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  1. eHow
  2. Real Estate & Investment
  3. Mortgage Loan Types
  4. 15-Year Mortgages

15-Year Mortgages

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  • Are Settlement Charges Tax-Deductible?

    Settlement costs with regard to purchasing a home are all the expenses that occur during the course of a transaction. They include the escrow and title fees and expenses related to the loan such as lender points, prorated interest and property taxes. The settlement charges also include costs like homeowners association dues, termite reports and third party inspection fees. You'll find a summary of all your settlement charges on the HUD-1 form that should be provided by your settlement agent at the close of escrow.

  • Educational Grants for a 58-Year-Old Woman

    It is never too late to get a college degree. Even at the age of 58, women are fulfilling their dream of getting a college education. Educational grants take off some of the financial burden associated with a college education. Several sources provide grants for 58-year-old women seeking a college degree.

  • College Grants for a 40-Year-Old Woman

    Forty-year-old women are typically considered non-traditional students. They may have families to support, including children and elderly parents or relatives, they may need to improve employment skills to earn more money or they may simply be seeking higher education to pursue a passion or fulfill a personal or community need. They often go to private and public schools seeking vocational training, industry certifications and professional educations. Many college grants for 40-year-old women are available to help with continuing and higher education.

  • When Not to Refinance to a 15 Year Loan

    Refinancing your 30-year fixed-rate mortgage loan to a 15-year version could make financial sense. You'll end up paying far less interest during the life of your home loan. But making this move can also put financial stress on you and your family. There are some good reasons not to make the switch to a 15-year mortgage loan.

  • How Can a Mortgage Be Fixed?

    When mortgage brokers begin discussing the terms of a loan, the information can be overwhelming and loaded with jargon. When someone refers to a mortgage as fixed, this is generally referring to some aspect of the mortgage that cannot fluctuate. There is more than one way in which a mortgage can be a "fixed" mortgage. If you don't understand what a mortgage broker is telling you, ask him to slow down and explain the terms. It could save you hassle in the future.

  • Is a 15-Year Mortgage a Good Idea?

    The standard length of a mortgage is 25 or 30 years, but there are different lengths of mortgage available, such as the 15-year mortgage and the 40-year mortgage. The 15-year mortgage has both advantages and disadvantages over a longer mortgage, but whether a 15-year mortgage is a good idea for you depends on your individual circumstances and your overall financial plan.

  • Tips on Prepaying the Principal on a Mortgage

    It is a comforting feeling to know that you own your house free and clear. Eliminating the interest on your mortgage payment can be a good investment as well, depending on how conservative your investment outlook is and how close you are to retirement. Often the decision to prepay your mortgage also hinges on alternatives called opportunity costs.

  • What Is the Difference Between a 15-Year Fixed & a 30-Year Fixed Mortgage?

    Mortgages are home loans that borrowers use to buy houses, and represent a very important sector of the individual debt market. Lenders in the United States have created a wide number of mortgage options to attract borrowers, offering differing rates or terms for buyers in specific financial situations. A common mortgage option for buyers to choose is the length of the loan. Common loan lengths include 30-, 20- and 15-year terms. In these terms, monthly payments are required but the entire loan amount is stretched out over the timeframe.

  • What Are Some Strategies for Paying a Mortgage More Quickly?

    Getting out of debt provides financial freedom, and one major debt to tackle is your mortgage. You can use a few different techniques to keep you motivated to pay off your mortgage early, but the main principle is that you need to make extra payments that reduce the principal balance of your mortgage. This trickles down so each subsequent regular payment can cover a little less interest and a little more of the principal.

  • What Are the Benefits of Having a 40-Year Mortgage?

    Mortgages come in different lengths, and a 40-year mortgage is the longest that most lenders will offer. If a 15-year or 30-year mortgage is too short for you, look into getting a 40-year mortgage. It has a few benefits, although the long repayment period also has some drawbacks.

  • What Is a 40-year Mortgage?

    Mortgage loans are notes secured for a property that allow a home owner to borrow a large sum of money from a financial institution to purchase a house. Home owners will make regular monthly or bi-monthly payments composed of principle, to repay the borrowed amount, and interest, to pay for the privilege of borrowing money. A 40-year mortgage offers longer terms than 15- or 30-year mortgages but offer its own set of advantages and disadvantages depending upon the borrower's financial situation and needs.

  • Benefits of Refinancing a 40-Year to a 30-Year Mortgage

    Some mortgage lenders offer 40-year mortgage terms as an option to get a lower house payment than with the standard 30-year loan. A homeowner who took a 40-year mortgage a few years ago may be able to refinance into a 30-year loan without a significant increase in payment.

