Archive for February, 2010

Interested In an Interest Only Loan

February 26th, 2010

Interested In an Interest Only Loan photoYou have finally found the property of your dreams.  The contract has been signed and you are now in the process of finding exactly how you will be living and paying off the property for the next few years.  Your lender may have already contacted you and given you the options.  When the question comes up of what kind of loan you want, be prepared for the answer that will benefit you the most.

One of the major types of loans that you may be offered is an interest only loan.  This loan is great for some that are getting involved in a home, but for others may not be as beneficial.  This loan works by you first paying off the bank interest that is added as a percentage to your loan.  After the interest is completely paid off, then you start paying off the house itself.

If you are looking at an interest only loan, you will want to make sure that the standard interest rates at the time are in the lower percentage.  Interest only loans will have two types of interest rates that may be applied.  The first is a fixed interest rate, which will mean that the percentage you pay will stay the same the entire time that you have the loan.  The second will be a variable interest, where it will fluctuate according to the economy.  This type of interest rate is good if you want to pay higher or lower amounts at different times, but not good if your pay check doesn’t have the same flexibility.

The interest that you get with an interest only loan will be determined by the lender and how they decide to set up your loan.  It may also be determined by the amount of the down payment that you make and specific rules that are set to the loan.  Before signing the papers, make sure that you know how all of these apply and what it means.

If you want to make sure that you get the best deal, then it will be important to know what the individual rules are.  By doing this, you can ensure that your payments are beneficial to you as well as everyone else.  One place to investigate is with the possibilities of an interest only loan.

Is Distressed Property a Positive Investment?

February 20th, 2010

Is Distressed Property a Positive Investment? photoThere are many investments that are made in real estate, most which are expected to allow the price of the property to go up.  However, sometimes the value of a property starts down.  If you have run into a property that is like this, you will want to decide if it is worth investing in.  Distressed property is one of the questions that several ask when investing into real estate.

If a property is distressed, it means that it has not had the care and attention needed by the previous owners.  Most likely, the home is part of a foreclosure, abandoned home, or other problem and may have not been lived in for a specified amount of time.  Any distressed property will need a lot of attention given to it if you decide to invest in the property.

Before looking at this type of property, you will want to make sure that it will be worth your investment.  While a distressed property will usually go down thousands of dollars because of the quality, it may not be cheaper.  It will be expected that you put a specific amount of work and money into the home in order to repair it and get it back up to being part of the market.

If you are able to get an extra loan, have more money, and want to fix up a home, then a distressed property is for you.  However, if you don’t want to put in the extra effort, then finding this type of property may loose you money and comfort in your own home.  You will also need to decide whether you will be able to profit off of the investment in the long run according to the neighborhood, market, and your intentions for using the property.

While a distressed property can benefit, it will need to fit your goals and your lifestyle in order to be an effective investment.  As long as you have assessed your financial stability and goals and are able to put in the extra money, time and work, you can take a distressed property and turn it into what you want.  This will give the property the dream of moving from rags to riches.