Believe it or not, Home Mortgages Can be as Easy as Pie!

Key Points:
– Understand what a mortgage is
– The mechanics of a mortgage
– Elements that form a mortgage payment
– Different types of mortgages
– Preparing to apply for mortgage preapproval

A House or a Slice of Pie? Understanding Mortgages & Home Purchasing

Imagine this – you’re staring longingly at a gigantic piece of pie. It’s the classic American dream pie, topped with whipped cream and cherries. Only in this scenario, the pie symbolizes the most pricey purchase of your life – a home. Don’t be overwhelmed by the size, mortgaging is simply cutting that large yummy pie into smaller, digestible slices that you repay over time.

Being a Home owner is a Pie-ace of Cake!

A home mortgage, in layman’s terms, is simply a pie-slicing method you use to purchase or refinance your own house. This agreement between you and the lender ensures that the lender will give you scrumptious pieces of your dream pie (house) while you repay the slices (loan) with a cherry on top (interest). You break down the cost of the entire house into easier to manage, bite-sized pieces. Remember, if you can’t finish the pie (pay your mortgage), the lender can take the remaining slices back (foreclosure). It is a crucial and integral ingredient to the recipe of your dream home purchase.

Pie-ticulars of Your Mortgage

The essential ingredients of a home mortgage payment include the Principal, Interest, Property Taxes, Homeowner’s Insurance, and occasionally, Mortgage Insurance.

The Principal amount is the original recipe’s cost or the total cost of your home. For instance, if the price of your pie is $400,000 and you’ve already paid $12,000 as the down-payment, the remaining $388,000 is what constitutes your Principal.

Interest is the cherry on top of every slice. It’s what the lender charges for lending you the recipe (money). The larger the down payment, the fewest cherries you have to pile on your pie.

Property Taxes, quite similar to paying service charges at a restaurant, are based on your property value and usually covered within your mortgage payment.

Homeowner’s Insurance, akin to keeping a spare pie, covers your property damages due to unexpected events.

Additional insurance, Mortgage Insurance, may be required if your down payment is less than 20% of the property value.

Types of Mortgages – Fixk it or Mix it?

While planning to bake your dream home pie, you get to choose what kind of oven to bake it in – a ‘Fixed-rate’ oven or an ‘Adjustable-rate’ one.

In a Fixed-rate Mortgage, your interest rate remains consistent throughout the baking period. An Adjustable-Rate Mortgage (ARM), as the name suggest, has a varying temperature. You start with a low temperature that slowly increases depending on the baking conditions.

These ovens can be either privately run Conventional ovens which can have varied sizes, or government-sponsored ones like the FHA (Federal Housing Administration Ovens), USDA (U.S department of Agriculture Rural Ovens), or VA (Veteran Affairs Ovens). Different ovens cater to different kinds of bakers and offer various benefits!

Ready, Set, Preapprove!

Once you’re all caught up with what buying a house pie entails, it’s time to gear up for mortgage preapproval. Think of it as a shopping list, detailing all the ingredients you can afford, and a note stating you could purchase them. Though not a guarantee, it signals the sellers of your seriousness and ability to afford the purchase.

Conclusion

Embarking on this sweet journey is exciting and a tad bit overwhelming. However, knowing your recipe by heart and understanding your financial capacity would make the process a lot more fruitful and enjoyable.

Remember, owning a home is much like baking – a dash of understanding, a spoonful of planning and a pinch of diligence can yield a delicious outcome.

Hot Take:

There, there, you homeowner dreamer! Pick up your baking gear (aka financial acumen), and let’s take the journey to home-ownership, one slice at a time. Don’t let the jargons scare you. A mortgage is the cherry on top of your American dream pie, and it is rightfully yours to cherish!

Original Article:https://www.creditkarma.com/home-loans/i/what-is-a-mortgage