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Mortgage Strategies for the Inexperienced

Jerry Figueroa Lee asked:


The first two considerations you have when arranging a mortgage are what type of mortgage rate is required along with how the mortgage will be repaid. The following article looks at the different mortgage rate options such as fixed rates, discounted rates, capped, variable and tracker rates, along with the main advantages and disadvantages for each option.

When considering which type of mortgage product is suitable for your needs, it pays to consider your attitude to risk, as those with a cautious attitude to risk may find a fixed or capped rate more appropriate, whereas those with a more adventurous attitude to risk may find a tracker rate that fluctuates up and down more appealing.

Following is a description of the different mortgage rate options along with a summary of the main advantages and disadvantages for each option.

Fixed Rate Mortgages

With a fixed rate mortgage you can lock into a fixed repayment cost that will not fluctuate up or down with movements in the Bank of England base rate, or the lenders Standard Variable Rate. The most popular fixed rate mortgages are 2, 3 and 5 year fixed rates, but fixed rates of between 10 years and 30 years are now more common at reasonable rates. As a general rule of thumb, the longer the fixed rate period the higher the interest rate. This is also applicable when considering the percentage loan to value, where borrowing below 75% of the property value will attract a lower fixed rate in comparison to an 85% or 90% loan to value which will attract a higher fixed rate percentage.

Advantages

Having the peace of mind that your mortgage payment will not rise with increases in the base rate. This makes budgeting easier for the fixed rate period selected, and can be advantageous to first time buyers or those stretching themselves to the maximum affordable payment.

Disadvantages

The monthly repayment will remain the same even when the economic environment sees the Bank of England and lenders reducing their base rates. In these circumstances where the fixed rate ends up costing more, remembering why the initial decision was made to select a fixed rate, can be helpful.

Discount Rate Mortgages

With a discount rate mortgage, you are offered a percentage off of the lenders Standard Variable Rate (SVR). This takes the form of a reduction in the normal variable interest rate by say, 1.5% for a year or two. The common mistake of those considering a discount rate, is to assume the higher the percentage discount offered, the better the deal. The key bit of information missing however, is what the lenders SVR is, as this will dictate the actual pay rate after the discount is applied.

As with a fixed rate, the longer the discount rate period the smaller the discount offered, and the higher the rate. Shorter periods such as 2 years will attract the highest levels of discount. In addition when considering the amount to be borrowed, the increased risk to the lender of providing a 90% loan will be reflected in the pay rate, with lower borrowing amounts attracting more competitive rates.

Advantages

Should the lender reduce their standard variable rate your interest rate and monthly payment will also reduce.

Disadvantages

When the lender or Bank of England increases their base rate, your mortgage payment will also increase. However in some circumstances lenders do not always pass on the full amount of a Bank of England base rate reduction.

Affordability of the mortgage at the end of the discount rate period should be considered at outset. There are no guarantees that follow on rates will be available, and so you should make certain that you are able to afford the monthly payment at the lenders standard variable applicable upon expiry of the discount rate period. Allowing for an increase in interest rates above the SVR would be prudent to avoid a ‘Payment shock’.

Tracker Rate Mortgages

Tracker rate mortgages guarantee to follow the Bank of England base rate when it moves up or down. Tracker rates are expressed as a percentage above or below the Bank of England base rate such at +0.5% over BOE base rate for 2 years.

The most popular tracker rate mortgages have been 2 and 3 year products, but there is now an increasing demand for lifetime tracker rates as borrowers are starting to realise that the Bank of England base rate has been reasonable competitive, and having a mortgage product linked to it could be beneficial in the long term.

Advantages

A tracker rate guarantees to follow the Bank of England base rate for however long the tracker rate is set up for. This means that as soon as the Bank of England cuts rates, a tracker rate mortgage guarantees to reflect the new lower rate and repayment.

The overall cost calculation of a Lifetime tracker rate can be significantly lower than taking shorter term mortgage products with the ongoing costs of remortgaging such as valuation fees, legal fee and lender arrangement fees. Lifetime tracker rates often have no early repayment penalty restrictions.

Disadvantages

The mortgage payment will go up if the Bank of England increases the base rate. Early repayment charges are likely to be applicable during the benefit period, and as with other types of mortgage rate are likely to be 6 months interest or 3% – 5% of the loan.

