First Time Mortgage Buyers

Buying a home for yourself may be the fulfillment of a long cherished dream, but the entire process of buying can prove to be a confusing one if you are not sure of your priorities and the path to proceed. Get your steps right and chances are you\'ll be able to buy a home of your choice without paying extravagant rate of interest for the same. First and foremost, buying a house instead of renting one is in itself a feasible option. This is because the property you buy is your investment, which you can later convert to cash, if such a situation so arises. The first step up the ladder should be to go through the mortgage plans that are available in the market for buying a home.

Common loan programs include the thirty-year loan program, fifteen year fixed rate program and the adjustable rate loan program. Thirty Year Loan Program: - In this program, the borrower\'s payments are fixed. That means the person has to make 360 equal payments spread over a period of 30 years. This is the most popular of all home loan finance programs.

Fifteen Year Loan Program: - Like the thirty-year home loan program, this program too consists of monthly payments that are fixed. But in this case, the program involves 180 payments spread over a period of 15 years.

The Adjustable Rate Loan Program: - As the name suggests, the rate of interest on repayment is adjustable. The rate of interest in the beginning is low, but after a specific period the interest rate is changed periodically, governed by a preselected index.

It is not easy to decide which of these is the best possible option. While a lot will depend upon the amount of down payment you make and also your financial income, it is better to seek expert advice before arriving at any decision. You should get a feel of the prevalent home buying scenarios. Also, financial details can be mind-boggling. Apart from financial considerations, the agent could help you with relevant details such as the presence of schools in the neighborhood and traffic volume etc.

In addition to seeking expert advice, you should go through the various classified advertisements in the newspaper to get an idea of the price range in each area. Also, you will be saved the bother about driving around localities searching for a house that best fits your budget.

Also, keep in mind that you will require to make three different kinds of payments for buying a home. First is the earnest money, which is the money you pay to submit your offer. This is basically to ensure that you are serious about buying the property. The next is the down payment, which is percentage of the cost of the home. Then, there are the closing costs to cover the costs of processing and the paperwork involved.