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Dictionary of terms used to describe different loan programs:

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Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM)

Any mortgage loan which has the characteristic of a rate that is not fixed for the entire period of the loan, but will change periodically.

Amortization

Equal periodic payments calculated to pay off a mortgage at the end of a fixed period including accrued interest on the outstanding mortgage balance.

Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

Developed to help the consumer in comparing the cost of different loan offerings to assist the consumer in making decisions. Basically, the cost of the loan is subtracted from the loan amount and then the actual loan monthly payment is used with the adjusted loan amount to determine an interest rate.

So let?s say that your loan amount is $450,000 and the costs of the loan are $6000 for a rate of 6.375% and a monthly payment of $2,807.41. Subtract the $6000 in cost from the $450,000 for a result of $444,000. Use the payment of $2,807.41and the adjusted loan amount of $444,000 and the calculated interest rate or APR would be 6.5%.

Balloon (payment) Mortgage

Usually a short-term fixed rate loan which involves small payments for a certain period of time and a final payment that is substantially more than the regular monthly payment at a specified time to pay off the remaining principal and interest owed.

Closing Costs

Expenses incurred by the buyer and seller in a real estate or mortgage transaction. There are two types of costs: recurring and non-recurring.
Non-recurring costs are one-time transactional costs, which include points, lender fees, title and escrow fees, appraisal, and credit report.
Recurring fees are costs associated with owning the property that recur month after month including; interest, property tax, and insurance.

Finance Charge

Interest charged by a lender.

Hazard Insurance (Fire Insurance, Homeowner?s Insurance)

A contract between the homeowner and a company that protects the homeowner from loss on a property due to fire, and other risks.

Impound Account

A side account funded by a portion of the monthly mortgage payment to fund the cost of insurance and property tax.

Index

The variable component of an ARM. This value expressed as a percentage moves up and down with changes in the economy. Common Indexes include; 11th District Cost of Funds (COFI), London Inter bank Offering Rates (LIBOR), Monthly Treasury Average (MTA) and the Constant Maturity Treasury (CMT).

Loan to Value Ratio (LTV)

The loan amount divided by the value of a property.

Margin

A fixed number added to the index to compute the rate on an adjustable rate mortgage.

Negative Amortization (NegAm)

An ARM that has the characteristic of allowing the accumulation of deferred interest expense. Accumulated deferred interest is then added to the loan principal balance.

PITI - Principal, Interest, Taxes and Insurance

An abbreviation for the total monthly mortgage payment that includes all components of the monthly housing payment other than homeowner?s association fees.

Prepayment

Full or partial payment of the principal before the due date. This might occur if the borrower makes extra payments, sells the property, or refinances the existing loan on the property.

Prepayment Penalty

An interest rate charge collected if a loan is paid off early. Different loans carry different penalties. A common penalty is 6 months of interest on 80% of the principle balance of the loan. Another variation is a 3-2-1 where the penalty begins at 3% of the loan amount in the first year, drops to 2% in the second year and drops again in the third year to 1%.

Prime Rate

The lowest commercial interest rate charged by a bank on short term loans to their most credit worthy customers.

PMI ? Private Mortgage Insurance

insurance that protects a lender against borrower default. This insurance is often required on loans that have a loan to value above 80%.

Recision

The cancellation of a contract, when refinancing a mortgage on a principal residence the law gives the homeowner three days to cancel the contract.

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