Variable Rate Mortgages

Variable rate mortgages are more commonly known as the lenders Standard Variable Rate (SVR), and are the rate that you come onto after the expiry of a fixed, discounted, tracker or capped rate mortgage. A variable rate is similar to a tracker rate in as much as the lender will base their SVR on the Bank of England base rate plus a loading of between say 2.5% and 3.5%. That is where the similarity ends however.

Advantages

The main advantage of being on the lenders Standard Variable Rate (SVR) is that there will be no early repayment charge for redeeming the loan in full. This provides a certain amount of flexibility when there is uncertainty in the market about where rates are moving. For those wishing to fix their mortgage rate, an SVR with no early repayment charge can provide the breathing space required to just wait and see before committing.

Whilst not always the case lenders do tend to pass on reductions in the Bank of England base rate through their SVR, and so those on the SVR will benefit from a reduction in the mortgage payment.

Disadvantages

Generally the SVR will be a higher rate of interest and so your mortgage payment will be greater than if you were on a tracker rate, fixed rate or discounted rate mortgage product. In addition, as has been seen in the past, some lenders do not pass on any or all of a reduction in the Bank of England base rate which results in a higher monthly payment in comparison to other mortgage options.

Capped Rate Mortgages

The capped rate is a variable rate mortgage which has a fixed limit to how far the interest rate can increase (the cap), and provides the option to know the maximum level of mortgage payment from outset. Capped rate mortgages offer the best of both worlds for those with a cautious attitude to risk, but who still wish to benefit from interest rate reductions. For example if the cap is set at 6% and the banks rates go below this rate, then your repayments will go down to reflect the reduction, with the guarantee that should rates go above the 6%, your payments will remain based on the maximum 6% because of the cap.

Advantages

If the Bank of England base rate falls resulting in a fall in the lenders standard variable rate below the level of the capped rate, then your monthly repayment will reduce. For many this provides the peace of mind and certainty for ease of budgeting offered by a know maximum monthly payment.

Disadvantages

Because a capped rate offers the best of both worlds to the borrower, the capped rate is usually uncompetitive as lenders need to price in the risk of rate reductions, leaving those such as first time buyers or those stretching their affordability, exposed to a higher rate than would be available with a fixed rate. This means that UK lenders generally don’t offer capped rate mortgages with any sort of competitive rate, preferring to market fixed rates instead.

The House Team Of Mortgage Intellingence asked:


These are heavy days for Canadian homeowners. If you’ve been in your home even a few years, you’ve probably already enjoyed a modest climb in the value of your home. Even if you don’t intend to sell, it’s good to know that your real estate investment is doing well. But we’re also enjoying an environment in which mortgage rates have reached historic lows.

That combination — strong valuations and low mortgage rates — has an unprecedented number of Canadians looking for ways to capitalize on the great opportunities available to them.

Whether it’s to buy their first home, trade up, or take equity back out of their homes, Canadians are jumping at the opportunity to borrow at today’s rock-bottom rates.

While many homebuyers are reconsidering the value of fixed-rate mortgages to lock in those low rates, you should keep in mind that adjustable-rate mortgages – the darling of the dropping rate trend – can still offer real value to homeowners. It’s a matter of finding the right combination of mortgage features and options.

As banks have been joined by other lending institutions, we have seen our menu of ontario mortgage options grow accordingly – with some innovative new mortgage types now available to help Canadians take advantage of today’s unusual opportunities.

One of the most innovative mortgages we’ve seen in a very long time is a new adjustable-rate mortgage with some very compelling features. First, it’s based on an institutional rate benchmark known as Bankers Acceptance. Most of us are familiar with the rate benchmark known as Canadian Prime – and we are accustomed to assessing mortgage rates based on Prime. The BA, on the other hand, is the rate at which banks will lend money to one another – and it’s typically a lower rate (sometimes much lower) than the prime rate offered to a bank’s best customers. The new BA-based mortgage – compared to the best prime-based mortgage available – could have saved a mortgage client a bundle over the last several years, primarily because the prime rate tends to be “stickier” in an environment where rates are falling. Often, the more fluid, market-based BA rates deliver the rate change more quickly. The BA rate is no trade secret, by the way; pick up a copy of your favourite financial paper and look for the published money rates to find the Bankers Acceptance Rate.

But the attractive rate structure is not the only perk. The same BA-based mortgage – so welldesigned to help clients wring the last quarter point from their mortgage rate – now also comes with a rate cap which guarantees that your rate will never climb higher than 2.15% above the starting base rate – no matter what happens to rates during your mortgage term. There’s no worry about locking in too high because the rate is always adjustable down.

