A 10/1 ARM makes the most sense if you plan to sell your home or refinance your mortgage before the 10-year fixed period ends. If you do this, you can take advantage of the low initial interest rate that comes with an ARM without worrying about your rate rising once the fixed period ends.
You might also be able to save money on interest with a 10/1 ARM if you plan to pay off your mortgage early, or if you refinance before the initial fixed period ends.
While it may seem beneficial at first glance, an ARM payment cap could actually prevent your mortgage payment from fully covering future interest increases. This results in negative amortization, which means your loan balance would go up instead of down with each payment.
A 10/1 ARM has a fixed rate for the first 10 years of the loan. The rate then becomes variable and adjusts every year for the remaining life of the term. A 30-year 10/1 ARM has a fixed rate for the first 10 years and an adjustable rate for the remaining 20 years. A 15-year 10/1 ARM is similar.
An ARM can be perfectly safe if you're planning on moving or refinancing the mortgage within your initial fixed-rate period. ... And there's no guarantee a refinance will make sense in the next few years — if rates go up, your next home loan will be more expensive in any case. That's not to say an ARM is always a bad idea.
A 10/1 ARM makes the most sense if you plan to sell your home or refinance your mortgage before the 10-year fixed period ends. If you do this, you can take advantage of the low initial interest rate that comes with an ARM without worrying about your rate rising once the fixed period ends.
A 5-year adjustable-rate mortgage (5/1 ARM) can be paid off early, however, there may be a pre-payment penalty. A pre-payment penalty requires additional interest owing on the mortgage.
If you're approaching retirement with a steady income, the 10-year fixed-rate mortgage may be a good choice. This may be ideal for those looking to close out their mortgages sooner rather than later. However, it's vital that anyone considering this loan be prepared for retirement with a healthy retirement fund.
Like many types of loans, you can refinance an ARM. When you refinance an ARM, you replace your existing loan with a brand new one.
After three years, the rate can adjust once every year for the remaining life of the loan. The same principle applies for a 5/1 and 7/1 ARM. If the rates increase, your monthly payments will increase; however, if rates go down, your payments may not decrease, depending upon your initial interest rate.
A 7/1 ARM is a good option if you intend to live in your new house for less than seven years or plan to refinance your home within the same timeframe. An ARM tends to have lower initial rates than a fixed-rate loan, so you can take advantage of the lower payment for the introductory period.
Payment-option ARMs.
You could choose to make traditional principal and interest payments; or interest-only payments; or a limited payment that may be less than the interest due that month, thus the unpaid interest and principal will be added to the amount you owe on the loan, not subtracted.
ARM benefits
The advantage of a 5/1 ARM is that during the first years of the loan when the rate is fixed, you would get a much lower interest rate and payment. If you plan to sell in less than six or seven years, a 5/1 ARM could be a smart choice.
Some 2/28 and 3/27 mortgages adjust every 6 months, not annually. 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 allows you to have smaller monthly payments for a period.
Why does it take 30 years to pay off $150,000 loan, even though you pay $1000 a month? ... Even though the principal would be paid off in just over 10 years, it costs the bank a lot of money fund the loan. The rest of the loan is paid out in interest.
One of the most effective ways to pay off your mortgage faster is to pay more than the monthly amount due. That might seem obvious, but you might not realize just how far a little extra money can go.
Pros of an ARM
Since both loans are amortized over the same number of years, the ARM will have a lower monthly payment because of its lower rate. Lower interest expense: Over an ARM's initial fixed period, you'll spend less money on interest. This means more savings for you — at least, in the short term.
Most ARMs reset the interest rate of the loan once a year on the loan anniversary date. The final period is the initial or teaser period . Many ARMs are started with the interest rate fixed for three or five years. During that time the rate and payment will not change.
An adjustable rate mortgage conversion involves converting the ARM structure of your loan into that of a fixed-rate mortgage. To get a conversion, you simply pay a fee and your ARM officially converts over to a fixed-rate mortgage.
If you aren't bothered by higher monthly payments, a 10-year mortgage might be a good option. While 30-year fixed-rate mortgages remain the most popular way to finance a home purchase, many homeowners opt for a 15-year loan when they refinance to shorten their loan term.
Refinancing into a 10-year mortgage can allow you to secure a lower interest rate without extending your repayment term. Although rates can differ depending on the lender and your own finances, 10-year refinance rates are generally lower than other terms, like 15- or 30-year mortgages.
One of the shortest mortgage loan terms you can get is an 8-year mortgage. While less popular than 15- and 30-year home loans, an 8-year mortgage loan will allow you to aggressively pay down your home loan, and, in turn, own your home outright in less than a decade.
Paying an extra $1,000 per month would save a homeowner a staggering $320,000 in interest and nearly cut the mortgage term in half. To be more precise, it'd shave nearly 12 and a half years off the loan term. The result is a home that is free and clear much faster, and tremendous savings that can rarely be beat.