Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Study Links Strong Bones To Increased Breast Cancer Risk : ChattahBox

Study Links Strong Bones To Increased Breast Cancer Risk : ChattahBox

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Tips On Getting A Mortgage For Your Home

Tips On Getting A Mortgage For Your Home

Are you thinking of buying a new house? If you are, then a good mortgage deal is something you should shop for before you proceed in scouting for a new house. And choosing the right home mortgage loan can be so complicated that you really have to get guidance for it.

To help you with the task of choosing the right mortgage deal, here are some good tips you can follow:

1. Evaluate your financial status. What is your potential as a borrower? How much can you manage to pay from your monthly income? Know your current financial situation and decide from there.

2. Go to the right lender. Today, there are almost a thousand mortgage companies working hard to reach potential customers. And each of these lenders has their own set of mortgage deals worth checking out. It is just a matter of selecting the best one that fits your general lifestyle.

3. Understand the mortgage deal. If you are good with numbers, try to analyze the annual interest, the principal, and the rest of the financial elements of your mortgage. Then you should be able to decide which deal to take. If in any case, you don't have the numerical ability to analyze mortgage figures, talk to an expert. Let him enlighten you on the facts and figures surrounding the mortgage.

4. Know more about the application requirements. The mortgage won't be given to you in a silver platter and that's a fact. You have to go through the right channels and the proper application process. Go to the lender that is more likely to approve your loan over those who won't.

5. Know all the other elements involved in the mortgage. The elements include valuations and surveys, as well as insurance policy coverage. These are equally important things that you need to consider. Your mortgage will always have these two in the package. Knowing more about the lender's guidelines for these necessities will help you much in the decision-making stages.

6. Seek the help of a professional mortgage counselor. If self-teaching proved to be unworthy, get an impartial but reliable financial counselor. Have him evaluate what you've got against what you are trying to get and how you intend to get it. Professionals can educate you, if not directly advice you, as to how you should go about buying your new house.

These are six good tips you can follow if and when you intend to get a home mortgage. Follow these and you will soon wake up in the new environment of your new house.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

The FCR And Credit Rating

You may be a person that is currently having financial difficulties and are looking for a temporary solution to your present troubles. Loans are some of the more popular and oft used methods to address this problem. There are presently many different types of loans, including pawning jewelry and valuables at a pawnshop, asking a foundation to lend you some money, corporate loans, and more.

Home mortgage

One type of loan, especially those looking to pay larger debts than usual, is a home mortgage. A home mortgage (usually involving a bank but not limited to it) is simply a pledge or commitment in which a home owner offers the title of his property as a form of security for a loan – you place your home as the collateral. When you get your loan, you are required to pay a certain amount at different intervals, depending on what is agreed upon, and if you don’t, you could potentially lose your home.

However, not everyone can easily get a loan, especially from big banks and financial centers. Think about it – you yourself would be hesitant if a complete and total stranger came to you and asked to borrow some money, right? That is right about the same case when it comes to borrowing money from a bank or lender.

How do you go about securing a loan? You have to apply for it, which is no guarantee that it will be granted. Banks, financial companies, and other lenders will have to consider carefully your profile, particularly something called a credit rating.

Credit rating

A credit rating is something that is drawn up from credit reports, which details your credit activities such as borrowing, debt, payments, etc. Basically, the credit rating details the amount of credit which can be lent to a person without unwarranted risk. This essentially means that the higher your credit rating, the higher the loan amount you can get.

To get a good credit rating, which entails that the chances for you getting a loan (including the amount you need) are much higher than normal, you simply need to pay your bills and loans on time, as well as other financial obligations. A good credit rating is obviously much better than a lower one, since your financial opportunities are much wider than when compared to having a low rating, which severely limits what you can do financially.

Credit reports

It was mentioned that the credit rating comes from credit reports, so you might be asking, what are credit reports? They are actually the ones where your credit activities are recorded – including loans, balances, unpaid debts, along with a little bit of background information. These credit reports are gathered by credit bureaus, also known as a consumer reporting agency.

You might be wondering why such agencies exist – basically they are there to stabilize the financial market. Also, there is no need for you to worry as they exist legally, with the knowledge of the government, including what they do. In fact, there is a law called the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

Fair Credit Reporting Act

This law is a federal law which regulates consumer credit information. By regulating this consumer credit information, credit ratings can then be properly given out with most, if not all, of the information at hand. There are certain rules and regulations which the consumer reporting agencies have to follow, which are found in this particular federal law.

