Today’s mortgage environment is much different from that of the past. One of the biggest differences is low down payment mortgages that only require 3-5% down on your total mortgage. Why exactly have mortgage down payments dropped so much recently? A substantial part of the reason why down payments are smaller is because of the sharing of risk amongst parties involved in your financial transactions. Mortgage lenders are objective institutions seeking to maximize profit and they used to require about 20% down payment on loans before they were able to spread risk to Fannie Mae. Now, with the commonplace ability to sell loans to Fannie Mae, they are willing to lower the down payment because their risk is lower.

A low down payment in the single digits may be good for you the borrower, up front, in the initial phases, however, lenders have ways by which they secure their ability to get paid in the event of default lowering their risk. One way that lenders compensate for a low down payment loan, below twenty percent of total loan value, is by requiring a borrower to pay private mortgage insurance(PMI). While private mortgage insurance is not a huge expense it is still an expense, often being .5% of your total mortgage. If you take out a $300,000 loan, then you can expect to pay about $1,500 per year in PMI insurance. These payments will be required until you reach a twenty percent pay off on your loan. However, a lender may be able to make you continue to pay even as twenty percent is breached.

Another method for obtaining a loan with very little out of pocket expense is to take out two loans at the same time. One is a primary loan to cover the main mortgage, and another is a secondary loan to cover the down payment. This is often referred to as piggy backing loans and has gained some popularity. People sometimes refer to this method of financing as taking out a second mortgage. You will essentially have two loans to pay each month, so your debt load is going to be higher. If you don’t have the cash to pay a down payment, then you should carefully consider if you can service two loans every month of the year in addition to other major expenses.

By meeting certain qualifications, a person may be able to acquire an FHA loan, which only requires a 3 percent down payment. However, loan insurance is required with these mortgages to alleviate some risk, and the total loan amounts are relatively small. If you live in an area with a high cost of living these loans may not be available. Veterans administration loans can be utilized by military families looking for mortgages with lower down payments.

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• How To Calculate Mortgage Payment Levels

Once you have taken the decision to get a mortgage you need to be able to work out how much you can afford to pay.

You can do this by performing a mortgage payment calculation. There are certain considerations when you calculate mortgage payment levels that suit you that you need to keep in mind: How much mortgage can I afford? What type of mortgage should I get? What kind of loan payment schedule suits me best?

As always it is best to start at the beginning. How much mortgage can I afford: answering this question is easy – but you must be honest with yourself! Look at your earnings and savings and your expenses. How will these be affected by a mortgage? Some expenses like rent will disappear when you are a homeowner but a mortgage will bring other expenses (you may have removal costs and you’ll almost certainly have legal costs). An online financial calculator will allow you work out exactly how much you can afford to commit to in a mortgage.

Now you must decide what kind of mortgage is best suited to your needs. There are various types of mortgage but don’t let this put you off – the choice makes it easier to find a mortgage that suits you best.

The two most common types of mortgages for homeowners (commercial mortgage rates are applied to business premises) are repayment mortgages and interest only mortgages. You can also have a combination of the two.

With a repayment mortgage you pay off part of your mortgage every month but with an interest mortgage only the interest is paid off each month. When you consider what type suits you remember that an interest only mortgage rate (always calculate loan interest as well) will be considerably smaller. Although this will appear attractive you will need to be able to pay of the rest of the loan at the end of your loan payment schedule. You can do this by investing money – but poor investments will lead to a shortfall and you will need to take advice at how to invest money so that it grows with your mortgage.

When you have settled on a mortgage that suits you (you’ll find a weekly mortgage calculator allows you to break your finances down better than a monthly breakdown) there are other still a few more things to consider. What are your mortgage closing costs? These might make the final amount you pay much higher – especially if you pay your mortgage offer quicker than the original loan payment schedule. Are you able to claim any discounts like small business tax deductions? What are the bank loan rates (an interest rate calculation will help you here)? You might also be affected by mortgage loan origination – check your mortgage provider is dealing with your mortgage themselves and not farming it out as this may increase the amount you pay. It is always best to shop around and find the best deal!

When you calculate mortgage payment levels that suit you should know what you can afford. After that it is easy to calculate a payment that is tailor made to suit you best.

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