Do you qualify for a low down payment mortgage on your next Colorado Home?

The Pro’s and Con’s

For some home buyers, the decision of how much money to use as a down payment can be very confusing and hard.

The summary below reviews three issues that all home buyers and investors should consider about low down payment mortgage loans:

• Benefits of lower down payments
• Downside of lower down payments
• Personal considerations

The information provided below is for the purpose of provoking thought and careful consideration about different financing programs available. It is not meant to steer you toward one particular program. It is merely an exposition of the options to consider when purchasing a home or investment property in Colorado.

Benefits of Lower Down Payments

Though the disadvantages of low down payment loans seem serious, there are also advantages. Take time to weigh the two and assess which is the best for you.
The chief benefits of low-down payment loans include the following:

• Increased liquidity
• Higher rate of return: Your property’s appreciation will be the same whether you put 3%, 5% or 20% down payment. In fact, your rate of return actually decreases as you make a larger down payment, as discussed below.
• Opportunity cost: In some cases, the smart investor can make more money from available cash by placing it in other investments.

Downside of a Lower Down Payment Mortgage

Low or no down payment programs have two primary costs:

• Higher interest rates
• Higher mortgage insurance premiums.

The downside of a low down payment mortgage loan, whether you are using a conforming loan or a non-conforming program, is that you will need to pay higher interest rates and mortgage insurance.

Mortgage insurance is calculated against the loan amount, so you get hit with a double whammy. A lower down payment means a higher loan amount and a higher mortgage insurance rate.

Mortgage insurance can be removed once sufficient equity is produced. So, if the Colorado property shows at least 20% equity in a few years, the mortgage insurance can be refinanced away.
A related burden of lower down payment mortgages is obviously higher loan amounts, which translates into higher monthly payments.

Consider, for example, the purchase of a $100,000 condominium with market interest rates of 6.500%.

• With a 5% down payment, the loan of $95,000 would have monthly payments of $600.46.
• However, a 10% down payment would decrease the loan amount to $90,000 and the payment to only $568.86 per month.

During the first few years of the mortgage loan, the bulk of your monthly payments are for interest—which is normally tax-deductible. So, you actually get a bit of your monthly payments back at the end of the year in the form of tax deductions.

Personal Considerations

How much to put down should be carefully thought out. You must make your own personal calculation, of the monthly payment that you can afford. Obviously, the lender will qualify you for a certain level, based on your income. But that qualification level is often different from the level that you feel comfortable with.

Your mortgage lender may have qualified your income for a monthly mortgage payment of $1,500; however, you may feel that you can realistically afford only $1,200 per month. If that is the case, you must lower the loan amount by increasing the down payment or finding a less expensive property.
Consult with your Colorado mortgage loan officer about the best situation for you, as well as ways to eliminate or minimize mortgage insurance.

Working with Integrity Mortgage & Financial Inc.

• We put YOU first.
• Integrity Mortgage & Financial Inc. offers some of the most competitive rates in the Nation!
• Fast and efficient, we close most of our loans in 30 days or less.
• We offer a variety of low down payment mortgage loan options. Integrity Mortgage & Financial Inc. in Colorado will find you the loan that is right for you!!!