Todays Thought: Does your mortgage rate start with 4?

It’s often said that home is where the heart is. Yet we find that many of our clients fail to realize that a mortgage is at the heart of every good financial plan. Making sure you've got the right one can save you from unnecessary interest payments, which allow for further wealth creation and financial health for your family. Today, October 7th, we reached all historic lows for home loan rates (see http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38770102/ns/business-real_estate/) NOW is THE TIME to; refinance your current home loan, consolidate your existing home loan(s), access your equity and pay down higher credit rate loans or put home buying on the front burner!

When it comes to determining if your mortgage is still the right one for you, there are some important factors to consider; include the type of loan (or loans) you may need, your timeline for purchase, if you have an existing mortgage the your current loan balance, your existing interest rate, and any recent or upcoming changes to your financial situation (i.e. job change, marriage, divorce, kids going to college, etc). While considering the home loan process may seem like a daunting task, have no fear. Pick up the phone or email now to discuss your options with one of our licensed financial professionals. The time to ask is NOW. Just as rates arrived at historic levels, they very likely won't stay this way forever. On a side note, the importance of these historic rates can be summarized in the following way:

A $200,000 mortgage with a 30yr term at a rate 5.00% has a monthly principal and interest payment of $1,073.64.

At today’s rate, the same payment ($1,074.18) can be had with a $225,000 mortgage.

OR

A $400,000 mortgage, at 5.000%, has a monthly payment of $2,147.28 (P&I).

Today, that same payment ($2,148.37) gets you a $450,000 mortgage. That’s $50,000 more!!

With the disappearance of the capital markets in the residential mortgage space, the majority of all mortgage loans are now being purchased by our federal government. Yes, the same federal government who might seriously consider raising taxes! In closing, allow me to encourage you to spend a little time reviewing your situation today. After all, no one wants to look back and realize that a great opportunity to improve their financial situation has passed them by.