This law is actually beneficial to the consumers, the consumer reporting agency, and the lenders. This law makes clear some of the potential problems that may arise between consumers and their credit rating, and tries to prevent that from occurring. Consumers themselves are entitled to one free credit report per year, thanks in part to the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

In summary, you may probably want or need to get a loan via a home mortgage. If that is the case, it would be to your best interest that you have a good credit rating which is reflected on a very positive credit report. Since the credit rating and credit report are taken into great consideration when applying for a loan, the amount of credit rating you have proves to the lender how good you are when it comes to dealing in finances.

7 Tips to Getting the Best Home Mortgage Arrangement

Choosing the best home mortgage arrangement is like going to a shop to get a pair of custom-tailored jeans. It might fit the other guy perfectly, but it might not be as good for you. The best home mortgage is one that you’ve decided on after you’ve factored in several considerations.

So before going to a lender to arrange the best home mortgage for you, find out first if you have enough power to negotiate. Here are some tips:

1. Consider your income and disposable cash. If you have a consistent source of money and have sizable cash in bulk to take care of the 20% downpayment, that’s a point for you. If you pay a substantial amount now, you can arrange for lower monthly payments.

2. Take care of your debts. The lender will want to check your credit history to see if you are capable of consistent and responsible payments. A good record can help you a get an arrangement that’s more to your liking.

3. Don’t worry too much about rates. Although timing can factor into a good home mortgage deal, it’s best not to obsess about it too much. Concentrate more on how much you can spend for how long minus your debts.

4. Understand the different kinds of mortgages available. Make sure you know the facts before deciding on one. It might look like the best deal at the start, but consider what happens down the line. It might cost you more money.

5. Consider how long you plan to stay in the house. If it’s 10 years or less, you might be better off taking an ARM (Adjustable Rate Mortgage) than an FRM (Fixed Rate Mortgage). While monthly payments will go up and down with an ARM, the risks are outweighed by the savings.

6. If the lender allows it, try to pay more each year. Adding a month’s worth of payment to your loan that will also cover the principal will result to a shorter period of loan and save you thousands of dollars. If you can arrange for it, instead of paying monthly, pay twice a month.

7. Refinance your mortgage if the interest rates are favorable – meaning, low. Just make sure that it is at least 1% lower. Otherwise, it’s not worth the effort. Refinancing will give you more cash that you can use to pay off the principal. Result? A loan that gets smaller and smaller.

Getting the best home mortgage arrangement will require some research on your part and coupled with consistency and money smarts, you can always find one that’s just right for your needs and wallet.

Consult Professionals for Home Mortgage

Buying your dream home can be quite confusing. You are probably just like the millions of aspiring home buyers who do not have enough know-how to determine whether you are getting a great deal or not, you probably are not sure whether a particular home mortgage offer is right for you. If such is the case, it is best that you consult professionals so that you would know what to look for when buying a house or getting a home mortgage.

What to expect when consulting professionals for home mortgage?

You should expect home buying professionals to do the following for you when you consult them:

1. Check your qualifications to determine the price range that is affordable to you

2. Consider your preferences or wishes to look for homes that would fit your taste and requirements

3. Take you to the actual location of houses that would meet your specifications

4. Give you a good backgrounder on the area where the house is such as the profile of the community, where schools are, the location of hospitals, the rates of property taxes, specific building codes and regulations, the quality of services in the community, etc.

5. Give you the specifics of each property such as the zoning, the size of the house and lot area, the age of the property, the equipment there, the utilities, and the other important information about the property.

6. Be your representative to the seller and present what you can offer to them

7. Be the one to arrange the details of closing

8. Give you advice about mortgage lenders and rates, attorney for the real estate, title companies, and home inspectors.

9. Help you determine if the deals are good or not.

Tips when consulting with professional:

-Even if you already have a house in mind, be sure to as the professional to show you more houses. When buying a home, it is important that you see all options before closing a deal.

- Check for signs that you are being manipulated in a certain way either to veer you away from or to persuade you towards a particular house or community. If such as the case you can look for a second opinion.

- Always read everything carefully before signing. Even if it is the professional’s job to help you get a great deal out of a home or mortgage, you still have to be cautious when doing such a major purchase.

It is always best to consult professionals when you are confused about something. When getting home mortgage, a professional can help you make more sense of such important matters.