  • What Is the Consensus on Prepaying a Mortgage?

    There is no automatic right answer for whether or not you should prepay your mortgage. Instead, each homeowner's financial situation must be carefully examined to determine the direction to take. For confidence that you are making the right decision, it is helpful to discuss the options with a financial adviser, taking into account the long list of pros and cons.

  • The Difference in Interest Between a 30-Year and a 40-Year Mortgage

    A 30-year fixed rate mortgage is the most common home loan type used in the United States. In 2005, Fannie Mae started buying 40-year mortgages from lenders, allowing the longer term loans to become more widespread. The extra 10 years of term results in a lower monthly payment, but significantly higher total interest paid over the life of the loan.

  • Benefits of a 15-Year Mortgage

    After the traditional 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, the 15-year home loan term is one of the most popular mortgage types. Thirty years is a long time to pay on a loan, and some homeowners would like to have a home free and clear much sooner. The difference in the payment amount between the shorter and longer term mortgage can be surprisingly small.

  • How to Refinance a Home Mortgage for 15 Years

    Refinancing your 30-year mortgage into a 15-year mortgage will save you tens of thousands of dollars over the life of the loan. A $100,000 30-year mortgage with a 6 percent interest rate requires a payment of $599.55 and includes total interest charges of $115,838.19 over the life of the loan. The same loan with a 15-year loan requires a payment of $843.86 but only charges $51,894.23 in interest. This presumes the interest rates are the same. If you can find a lower interest rate, your savings over the life of the loan will be even greater.

  • Refinancing: 30-Year Vs. 40-Year Mortgage

    When you refinance a mortgage loan, you may need to decide between a 30-year and a 40-year fixed rate loan. While these loans are similar, there are a few things that you need to consider before choosing one over the other. The 40-year loan can give you longer to pay off, but it could hurt you financially.

  • How to Cut a 40-Year Mortgage in Half

    For most families a home is the most expensive purchase and sometimes investment. Individuals might buy a house for $100,000, but with a 40-year mortgage at 6 percent interest rate the house will cost them over $267,000. The overage being pay is the interest rate on the mortgage. One of the best ways to reap the rewards of your home is to cut your mortgage in half.

  • What Are the Benefits of Prepaying Your Mortgage?

    Prepaying on your mortgage means that you pay more than your monthly mortgage payment requires. Most mortgages are 15 or 30 year self-amortizing loans. This means that the homeowner makes a payment each month that goes both toward the principle and the interest. Principle is the amount of the loan; and the interest is the money that accrues on the loan. Prepaying on the loan has several benefits because money payed over the set payment amount is applied toward the principle.

  • How to Reduce a Mortgage by Years

    Most mortgage terms range from 15 to 30 years in length. This time span equates to a large sum of money going towards interest payments. By increasing the amount of funds going towards principal reduction payments each year, a borrower can shorten the term of his loan by years and reduce the overall interest paid. For example, with a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage, simply making one extra mortgage payment per year will reduce the term by seven full years.

  • How to Calculate a 15 Year Mortgage

    A mortgage is a financing vehicle that enables buyers to finalize the purchase of a home. Mortgages have a variety of term lengths, typically ranging from 15 years to 30 years. The term has a significant impact on the monthly payment and total interest paid over the life of the loan. With a shorter loan term, you will have higher monthly payments but will pay less in interest over the life of the loan. To calculate your monthly payments, you need to know how much you are borrowing and your interest rate.

  • How to Pay Off a Mortgage in 15 Years

    The typical repayment period for a mortgage is 30 years. However, this does not mean you must take all 30 years to pay it back. There are a few different ways to pay off your mortgage in 15 years. The faster you pay of your home. the less money you pay out towards interest and the sooner you'll never need to make another house payment again.

  • Method for Paying a Mortgage Quickly

    With budgeting and discipline, any mortgage borrower can pay off his mortgage quickly. Paying off a mortgage early leads to big savings. For example, by simply paying one extra mortgage payment each year of a 30-year fixed rate mortgage, the term of the loan is reduced by 7 full years. On a $100,000 mortgage at 5 percent interest, this is a savings of $17,178.29 in interest. Two extra monthly mortgage payments per year on that same mortgage reduces the term to almost half of its original length.

  • How to Pay a 15 Year Mortgage Off Early

    With proper budgeting and planning, a borrower can reduce the term of a 15 year mortgage and pay off debt early. One extra monthly payment per year on a 15 year mortgage reduces the term by 2 years. Two extra monthly payments per year reduces the term by another full year. Early mortgage payoff can add up to significant interest savings over the life of the mortgage and a quicker route to added home equity.

