Adjustable Mortgage Rates is the Risk Worth the Rewards?

Adjustable mortgage rates are extremly low right now, in fact current mortgage rates are near all time record low rates. An adjustable mortgage is different than a fixed mortgage and adjustable interest only mortgages are different than adjustable mortgages. For example, if you take out a 30-year mortgage loan with a 5-year interest only payment period, you can pay only interest for 5 years and then you must pay both the principal and interest over the next 25 years.

Keep in mind that the longer the I-O period, the higher your monthly payments will be after the I-O period ends.The options typically include the following: a traditional payment of principal and interest, which reduces the amount you owe on your mortgage even if today’s mortgage rates are high or low.

Payment-option ARMs A payment-option ARM is an adjustable-rate mortgage that allows you to choose among several payment options each month. After that, the rate may adjust annually (the 1 in the 5/1 example), until the loan is paid off. After that, mortgage interest rates usually rises to a rate closer to that of other mortgage loans.

In addition, if you pay only the minimum payment in the last few years of the loan, you may owe a larger payment at the end of the loan term, called a balloon payment.At each recast, your new minimum payment will be a fully amortizing payment and any payment cap will not apply.

In the case of 3/1 or 5/1 ARMs: the first number tells you how long the fixed mortgage rate period will be, and the second number tells you how often the rate will adjust after the initial period.These loans are a mix–or a hybrid–of a fixed-rate period and an adjustable-rate period.For example, suppose you made only minimum payments on your $200,000 mortgage and had any unpaid interest added to your balance.For some I-O loans, the interest rate adjusts during the I-O period as well.

Some 2/28 and 3/27 mortgages adjust every 6 months, not annually.These payments are based on a set loan term, such as a 15-, 30-, or 40-year payment schedule.If you have a 30-year loan and you are at the end of year 5, your payment will be recalculated for the remaining 25 years.

After that, your monthly payment will increase–even if mortgage rates stay the same–because you must start paying back the principal as well as the interest each month.Because you begin to pay back the principal, your payments increase after year 5, even if the rate stays the same.At this point, your payment will be recalculated (mortgage lenders use the term recast) based on the remaining term of the loan.

The interest rate on a payment-option ARM is typically very low for the first few months (for example, 2% for the first 1 to 3 months).The interest rate is fixed for the first few years of these loans–for example, for 5 years in a 5/1 ARM.Payment-option ARMs have a built-in recalculation period, usually every 5 years.

Mortgage lenders may recalculate your loan payments before the recast period if the amount of principal you owe grows beyond a set limit, say 110% or 125% of your original mortgage amount.Your payments during the first year are based on the initial low rate, meaning that if you only make the minimum payment each month, it will not reduce the amount you owe and it may not cover the interest due.

This means that even after making many payments, you could owe more than you did at the beginning of the loan.This means that your monthly payment can increase a lot at each recast.Interest-only (I-O) ARMs An interest-only (I-O) ARM payment plan allows you to pay only the interest for a specified number of years, typically for 3 to 10 years.This is called negative amortization.Hybrid ARMs often are advertised as 3/1 or 5/1 ARMs–you might also see ads for 7/1 or 10/1 ARMs.

The unpaid interest is added to the amount you owe on the mortgage, and your loan balance increases.This allows you to have smaller monthly payments for a period.It is likely that your payments would go up substantially.If your loan balance has increased because you have made only minimum payments, or if mortgage rates have risen faster than your payments, your payments will increase each time your loan is recast.

Also, as mortgage rates go up, your payments are likely to go up.You may also see ads for 2/28 or 3/27 ARMs–the first number tells you how many years the fixed mortgage rate period will be, and the second number tells you the number of years the rates on the loan will be adjustable.If the balance grew to $250,000 (125% of $200,000), your lender would recalculate your payments so that you would pay off the loan over the remaining term.

If you choose this option, the amount of any interest you do not pay will be added to the principal of the loan, increasing the amount you owe and your future monthly payments, and increasing the amount of interest you will pay over the life of the loan