Mortgage Law in Florida
In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a mortgage is a loan given to buy a particular piece of property - usually a house - with the property being purchased with the loan serving as collateral for that same loan.
Getting a mortgage is a big decision. However, if you have decided to buy a house, and determined that you can afford it, a mortgage is probably your best bet. Real estate is very, very expensive. So expensive, in fact, that it would be impossible for almost anyone to buy a home if they had to pay the full price up front. A mortgage allows the seller to get paid immediately (from the bank), with the buyer paying the bank back with interest, over a period of many years, in reasonable installments.
Buying anything with a loan costs more than just the purchase price. This is because lenders charge interest on their loans, which, when all is said and done, adds up to a very considerable amount of money.
However, to many people, this extra cost is worth it. After all, without mortgages, few people would ever be able to buy homes, if paying out of pocket is the only alternative.
Getting a Mortgage in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
If you want to get a mortgage in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, it's imperative 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 specific 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.
When you have researched the issues thoroughly, the time to complete the mortgage agreement. When this happens, the deal is pretty much final, and cannot be undone. Therefore, you should make sure you know exactly what you're getting into before you reach this point.
Can a Fort Lauderdale, Florida Real Estate Attorney help?
Because of the gravity of the decision to buy a house, and the complexity of some of the issues involved, it is never a bad idea to seek the help of a Fort Lauderdale, Florida real estate attorney if you have any questions whatsoever.