Household Math™: True Rate of Transfer Offer
by Scott Bilker
You're offered a balance transfer from one of you current credit lines. The offer is for 4.99% fixed with a one-time 4% transfer fee. You transfer $5,000 and pay $100 per month until the loan is repaid. What is the true APR for this loan when you include all interest rate charges and fees?
Household Math™: Susan is loanly
by Scott Bilker
Susan just left her boyfriend Jim because he didn't want to get married. Susan originally planned to buy an investment property with Jim but that plan is over. She decides to go ahead and get the house herself. She gets approved for a 30-year, 7% APR loan with payments (principal and interest) of exactly $800.00. Susan decides, after making the first monthly payment of $800.00, that starting the next month, and until the loan is complete, she is going to add one crisp dollar bill to the monthly payment. So her next payment will be $801, then $802, and so on. How long will it take her to repay the loan?
Helping Daughter With Debt
by Scott Bilker
Our daughter, who is 31 and single, has $15,000 in credit card debt that would we like to help her get out from under. This debt consists of two different maxed out credit card accounts that are both charging very high interest rates, as well as late charges and over the limit fees. We are considering refinancing our mortgage, which currently has a balance of $47,000 and a 5.75% rate. Is this a good solution or not?
Temporary Downsizing?
by Gary Foreman
We're wondering if we should sell our house. Our mortgage payment is $1,030 a month--no problem when we were both working full time. Now that his income has been drastically reduced, the mortgage feels very steep. What about selling the house, using the equity to pay off our $20,000 second mortgage, and moving into a place that costs less per month?
Equity Used For Down Payment
by Scott Bilker
My husband and I want to buy a home being built in a new development. Our present home worth $260,000 has no mortgage except a $30,000 home equity loan. We need about $15,000 down payment for the home being built. Should we open a home-equity line of credit to pay the down payment? If not, where is the best place to get the $15,000?
What's the Big Deal About Biweekly Mortgages?
by Chuck Warrix
In the last few years I have seen hundreds of ads claiming they can save you thousands of dollars on your mortgage by converting it to a biweekly mortgage. I get e-mail from people every day asking me about these services and why my software does not support biweekly mortgages. I'd like to answer that question right now...
Reverse Mortgages
by Gary Foreman
I am almost 80 years old, a widow, excellent health, no debts, my house is paid off, worth close to $200,000. I live on my social security with a small savings backup, and I manage to make my taxes and maintain a car and live well. My children think I should take out a reverse mortgage and spend the money doing some traveling. Are there any pitfalls in this?
What is Better? Fewer Cards with Higher Balances, or Many Cards with Smaller Balances?
by Scott Bilker
My husband and I are preparing to buy a new home. We want to clean up our credit card accounts to better our chances for a mortgage. We were considering paying off our credit cards with smaller balances using other credit cards. What is better when your credit is being considered for a home loan--fewer credit cards with higher balances or more credit cards with smaller balances?
Household Math™: Mortgage Savings
by Scott Bilker
You have a 30-year, 7% APR, $150,000 mortgage. You know that you're going to pay back far more than $150,000 in that 30-year period and you want to save money. You decide that you want to save 50% of the total money repaid under the 30-year terms. The question is, how much more, by percent, do you have to increase your current monthly payment to save 50% on the overall payments compared to the original mortgage?
How Much House?
by Gary Foreman
Considering the cost of homes these days, what is a reasonable percentage of a person's salary that should be used for a mortgage payment? And does this percentage include everything needed to run that home (utilities, water, phone, etc.)?
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