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Difference Between 15-Year Vs. 30-Year Fixed Loans

When you take out a mortgage, options are to choose between fixed-rate mortgages and adjustable-rate mortgages. Fixed-rate mortgages interest stays the same for the entire life of your loan. In contrast, adjustable-rate mortgages have interest rates that change according to external market conditions.

Virtually all home loans are “fixed rate,” but they can be either short- or long-term loans. If you’re planning to buy a property, refinance your current mortgage, or consolidate debt, knowing the difference between 15-year fixed vs. 30-year fixed loans can help you make an informed decision.

Key differences between these two mortgages:

Length of the Repayment Period

Your monthly repayments will be higher than with a 30-year loan, but you’ll pay less total interest throughout the loan. This means you’ll own your home sooner and can potentially make a much larger payment towards equity, as the interest will build up over a shorter time.
A 15-year loan is often referred to as a “half-a-loan” because you’ll make half the number of payments you would with a 30-year loan.

Interest Rates
The interest rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage is always lower than that on a 15-year fixed mortgage. That’s because a borrower who opts for a 30-year term commits to paying the loan off in half the time so that they can expect a lower interest rate as compensation for the increased risk of such a long-term loan.

The interest rate on a 15-year fixed mortgage, by contrast, is generally higher than that charged on a 30-year fixed mortgage. That’s because the shorter term makes it less risky for lenders, so they are willing to charge a higher interest rate.

Mortgage Insurance
If you take out a 30-year fixed mortgage, your monthly repayments will be lower than an equivalent 15-year fixed mortgage. That means you’ll have more money available each month to pay your property taxes and insurance premiums at the start of your mortgage term, which will significantly reduce the amount of mortgage insurance you’ll need to pay.
However, this comes at a cost: Longer-term mortgages are riskier for lenders, requiring mortgage insurance. Your mortgage payments will include monthly MIP premiums, also called private mortgage insurance or PMI.

Why Bother With 15-Year Fixed vs. 30-Year Fixed?
As you can see, fixing the interest rate on a home loan for longer-term will result in a lower monthly repayment. This can be of major benefit to many borrowers.

One significant advantage is that you can afford a larger home by stretching out the loan term and still keeping your monthly repayments low enough to manage.

The biggest benefit of a 15-year fixed mortgage for many borrowers is that your monthly repayments will be lower than if you took out a 30-year fixed loan.

Banks typically require you to pay higher MIP premiums when you don’t have much to put down as a down payment or if your credit history is marred. A 15-year term allows you to put off paying higher premiums in the short term, even though your monthly premiums will be larger in the long term.

Contact Pacific Lending Group to Make the Right Choice

Pacific Lending Group has an extensive track record delivering competitive interest rates for 15-year and 30-year fixed loans to all credit profiles. Contact us today at 954-227-4727

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Tips for First-Time Home Buyers

Our loan experts can guide first-time home buyers, better understand all their mortgage options to have a complete understanding of the process that entails purchasing a home. Your unique circumstances, budget, and needs will help us develop a plan to assist you better and purchase your desired home. Moreover, you will feel confident and in control of your journey as a new homeowner. Read more

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How To Lower Your Mortgage Rate Without Refinancing

Mortgage interest rates have seen record lows for the better part of this year, thus encouraging a surge in mortgage refinancing. However, we must still acknowledge that not everyone wants to replace their current home loan. Borrowers often wonder whether there’s a possibility of lowering mortgage interest rates without necessarily refinancing. Yes, you can lower your mortgage interest rate without refinancing, although the options available may be very limited. If you are facing financial downtime, you may qualify for a mortgage rate reduction. But most times, you’ll either need to turn to a new route to cut your mortgage costs or work towards getting a refinance approval. Here, let’s review some steps that you could leverage to lower your mortgage rate without refinancing.

1. Simply Call and Request a Lower Mortgage Rate

This may not necessarily be a conventional step, but it has worked for many people. We’ve heard of several cases where folks obtain lower interest rates just by calling their mortgage lender and requesting one.

