The 50 Year Mortgage-Pros and Cons

With the 40 year mortgage becoming increasingly common in states such as California, where high home prices make mortgages less affordable for the average home-buyer, the latest mortgage product has been rolled out-the 50 year mortgage.

During the 1980s, mortgage interest rates in America topped 18%, prompting the introduction of the 40 year mortgage. The 40 year mortgage increased in popularity again in 2005, when Fannie Mae introduced a program to offer these extended-term mortgages. In 2007, approximately five percent of all mortgages are 40 year mortgages, with that figure reaching 25% in high-cost housing markets such as on the West Coast. With the 40 year mortgage becoming a more main-stream product, the 50 year mortgage has been introduced. While this type of mortgage further reduces the monthly cost of loan repayments, there are some definite disadvantages involved.

The Pros

The main advantage of choosing a 50 year mortgage is a fairly obvious one-the extended terms of the mortgage make monthly repayments lower, and it means that owning a home becomes more affordable. There's not always a huge difference between the monthly repayment on a 40 year mortgage and on a 50 year mortgage, but those few dollars can mean the difference between affording your own home now and having to wait a few more years to save a larger down-payment.

One of the important things to note about the 50 year mortgage is that after the first five years, the interest rate is adjustable. That means after the fixed-rate period is over, your interest rate can increase and decrease along with current market rates. This is one of the aspects of the 50 year mortgage that keeps that initial interest rate so low. If you're looking for a low-cost mortgage with a view to refinancing within five years, the 50 year mortgage can be a good way of approaching this.

Finally, the 50 year mortgage is typically a safer way of affording a home if you're unable to afford a conventional 30 year fixed-rate mortgage. Options such as interest only loans or balloon mortgages offer initial lower payments, but these come with some very risky drawbacks. Unlike other low-initial-cost mortgage options such as the interest-only mortgage, there's no possibility that you'll end up with negative amortization with a 50 year mortgage. This makes it a much safer way of achieving a lower-cost mortgage.

The Cons

Of course, the 50 year mortgage has some drawbacks of its own. Tacking that extra ten years onto the terms of the loan means you add a big chunk of interest, making the total cost of the loan significantly higher. That 50 year long will reduce the amount you must pay each month, but over the life of the loan it's going to cost you. In addition, the interest rate on a 50 year mortgage is typically slightly higher than with a 30 year or even a 40 year mortgage. Longer terms mean increased risk for the lender, and you pay for that risk with extra percentage points on your interest rate. It may not be much-less than 1%-but even that adds several thousand dollars to your loan total.

Another disadvantage with the 50 year loan is a result of the way in which mortgage payments are structured. All conventional mortgages are front-loaded with interest, meaning that the first years of repayments are almost all interest, and you don't start paying off a significant amount of principle immediately. The longer the terms of the mortgage, the longer it takes to build up equity in your home-more than twice as long to build up just 20% equity in comparison to a 30 year mortgage.

A related problem with this very slow build-up of equity occurs in cases where your down-payment is less than 20% of the home's appraised value. In these cases your lender typically requires you pay for private mortgage insurance until you reach that 20% equity figure. With a 50 year mortgage, it'll take much longer to reach 20%, so you'll be paying extra for private mortgage insurance for much longer than with any other type of loan.

What does this mean for Home-Buyers?

For people who find that the 30 or 40 year mortgages aren't affordable, the 50 year mortgage can make the dream of home-ownership a reality, but these mortgages are best used with a view to refinancing as soon as possible. The 50 year mortgage shouldn't be considered a long-term loan, simply because those extended terms are so expensive in the long run. As long as you're planning to refinance within five to ten years, the 50 year mortgage is a good alternative to riskier low-cost products such as the interest-only mortgage.

