Don’t overload your home loan

It may be tempting to consolidate household debt by utilizing a refinancing option on one’s home loan, but homeowners need to be careful that they are not jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire by placing too heavy a burden on their repayments.

This warning comes from Morne Prinsloo, MD of Mortgage Plus, who adds that overloaded monthly bond repayments could result in the bondholder losing his most important asset at the end of the day through foreclosure by the bank in the event that he fails to meet his installments.

“Banks do offer convenient ways of refinancing other household debt, particularly as home loan mortgage rates are generally lower than overdraft or credit card rates at the moment,” says Prinsloo.

“But consumers need to be careful that they are not pushing up their loan repayments to unmanageable levels by doing this.”

Prinsloo adds that consumers also need to be aware of the costs associated with applying for further home loan facilities. These could include property assessment fees and bond registration costs. “Consumers should ensure that these costs do not nullify the benefits of the lower interest rate saving,” he cautions.

“Consumers also need to be careful not to finance certain items over the full 20 year period of the loan. For example, the repayments on a car only last for a maximum of five years so the consumer needs to ensure that he pays this money back into his home loan account within the same period of time by increasing his monthly repayments accordingly.”

Please contact us if you require any further information or would like to apply for finance:

Complete this short form online

011.327.4489 / 0861 1111 93

morne@mortgagepluscc.co.za

www.mortgagepluscc.co.za

How to get a home loan approved

Even though property prices have soared in recent years, you can probably still obtain a home loan to buy your own home if you are earning a regular salary. Here are some ways that you can get that home loan you need to become a home owner without needing an excessively high income.

Look For Special Home Loan Deals

Keep an eye out for special deals offered on home loans by the various banks in South Africa.  There are good home loan products specially designed for first time home buyers who do not have huge incomes or cash on hand to pay deposits on the home loans. Always try and negotiate with the bank on a better interest rate as even a small decrease on your interest rate can make quite a large difference on your monthly repayments. For a family on a tight budget even a R100 less per month spend on your bond can make a big difference.

You can often bargain with a home seller to get the price down to something that you are more able to afford so do not just accept the first offer as something you cannot afford. Also keep in mind that many of the cheaper properties are not always advertised so drive around in your area and look out for the “For Sale” signs in front of houses. Do this especially on sundays as this is the day most sellers choose to place their homes on show.

Increase Your Home Loan Repayment Period

You do not have to take your home loan over a 20-year period but you could stretch it over a 30-year period. This will cause your monthly repayments on the home loan to be lower which will allow you to afford a higher loan amount. On the negative side this kind of home loan will cost you more over the long run in the form of the interest you will pay.

Get a Joint Home Loan

If you cant afford a home loan on your own salary consider buying a home with a partner. Instead of looking at your personal income as a measure for calculating an amount you can afford on a home loan, banks will look at the joint gross income of the two partners buying property together. If your gross income is R4000 and that of the partner is R8000 the bank will calculate the amount that you jointly qualify for on the combined R12000 income. The bank usually will not give a home loan on more than 30% of the gross income so jointly you should be able to get a loan for R400000. If you decide to take this option make sure that you sign a legal agreement with the partner on the amount each will pay on the repayments of the home loan and how the proceeds should be spilt when the home is sold in the future.

Enter The Market With a Lower Value Home

A common mistake prospective home buyers make, especially first time buyers, are that of aiming to high. Only for a hand full of people will their first home be their dream home. It helps to get into the property market first with a lower value home and after a few years, with the increase in value of your property and promotions in your job, you will be able to afford a better home.

Please contact us if you require any further information or would like to apply for finance:

Complete this short form online

011.327.4489 / 0861 1111 93

morne@mortgagepluscc.co.za

www.mortgagepluscc.co.za