Of course, you’ll need to indicate during your call that you do not want to refinance with them; otherwise, they may take you towards that route. Perhaps, it won’t be as easy as you probably want, but sometimes it’s just a matter of being direct with your request if you want a lower mortgage interest rate.

2. Speak to an Expert To Help You Do a Rate Review

Another option that you could try is speaking to an expert about your chances. Most South Florida mortgage lenders would be ready to look at your situation and offer recommendations based on current trends. Here at Pacific Lending Group, we have experts that can walk you through the rate reduction process by conducting a rate review for you. You can leverage our lender review service to compare your interest rate to new customers’ rates. This service helps you to assess your likelihood of being eligible for lower mortgage rates.

3. Hire a Mortgage Broker to Help You Negotiate

If you would feel more comfortable leaving the negotiation to an expert, then do. Mortgage brokers would usually help to conduct a rate review and tell you your chances. They’ll also justify to your lender why you should get a lower rate. However, we recommend opting for a professional broker. The best way to know whether a mortgage broker can help you handle the job is by looking at their records. Check what past clients are saying about their services. Ask about their success rates and how they go about the process.

4. Look Into a Recast as An Alternative For Refinance

Loan recasts are not as popular as refinancing, but they can also lower the monthly payments on your mortgage. The only difference is that you’ll need to adjust the amortization schedule of your loan. One of the most significant benefits of choosing non-refinance options is that you won’t need to reset the clock on your mortgage.

Conclusion

That’s it, some practical steps to follow if you want to lower your mortgage rates without necessarily refinancing. It’s often not as difficult as you think, as long as you are willing to follow the right route. Contact the experts at Pacific Lending Group to learn more about the possibilities. Call 954-227-4727

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When Do You Know It’s Right to Refinance Your Home?

Refinancing a home mortgage loan is an important decision that can save you thousands of dollars in interest and reduce your monthly expenses. However, it is a significant undertaking and should only be done when the benefits outweigh the costs.

You’ll pay off your current mortgage and take a new one with refinancing. This is not something you should do lightly because it can lead to missed payments, damaging your credit score.
Let’s find when is the right time to refinance the mortgage on your home:

When You Can Obtain a Lower Interest Rate

The amount of time it will take you to recoup the refinancing costs is heavily dependent on the interest rate, so when you see your rates are trending downward or about to fall, that can indicate that it’s time to refinance.

However, the process of refinancing can be a lengthy one, so you should only consider it when rates are going to go down.

When You Need to Reduce Monthly Payments

Your home is the biggest asset you own. It should come as no surprise that refinancing to a loan with a lower rate and/or better terms will reduce your monthly payment.

When refinancing, you can often get a longer-term or a lower rate, or both. If you are interested in lowering your monthly payment, refinancing can benefit you.

When You Want a Better Mortgage

While refinancing can help you reduce your monthly payment, it may not result in a better deal. If the rates and fees associated with your loan are too high for you, refinancing could provide a better option.

When you take out a refinance loan, the total cost will be higher than your current loan. However, the amount you spend on interest and fees should be smaller, resulting in a lower monthly payment and/or a better loan term.

When You Need to Consolidate Debt

Refinancing can be a great way to consolidate debt. You may want to refinance the mortgage if you have other debts, such as credit card debt or an auto loan.

By consolidating all of your debt into one loan, you will save some money since you won’t be paying any fees for multiple accounts. Low-interest rates can be challenging to find, but refinancing can make it happen.

If you use your home to consolidate your debt, you need to be sure that the loan will help you pay off your other debts faster.

If You Want to Take Out or Receive Cash

While refinancing your home is generally not used to take out cash, it can be something that you use to provide some quick cash for a purchase.

If you go through some of your equity when refinancing, you can get the money you need to cover an emergency or another financial need.

Call Pacific Lending Group for the Right Advice!

If you are ready to refinance your property, you must make the right decision. Pacific Lending Group holds extensive experience in refinancing loans and is happy to help you with your decisions.

Call our specialists at 954-227-4727 or visit us online to learn more.