A Newly Remodeled Home

Buying Your First Home: 3 Things To Consider When Choosing A Mortgage Loan

12 January 2023

Mathéo Gerard

Buying your first home can be an exciting, rewarding, and somewhat stressful task. For many people, the process of choosing a mortgage loan can prove to be the most stressful part of the entire process. Oftentimes, this is simply because individuals do not know what to look for in a first-time home buyers mortgage loan and therefore end up choosing a loan that does not truly meet their needs. You can avoid making this same mistake by taking the time to consider the following three factors when shopping around for a home loan.

Factor 1: The Interest Rate

One of the most important things you will need to consider when comparing mortgage loans is the interest rate. The first thing you will need to determine is if the loan comes with a fixed or a variable interest rate. In most cases, choosing a loan with a fixed interest rate will be the best option since these loans guarantee that your interest rate will not increase in the future. Next, you will want to compare the interest rates being offered by different lenders. Remember, even minor increases in the interest rate can dramatically increase how much you pay in interest charges over the life of your loan. Consequently, you will always want to choose a mortgage loan with the lowest possible interest rate. 

Factor 2: Compatibility With First-Time Home Buyers Assistance Programs

First-time home buyers assistance programs help to make the dream of home ownership a reality for many people. This is because these programs offer help paying for down payments and closing costs. If you are planning to take advantage of this type of assistance program, you will need to ensure that you are choosing a mortgage that is compatible with the assistance you plan on receiving. For example, if your assistance program covers your down payment by making a gift contribution directly to your mortgage, you may need to select an FHA mortgage loan to ensure that gift contributions are allowed. 

Factor 3: Length Of The Loan

Finally, you will want to consider the intended length of the loan. This is the amount of time that you have to repay the loan. The longer the repayment term is, the smaller your monthly payments will be. However, loans with longer repayment terms will also result in higher interest charges over time. That is why you should always choose a first-time home buyers mortgage that offers the shortest repayment term possible without exceeding the monthly payment that you can realistically afford to pay each month. 

Reach out to a mortgage service near you for more info.

Share