  • How to Compare a 15-Year Mortgage With a 30-Year

    The two most commonly used mortgage term options are 15- and 30-year mortgages. When comparing the two, the most obvious difference is the monthly payment. The "sticker shock" of the 15-year payment tends to cause many mortgage borrowers to opt for the 30-year option to keep the monthly payment significantly lower. Compare the two options by looking at the APR (annual percentage rate) to find the lowest cost option.

  • What Are the Best 15-Year Refinance Rates?

    Homeowners seeking to refinance have a number of options available. If you have a 15-year mortgage or are seeking to convert a longer term mortgage into a shorter term, there are several options to consider. Mortgage rates fluctuate weekly, even daily; therefore, finding the type of mortgage that suits you is perhaps as important as the interest rate you'll be charged.

  • What Is Included in a Mortgage Contract?

    Mortgage contracts are complicated documents, filled with pages of legalese and financial terms that are hard for anyone to understand. But it's important for home buyers to take a careful look at their mortgage contracts before signing the papers. Buyers who fail to understand the provisions included in their contracts may end up making higher mortgage payments than originally expected.

  • How to Deduct Settlement Charges on a Refinance

    Many people who take deductions on their tax returns think the law is straightforward--until they are audited by the IRS. If the filers took deductions for all closing costs related to real estate transactions, the IRS will both scale back their deductions and charge them penalties and interest because they made larger ones than were allowed. Deductions will differ based on whether they are taken on a primary residence, vacation or rental property, or on financed property the owner uses for his business. An understanding of the rules regarding the expenses of refinancing will help you avoid the pain of…

  • How to Calculate the Payments for a 15-Year Fixed Mortgage

    When you take out a fixed-rate mortgage, you are guaranteed to have the same monthly payment over the life of the loan. This helps you better plan for the costs of the mortgage. If you take out a 15-year mortgage, you will make 180 payments over the life of the loan. To calculate your monthly payments, you need to know the amount you borrowed and the interest rate on the mortgage.

  • How to Pay Down the Principal With a 15-Year Mortgage

    With the recent trends toward frugality and debt reduction, many borrowers are looking toward paying down their mortgage debts even faster than their current mortgage term. While the monthly payment for a 15-year mortgage is higher than a 30-year mortgage payment, the debt is reduced much faster and with less interest expense. A borrower can use a few other methods to pay their debt down even sooner than the 15-year term.

  • Financial Advice for Saving a Lump Sum on Mortgages

    Borrowers who carry a mortgage debt for 30 years tend to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest. A glance at their original Truth in Lending statement will show the actual amount paid over the life of the loan, and it is quite overwhelming. Through principal reduction, borrowers can save thousands, if not more, on their overall mortgage expense.

  • What Is a 15 Year Conforming Mortgage?

    A15-year conforming mortgage lasts for 15 years and the term "conforming" means that the mortgage value is within the limits set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). This limit is related to the level at which Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are able to purchase mortgages to add liquidity to the market and varies by the size of a house as well as the region in which it is located. For example, the upper limit of a conforming loan for a single-family home in a non-high-cost region for 2010 is $417,000.

  • How to Get a Mortgage at 70 Years Old

    With jobs, the stock market, and home values dropping at alarming rates, more elderly retirees need to supplement their cash flows. For a 70-year-old with enough equity in his home, the only viable source may be a reverse mortgage home loan. Not only are proceeds from such a loan tax-free, they may also be used for other purposes such as health care, home remodeling, making large purchases, paying off debts, buying a new home, and even vacation and travel.

  • How to Payoff Your 30 Year Mortgage In 15 Years

    Most mortgage lenders allow you to make extra payments on your mortgage whenever you want. These extra payments go directly toward reducing the principal balance of your mortgage, which not only decreases what you owe but also decreases all of your future interest payments from what they would have been. The payments on a 15-year payoff schedule are usually about 150 percent of the payments on a 30-year schedule, so if your budget can handle that, you can cut your repayment time in half.

  • How to Calculate 15-Year Mortgage Payments

    Before shopping for a home, it's important to know how much home you can afford. Several items go into calculating mortgage payments, including interest rate, amount of the mortgage and length of the loan. For a 15-year mortgage, the process is as follows:

  • How to Buy a Healthy Apple Orchard

    Apple orchards are an important part of the agricultural economy in states like Washington and New York. But joining that economy is a big step. Before you buy an apple orchard, there are many factors you need to consider: variety, cost efficiency, maintenance and tree growth. Managing and maintaining an apple orchard is a challenging task, so think carefully about your options before you buy.

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