Mortgage Terms
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Fixed Rate
Mortgage
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An interest rate which does not change for the life
of the loan.
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Balloon
Mortgage
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A loan whose interest rate is fixed for a period of
time with a large payment due at some specified point in the
future.
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Adjustable Rate
Mortgage (ARM)
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A loan whose rate changes, usually annually, after
the initial rate set elapses. The initial rate is typically
offered at a discount.
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One Year
Treasury Index
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The instrument which oftentimes is used
to recalculate rate changes for ARM loans.
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Margin
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The amount of interest that is added to the One Year
Treasury Index to compute your new ARM rate. (TCM + x%)
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FNMA
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Federal National Mortgage Association; a publicly
traded company who, along with FHLMA, sets the national
underwriting guidelines for residential mortgage loans.
FNMA and FHLMC facilitate the buying and selling of mortgages in
the secondary market.
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FHLMC
|
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.; similar to FNMA,
they set underwriting guidelines and facilitate the buying and
selling of mortgages in the secondary market.
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Jumbo Loan
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Per FNMA & FHLMC; a single family loan over
$240,000.
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Title
Insurance
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An insurance policy which protects the owner or
lender from any defects in the chain of ownership.
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Rate Lock
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A commitment to guarantee an agreed upon rate and
cost for a specified time.
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Extended
Rate Lock
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For new construction/conversion, a rate lock which
can be offered up to 360 days. An extended lock fee of 1% is
normally collected at application and reimbursed at closing.
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Mortgage
Contingency
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The date specified in a sales contract by which you
are contractually obligated to obtain loan approval.
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Equity Line
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A second or junior mortgage, taking second priority
to your first mortgage.
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NIV Loan
|
A No Income Verification loan; a loan in which you
are not required to reveal your income. A credit decision is made
without W2's, tax returns or income statements. An equity position
of 20%-30% is typically needed.
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B, C & D Loans
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Loans for people with less than "A"
credit. Interest rates are usually higher than conventional rates.
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Portfolio
Lender
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A lender who underwrites for themselves with no
intention of selling or transferring the loan.
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Value
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The lesser of the purchase price or appraised value.
For a refinance, simply the current market appraisal. |