Only the ceiling is fixed. It’s a homebuyers’ dream:

A mortgage with limited upside and unlimited downside. If you’re thinking about buying a home this year, or you haven’t had your mortgage reviewed in the last several months, take the opportunity to get an expert assessment of your many options from a mortgage professional. It could be the best investment you’ll make this year!

Brian Jenkins asked:


Adjustable rate mortgages have taken a bad rap in the latest mortgage crisis. Financial pundits from all ends of the spectrum blame the irresponsible use of adjustable rate mortgages and hybrid adjustable rate mortgages for the increasing number of home owners who are delinquent or in foreclosure on their mortgages.

That’s unfortunate, since adjustable rate mortgages can offer real benefits to home buyers in many situations. Here’s the scoop on the pros of an adjustable rate mortgage.

What an adjustable rate mortgage is

There are many kinds of mortgages, but all of them fit into one of three different types – fixed rate mortgages, adjustable rate mortgages and hybrid mortgages which use features of both adjustable and fixed rate mortgages.

A fixed rate mortgage is one in which the interest rate for the mortgage remains the same for the entire life of the loan, no matter what market interest rates do.

An adjustable rate mortgage is one with an interest rate that can fluctuate up or down. It is usually tied to a specified market index, and has specific rules for when and how much the rate can be adjusted.

The most common hybrid mortgage type features an initial low fixed rate that remains the same for two, three or five years, then adjusts to the market and becomes and adjustable rate mortgage.

Pros of an adjustable rate mortgage

There are a number of advantages to choosing an adjustable rate mortgage. Some of them are advantageous for only one type or buyer or another, others are an advantage for everyone.

1. An adjustable rate mortgage may help you afford a bigger mortgage than a fixed rate mortgage.

Because adjustable rate mortgages often have lower initial interest rates than fixed rate mortgages, they can allow you to qualify for a larger mortgage than a fixed rate mortgage. That means that you can buy a more expensive home because your monthly payments start out smaller. If you’re a young home buyer just starting in a career, this can be a major advantage because it allows you to pay smaller monthly payments in the first years when your salary is smaller.

2. The initial payments are lower than they would be with a fixed rate loan because the interest rate is lower.

With a fixed rate loan, lenders accept that if interest rates rise, they will make less money on the mortgage than they would with an adjustable rate mortgage. They offset that ‘loss’ by charging higher interest rates on fixed rate mortgages than they do on adjustable rate mortgages. That means that you start out with a lower monthly payment. As long as interest rates don’t rise, you’ll continue to pay lower monthly payments.

3. If the interest rates go down, your interest rate and monthly payments will adjust down automatically.

If you have a fixed rate mortgage and the market interest rates drop significantly, you can only take advantage of that by refinancing your mortgage. Refinancing incurs early repayment fees and other costs that you avoid by having a mortgage that adjusts automatically to the prevailing interest rates.

4. An adjustable rate mortgage can save you a considerable amount if you only intend to stay in your new home for a short time.

Because the interest rate and monthly payments are likely to be considerably lower for an adjustable rate mortgage, If the difference between the rate for a fixed rate mortgage and an adjustable rate mortgage (the spread) is considerable, you could save several thousand dollars a year in those first few years.

In order to figure out if an adjustable rate mortgage is right for you, it’s important for you to consider all of the facts about the loan. You should know the following about the mortgage that you’re considering:

How often does the rate adjust? Most adjustable mortgage rates adjust annually, but the adjustment period is up to the individual lender. Some may adjust as often as once a month.

What is the cap on single adjustments? No matter how much the index used to determine adjustments rises, your mortgage agreement will place a cap on how much the interest rate can increase in a single adjustment.

What is the annual cap on adjustments? If your mortgage adjusts more often than once a year, what is the most that the lender can raise your interest rates in a single year?

What is the lifetime cap on adjustments? In addition to the annual cap, your mortgage agreement will also spell out the lifetime cap on adjustments. Can you afford the monthly payment at the cap?

What adjustment index does the lender use to determine rate increases? A lender can link the adjustment rate to any index that it chooses, and may be allowed to change the index according to the terms of your loan.

What is the margin? The interest rate that your lender charges will be a certain percentage above the index. This is called a margin. You should know what the margin is so that you can decide if it’s fair.