Financing investment properties
is an important step to master if you want to maximise your real estate profits. Find out how to handle your mortgage lender and grab the best bargains for your property loans.
When it comes to financing investment properties, there are two major families of property loans that you can choose from: adjustable rate mortgage and fixed rate mortgage
As your property loans are long term investments that will tie you down for the next 10 to 30 years, it's crucial that you pick the type of mortgage loan that is perfect for your needs.
What is an Adjustable Rate Mortgage and When is it Right for You?
Adjustable rate mortgages are property loans where the interest rates will rise and fall according to the current market interest rates. The interest rates will usually be fixed for the first few years and it will vary for the remaining years.
When the prevailing interest market rates are too high, the most effective way to avoid being tied down by costly property loans is to go for a adjustable rate mortgage.
If you are paying for your property loans with returns from other financial assets, it makes sense to go for a adjustable rate mortgage if the returns are tied with market interest rates as well.
However when you have an adjustable rate mortgages, your mortgage payments become unpredictable and it is harder to manage your expenses when financing investment properties.
Depending on the terms of your property loan, your interest rate can vary every month, every 6 months or every year. If your loan interest rates increase drastically, your monthly mortgage payments will skyrocket and you may be forced to sell your investment property because you can no longer afford it.
When do You Choose a Fixed Rate Mortgage for Your Property Loans?
Fixed rate mortgages are the traditional type of property loans that have been around for years. As the name suggests, your interest rates will be locked in at the same rate for the entire loan period.
During periods such as economic recessions where interest rates hit rock bottom, it's actually a good idea to choose a fixed rate mortgage so that you can enjoy cheap monthly mortgage payments for the years to come.
For fixed rate mortgages, choosing the duration of your loan is an important decision. With a short loan period such as 15 years, you will forking out less money for your interest payments and get to own your investment property debt-free quicker.
However the downside to a shorter loan period is that your monthly mortgage payments will be a lot higher. That's why you have to make sure that rent from your tenants combined with your own salary will be enough to cover your property loans even during periods of vacancy.
What can you do if the current interest rates are too high but you want a stable way of financing investment properties? Then you can look for a mortgage lender who offers convertible mortgage loans where the interest rates will vary initially but you will be given the chance to convert it to a fixed rate mortgage after a certain number of years.
Teo Zhenjie has been showing landlords how to manage their tenants and rental properties effectively on Propertydo http://www.propertydo.com/ - To learn more important tips on financing investment properties, visit his website today for step-by-step real estate guides, free resources and forms.