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How to Get the Best Mortgage for you

By the end of this article you should have more idea on how to get the best mortgage for you. The first thing to say is take your time, the mortgage that you do take out could be over 25 years so you want to ensure the mortgage that you pick is the right mortgage for you. Don’t rush into what may be your life’s biggest commitment, your mortgage, by taking what at face value can seem to be the best mortgage for you. Find out what mortgages are on offer from your local bank, building societies and even mortgage brokers. Taking time with your mortgage selection can mean, over time, you make greater savings on your mortgage.

By carrying out good market research for your mortgage, whether it is for the first house that you buy, a home improvement mortgage or a remortgage, ensure that you research it fully. You will need to know all the costs associated with your mortgage, from things like a valuation fee, fixed rate fee to the deposit required by your lender, to the equity you have in your home. All are important factors when considering a mortgage.

Make sure you get quotes

There are many mortgage lenders in the market today, and all have different terms and conditions that they can offer to you. Ensure that you get quotes for your mortgage from different sources. Building societies and banks are most people’s first port of call for a mortgage, but you could also arrange your mortgage via a mortgage broker. A mortgage broker could have access to many lenders and plans and this may be the way for you to research a whole host of mortgage products and mortgage lenders. Quotes for your mortgage are normally provided free by both mortgage brokers and building societies.

Check out the costs involved

Mortgages always come with a cost, whether this is your monthly repayment, the valuation fee, the solicitors costs, the indemnity guarantee or stamp duty. All are costs that can be associated with your mortgage. Research what the lenders fees are for your mortgage, or the mortgage broker’s fee, and ensure the rate and type is what you require.

A buzz word of the mortgage market is the APR the annual percentage rate (APR). The APR takes into account not only the interest rate but also broker fees and certain other credit charges that you may be required to pay, expressed as a yearly rate.

All lenders or brokers will give you an estimate of its fees and costs. The fees you pay for your mortgage can vary enormously, some you can add to your mortgage, some you will need to supply and you need to discuss them fully with your mortgage provider.

How to get the best mortgage for you

After you have carried out your research on the mortgage market and gained your mortgage quotations, take time to study and fully understand the mortgage you want. If you are not sure of anything ring them and discuss the parts of the mortgage that are of concern. Totally ensure the mortgage provider gives and supplies you with all that you want from that mortgage, whether this is the type, the rate, the term or the amount. All are important in getting the right mortgage for you.

When you have fully alleviated all of your queries about your mortgage and have reviewed and understand your mortgage and the quotations you have on your mortgage you are ready to go. Getting the best mortgage deal, mortgage rate or mortgage lender is not a science. By following the steps above you should easily find the mortgage that you require.

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The types of mortgages available in the UK

There is a huge array of options available when it comes to choosing the type of mortgage you want to go with. Mortgage types are split into two types in the UK. You can either choose a repayment mortgage or an interest only mortgage.

The latter type would see you only repay interest applied to the loan which would mean you are never actually paying back the principal sum borrowed so while your monthly payments may be lower you are not repaying the debt so it will take much lower to pay back the whole loan. Therefore in the long run when interest is taken into account you will actually be repaying a lot more to the mortgage lender.

The second option is to go with a repayment mortgage. This will mean the monthly payment to the mortgage lender will repay part mortgage loan and part interest. Therefore as you are clearing more of the mortgage each month your overall debt will be cleared sooner and at a lower cost. The obvious disadvantage is that your monthly payments will be much higher so you should take this into account when choosing a mortgage type.

A mortgage broker would be able to advise you on this and most would work out the deposit you need as well as workout your monthly repayments so you can compare how much you would be repaying to the mortgage lender each month.

In the current economic climate affordability is a major factor when taking out a mortgage. When choosing which mortgage type to go with, it is important to ensure you can make the monthly repayments but also ensure that the mortgage is of the best value to you. Most mortgage brokers will search the whole of the market, using their services will mean you can find the best deal for you. Mortgage rates are changing more frequently than ever as the Bank of England changes interest rates in its attempt to turn the economy around. It may be better to hold off until mortgage lending rates improve. Mortgage brokers can go through the different types of mortgages to ensure you are prepared when you do decide to take out a mortgage.

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