Whether you are getting a first mortgage on your house, refinancing an old loan for better rates or terms, or taking out a home-equity line of credit, there are several traps that you can fall into if you aren’t careful.

Especially now that the economy has done so badly for the last few years because of this major recession we are in that has lasted from 2008 all the way up to 2010, banks have been less apt to loan money and when they do they may be more strict about how they do it.

This translates into several traps that you can fall into that may make your loan more expensive than it should be. But if you know about these things before hand then you can confront your bank about them and threatened to go to a different bank if they don’t remove them which is why I wanted to write this article for you today.

I’m pretty sure that everybody is aware of the variable interest rate trap where a bank tries to give you a variable rate that can go up or down every year depending on a set of criteria that the bank defines. In times of falling interest rates these are good for you because your interest rate can go down; but interest rates right now are at all-time historical lows, meaning they have nowhere to go but up so it’s a very bad idea to get a variable interest rate loan right now.

I’m also probably sure that everyone’s aware of the trick that banks use to try and get you to sign a 20 year loan instead of a 30 year loan. Yes by definition you’ll pay off a 20 year loan quicker, ten years quicker to be exact! And yes it’s true that you’ll pay less interest… but the fact remains the same that a 20 year loan will give you a much higher monthly payment than a 30 year loan will and especially for people who are refinancing in order to lower their payments this is an especially important fact to consider.

But in this article I wanted to discuss one of the less known traps that you can fall into. I’m talking about balloons. Many borrowers have never even heard of what a balloon is.  But they can be especially common in refinances and second mortgages. Basically a balloon is a balloon payment. It gives you a very low interest rate for a period of time, say five years. But then after that period of time the entire amount of the loan becomes due all at once.

In the old days this was attractive because you could take advantage of low interest and low payments for those first five years and then when it came time for the entire alone to be due on the fifth year you could simply go out and get a new loan and used the proceeds from it to pay off the old loan. The problem is, with the recession it’s harder to get new loans than it’s ever been so you may not be able to refinance in five years and then you’ll be stuck paying the entire amount of your loan all at once which can be devastating for most people.

So there you have three common and not so common traps to look out for when it comes to getting a mortgage. Hopefully now you have the information you need to get the best deal possible so that you pay the least amount of money for your loan.

Jason Markum has been an article writer online for well over 13 years.  When he’s not writing articles, he has a good time running a dinnerware web site where he also reviews corelle square dinnerware for your home use.
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First of all you must get on the phone to your lender to call off the Sheriff’s Sale. You can get them to stall the Sheriff’s Sale up until the moment it is done, but you have to have a good strategy in place for keeping your home.

There are many options available in today’s economy to help you keep your house but you will have to act quickly and you must document your communication in case you ever need to prove anything in court.

Natalia Osorio Editor of the “Loan Modification Foreclosure” website — http://www.LoanModificationForeclosures.com — pointed out;

“…Helping you keep your house and stopping foreclosure is uppermost in the minds of our President and Congress to stop the tide of families going under. I have a working relationship with my Senators and Representative, meaning I do not hesitate to call them or their offices for help in such matters. They are a wealth of information and resources…”

Get on the phone to your lender and ask either for a loan modification or that your missed payments be put on the end of your loan. You have to be tenacious and you can’t give up. This is truly a case where the “Squeaky Wheel Gets the Grease”. You must be in a mindset as well that you are not going to give up because this is exhausting and difficult work. You might have to call the lender every day to get some action going.

Refinance your house or take out a loan to get caught up. Right now the interest rates are probably better than what you are paying.

There are companies out there trying to help people avoid foreclosure but before you hire one, be sure to do some background research on them. I have come to the place where I do not believe that the Better Business Bureau is the best source of information on companies but they are a good place to start. I would go to my State Attorney General’s Office for additional information on some companies. Ask them for information and ideas.

If you have a hardship situation then negotiate with your lender to let you give the house back to them with a “Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure”. They will require that the house be listed for sale for at least 90 days. If a “short sale’ possibility comes up that is an option too.

Get on the phone to a real estate attorney. In your mortgage you may have up to one year as a “Right of Redemption” so that you can correct your situation with your lender. The attorney may have to file something for you to cause the lender to stop the foreclosure but better this than actually going to foreclosure.

“…Your lender should want to help you because it is terrifically expensive for lenders to take you through the whole foreclosure process, $30,000 and upwards in legal fees. They do not want to lose this money on top of getting the house back…” N. Osorio added.

With regard to stopping the sheriff’s sale, talk with your attorney about this as well. Last, don’t give up. This is difficult but not impossible.

Further information about how to get professional assistance with a mortgage loan modification by http://www.LoanModificationForeclosures.com

Hector Milla runs his corporate website at http://www.OpsRegs.com where you can see all his articles and press releases.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/mortgage-articles/how-do-i-save-my-home-from-foreclosure-when-i-already-have-a-sheriffs-sale-date-1783453.html

While many people may not be aware of it, loan modification foreclosure is one growing problem in the country. Thanks to the current economic crisis, many homes are on the brink of foreclosure and many people are on the verge of filing for bankruptcy. But what they fail to realize is that loan modification just might be their ticket out of these situations.

Normally, people will think that this mortgage modification program is another scheme which banks conjure up so that they can get more money from their customers who are already struggling. But in reality, this mortgage modification program is one way which can help both the client and the bank. It is in fact, a Win-Win situation.

While the person facing a foreclosure can be able to save his home, the bank also saves money for going through with a foreclosure. This is because they no longer have to hire another person to collect money from you or to spend money fixing the house and putting it up for sale. In addition, the banks are giving you another opportunity where you can pay your existing mortgage in a more reasonable and practical manner, thus it is eliminating a complete loss on the part of your lender.

Because of this, more and more tactics are being used to prevent foreclosure since it is a more viable solution for both parties. But what does modifying one’s current loan really do? When your mortgage is going to be modified, it means that your lender will bring down your interest rate, your principal balance or even your monthly mortgage payments into a more reasonable amount. By doing so, foreclosure is a last option for families who have encountered the unavoidable financial dilemma that has been brought about by the breakdown of the US economy.

In a way, the loan modification program is a change being brought about to your current and existing mortgage so that you have a better chance of paying it off rather than ending up with a foreclosed property or filing for bankruptcy. There are many ways which this loan modification program can be made into effect. They can be used to refinance your existing loan, allow you to skip out on some payments, reduce your loan’s total amount, reduce the charged interest rate or even to extend the loan’s term period.

If you want to save your home, you can get in touch with your lender and ask about the loan modification foreclosure program which you can avail. This way, you can spare yourself the hassle and turn it into a Win-Win situation for you and your lender.

For detailed facts and essential tips about how you can be approved for a home loan modification, visit this simple, easy to understand loan modification guide and resource: http://HomeLoanModifications101.com

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/mortgage-articles/loan-modification-foreclosure-is-a-winwin-situation-1681927.html