Mortgage Law in Oregon

Mortgages are a certain type of secured loan, where the security is the piece of property bought with the loan. In Forest Grove, Oregon, most mortgages are taken out to buy houses. The seller of the house is paid by the bank, and the buyer, in exchange, agrees to pay the bank back in installments, with interest. If they refuse to make these payments, the bank can seize the house.

Mortgages are useful because they allow a person to buy a house, or other larger piece of real estate, without having to pay the complete price up front. Most people, obviously, don't have that kind of money on hand. Thankfully, many find it manageable to make monthly payments on the mortgage, plus interest, over a period of many years.

When you buy something on credit, however, you are going to end up spending significantly more than the purchase price, because you have to pay interest. Obviously, a lender couldn't stay in business if it didn't charge interest on loans, this would cause it to (at best) break even on every loan it issued.

But various home buyers think that a mortgage is worth the extra cost it imposes. After all, it wouldn't be possible for most people to buy homes if they had to pay for the whole thing up front.

Getting a Mortgage in Forest Grove, Oregon

If you want to get a mortgage in Forest Grove, Oregon, it's essential that you have a well-established history of good credit. Credit ratings are used by lenders to estimate how risky a prospect a borrower is. If you have good credit, you'll have a much better shot at getting a mortgage with a reasonably low interest rate. If you have bad credit, you might be unable to get a loan at all, and if you do, the interest rate will be much higher, to account for the higher risk.

Most lenders will require you to provide a down-payment before they issue a mortgage. This is a certain percentage of the purchase price that you have to pay upfront. When considering buying a house, you should ensure that you have enough money saved up to more than cover the down payment, so making it doesn't put a huge strain on your finances.

Also essential is realism about your finances. Credit is a strange thing - it allows people to buy things that they could never pay for on their own. Some people are tempted by the siren song of credit into buying far more than they can afford. This can happen when buying a house, as well. When buying a house with a mortgage, you need to make sure you know how much it will actually cost, and how much you'll be paying each month. And mortgage payments aren't the only expenses associated with owning a home. There are homeowner's association fees, property taxes, and the cost of maintenance.

Once all of your affairs are in order, the time to sign the mortgage agreement comes. Once the agreement is signed, the loan is final, and there's no going back. Well before this day, you should make completely sure that you clearly understand every single provision of your mortgage agreement, and the obligations it imposes on you.

Can a Forest Grove, Oregon Real Estate Attorney help?

Because of the gravity of the decision to buy a house, and the complexity of some of the issues incorporated, it is never a bad idea to seek the help of a Forest Grove, Oregon real estate attorney if you have any questions whatsoever.