Mortgage Law in Texas
Mortgages are a special type of secured loan, where the security is the piece of property bought with the loan. In Abilene, Texas, 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 fail to make these payments, the bank can seize the house.
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.
When you buy anything on credit, however, you are going to end up spending considerably 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.
However, many people who buy their homes with a mortgage find this extra long-term cost to be worth it, since a mortgage might be their only way to buy a home.
Getting a Mortgage in Abilene, Texas
If you want to get a mortgage in Abilene, Texas, 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.
The majority of lenders require a down payment on any mortgage. This is typically represented as some percentage of the total purchase price. Lenders require this to show that the borrower is financially solvent, indicating that they are usually responsible with their money. You should ensure that you have more money than the required down payment saved up, so that making this payment doesn't hurt your financial situation.
You also need to be realistic about your budget. The fact that you're buying a house that you don't have to immediately pay for can tempt some people into taking on more debt than they can oversee. You need to make a full accounting of what the house is likely to cost, including the cost of the mortgage payments, property taxes, repairs and maintenance, and other fees.
Once this is in order, it will be time to complete the credit agreement. When this happens, there is no going back. Therefore, make sure you are perfectly clear about each and every term of the mortgage agreement, knowing your rights and obligations.
Can a Abilene, Texas Real Estate Attorney help?
Buying a home is a very, very important decision, and will probably have lifelong consequences. For most home-buyers, these consequences are positive. If you want to fall into that category, as well, you should not hesitate to hire a knowledgeable Abilene, Texas lawyer if you have any questions or misgivings.