Mortgage Advice: Mortgage Refinancing: Beware Bad Mortgage Advice
A well known author named Theodore Sturgeon once said "Ninety Percent of Everything is crap." This became known as Sturgeon's law and is even quoted in the Oxford dictionary. Sturgeon's law is alive and well when it comes to the Internet and the mortgage advice you find online is no exception. Here are several tips to help you separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to online mortgage advice.
The biggest mistake many people make when thinking about a mortgage is not taking into account all the ins and outs of the whole process. Most people forget about the additional costs on top of the mortgage itself - things like closing costs, solicitor fees, how the type of mortgage you take out affects your repayments, insurance and mortgage protection, etc. These are just some of the additional costs you need to factor in when you sit down to plan how much buying your home will cost. On top of that, you need to worry about repair costs that you never had to when renting, as well as council tax and other similar charges.
Here's what that author doesn't understand about the mortgage industry. Mortgage loans are simply retail products, just like televisions. Just as an electronic store marks up the price of your TV, the mortgage company or broker marks up your interest rate without telling you. This is in fact, how mortgage companies and brokers make the majority of their profits. It's not commission; they make money from retail markup. You're already paying origination points to this company for the new loan, so why should you pay double?
However, there are also other ways, and can even be from the comfort of your own home. For example, you can use online mortgage advisory services, where you can get advice on everything from how much you can borrow and different rates of interest to poor credit mortgage lenders and some of the most commonly asked questions when applying for a mortgage. Alternatively, you could speak to an independent financial advisor, who has no affiliation to any lenders and can therefore give you completely unbiased advice.
There is also a wide range of online and offline directories that contain listings of mortgage brokers in most local areas. However, with the ease of communicating over long distances these days, it is not necessary to receive mortgage advice from a local mortgage broker.
Learn more about Obama Mortgage Relief Plan Qualifications.