Mortgage Types

Full Document

A full document loan is one that requires the borrower to present all necessary documents, including income verification, to be considered for the loan. This type of loan usually offers lower rates because it is less risky for the lender. On the other hand, if you are self employed you may not have all of the required documents and should look into a stated income loan.

Stated Income

Stated income home loans allow those who are self employed or do not have documentation of earned wages to state a wage on the mortgage application and qualify for a mortgage based on that stated income. The advantages of a stated income loan are that the borrower does not need to verify income and approval is generally faster than with traditional home loans. This is a very popular option for Foreign Nationals and deposits of around 25% to 30% are often required with this type of loan.

Fixed Rate Mortgages

One of many types of home loans offered to borrowers is called a fixed rate mortgage. Unlike an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) the monthly payments for a fixed rate mortgage stay stable throughout the life of the loan. This type of home loan is most commonly available in 15 and 30 year mortgages and can provide the stability many home buyers require during unstable economic times.

Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARM)

Adjustable rate mortgages allow the interest rate on your home loan to fluctuate during its life. When financial markets are unstable, adjustable rate mortgages can be risky for home owners because the rate can increase with little notice. On the other hand, this type of mortgage may allow you to purchase a more expensive home.

Types of Standard ARMs

Several adjustable rate mortgages, ARMs, are available to homeowners and they include 6-Month Certificate of Deposit ARM, 1-Year Treasury Spot ARM, 6-Month Treasury Average ARM, and the 12-Month Treasury Average ARM. An ARM that reacts quickly to the market will allow the borrower to benefit from falling interest rates. An ARM that lags behind the market will allow the borrower to take advantage of lower rates when rates being to increase. As a borrower it is important to watch the market and speak with your mortgage broker to decide which type of ARM will best fit your home loan needs.

Terminology of ARMs

There are several aspects of ARMs that impact interest rates including the index, margin, interim caps, and payment caps. The index of an ARM is the financial instrument that the loan is linked to and indexes move up and down with the market. The margin is added to the index to determine the interest that the borrower will pay. Caps, such as the interim cap, protect borrowers against rising interest rates. Payment caps, on the other hand, place a maximum on the amount a borrower must pay. This type of cap also protects against payment shock associated with rising interest rates.

Index

The index of an ARM is the financial instrument that the loan is "tied"to, or adjusted to. The most common indices, or, indexes are the 1-Year Treasury Security, LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate), Prime, 6-Month Certificate of Deposit (CD) and the 11th District Cost of Funds (COFI). Each of these indices move up or down based on conditions of the financial markets.

Margin

The margin is one of the most important aspects of ARMs because it is added to the index to determine the interest rate that you pay. The margin added to the index is known as the fully indexed rate. As an example if the current index value is 5.50% and your loan has a margin of 2.5%, your fully indexed rate is 8.00%. Margins on loans range from 1.75% to 3.5% depending on the index and the amount financed in relation to the property value.

Interim Caps

All adjustable rate loans carry interim caps. Many ARMs have interest rate caps of six-months or a year. There are loans that have interest rate caps of three years. Interest rate caps are beneficial in rising interest rate markets, but can also keep your interest rate higher than the fully indexed rate if rates are falling rapidly.

Payment Caps

Some loans have payment caps instead of interest rate caps. These loans reduce payment shock in a rising interest rate market, but can also lead to deferred interest or "negative amortization". These loans generally cap your annual payment increases to 7.5% of the previous payment.

Lifetime Caps

Almost all ARMs have a maximum interest rate or lifetime interest rate cap. The lifetime cap varies from company to company and loan to loan. Loans with low lifetime caps usually have higher margins, and the reverse is also true. Those loans that carry low margins often have higher lifetime caps.