you don't need to worry about rate fluctuation).

The cons of a 15-year fixed mortgage: monthly payments are quite higher than a 30-year fixed mortgage, therefore making these loans more difficult to qualify for, and the mortgage tax deduction on a 15-year fixed is less than a 30-year fixed.

Center State Mortgage is your #1 source for 15-year fixed rate mortgages! Center State Mortgage works hard to help you get the home loan that is right for you and that helps you get that home! Choose Center State Mortgage for all your home loan needs in Straten Island and New Hampshire!