Fixed Rate Mortgage (FRM)
Fixed rate Mortgage is a type of loan that maintains a specified interest rate for the lifetime (or maturity) of the mortgage.
According to the Federal National Mortgage Association, first-time buyers often choose to go with a fixed rate mortgage because they want low monthly payments throughout the loan term. Buyers can also reap the greatest cumulative tax deductions available over the loan term when applying for the fixed rate mortgage.
Of course there are cons: generally, lenders require 20% down payments on conventional fixed rate mortgages, while with the Federal Housing Administration insurance, for instance, only 5% is required. Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) can also help buyers purchase a home with only a 10% down payment. While buyers purchase private mortgage insurance (PMI) through private companies, lenders normally acquire the insurance for the buyers. So, first-year premiums are usually between .35% and 1.65% of the total loan amount, and depending on policy requirements, buyers must pay the premiums either in advance or monthly.
A twist on the 30-year fixed rate mortgage is the shorter term fixed rate mortgage, with either a 10 or 15-year loan term.
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Popular Mortgage Terms
The interest rate that is fixed for some specified number of months or years at the beginning of the life of an ARM. ...
A computer-driven process for informing the loan applicant very quickly, sometimes within a few minutes, whether the application will be approved, denied, or forwarded to an underwriter. ...
The payment of principal and interest made by the borrower. ...
A bundle of mortgage characteristics that lenders view as comprising a distinct category. The characteristics used include whether it is an FRM, ARM, or Balloon, the term, the initial ...
A very large increase in the payment on an ARM that may surprise the borrower. The term is also used to refer to a large difference between the rent being paid by a first-time home buyer ...
Same as term Bridge Loan: A short-term loan, usually from a bank, that 'bridges' the period between the closing of a home purchase and the closing of a home sale. To qualify for a bridge ...
A mortgage Web site designed to provide leads to lenders. A 'lead' is a packet of information about a consumer in the market for a loan. Lenders pay for leads, and these sites are an ...
The provision of the U.S. tax code that allows homeowners to deduct mortgage interest payments from income before computing taxes. Points and origination fees are also deductible, but not ...
Same as term housing expense. The sum of the monthly mortgage payment, hazard insurance, property taxes, and homeowner association fees. Housing expense is sometimes referred to as PITI, ...
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