Mortgage Basics – South Africa

The type of loan you select will affect not only the amount of interest you pay to the lender and the term or life of the loan, but can also have other options and add-ons that can help you realise future financial goals.

Interest Rates and Life of the Loan

Typically, the maximum life or term of a mortgage is 30 years, but almost any other time period can be negotiated, with shorter loans sometimes attracting cheaper interest rates. A lower interest rate and shorter term on the loan means you will pay less interest to the lender over the term of the loan; Saving you money.

However, monthly payments on a shorter loan will generally be higher than those on the same loan set for a longer time period. The higher payments are obviously required to repay the debt sooner.

Conversely, a long term loan with smaller payments can be easier to budget for and mean less lifestyle sacrifices will need to be made. If you can afford to pay off your loan sooner, then a shorter term loan is often more advantageous.

Fixed Rate vs Variable Rate

The two most common loans offered are fixed rate mortgages and variable rate mortgages. A fixed rate mortgage comes with an interest rate that is fixed for a set amount of time whereas an variable rate mortgage will fluctuate as the market changes.

The benefit of a fixed rate mortgage is to protect you from the risk of increasing interest rates and subsequently higher repayments. If interest rates rise, you are fixed on paying the lower rate. Conversely, if interest rates should fall, you are locked into the fixed rate and will pay above market rates for your home loan.

A variable interest rate home loan allows interest rates to fluctuate with the market, depending on the economic environment.

Initially, a variable rate will be lower than the fixed rate loan. However, if interest rates do rise in the future, it is likely the fixed rate loan will be cheaper.

Deciding whether a variable or fixed rate loan is best for you will come down to your unique financial situation. For example, if you expect your income to rise in the future, then a variable rate loan will help you to pay more back in the short term and should rates rise, you can still afford the loan because of your increase pay. You should also consider your risk tolerance. A fixed mortgage lets you plan and budget sometimes years in advance to make sure you can continue to afford the loan.

If you need help identifying which loan option is best for you, contact a Mortgage Plus broker for an obligation-free discussion. Your broker will advise you on the various options and benefits of different home loan products and work to get you the best deal on your loan.

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

a Further Loan against your existing property

A further loan / second bond is usually beneficial for those homeowners who bought their property a while ago. Say for example you bought your home five years ago for R500 000 and the home is now worth R 800 000, you will be able to take a further loan for the amount of R 300 000. Homeowners who are bond-free can also refinance their properties to raise some capital.

When applying for a further loan / second bond, your home will be appraised to determine its value and your credit file will be reviewed. The bank or lender will order a title report on your property to search for any liens that might appear. If the bank or lender is satisfied with all these items, the loan is likely to be approved.

Unfortunately, there will be costs involved in taking a further loan. These costs include second bond registration costs, conveyance fees and the appraisal fees. The total of these costs is usually only about 1% of your total loan amount, but must still be kept in mind. Your monthly instalments will become bigger, so make sure you can afford it before you apply for the loan.

It is advisable to use further loans for funding additional investments on your property, as this will improve the value of your property even more. With the property market in South Africa at this stage, you never know if your property’s value will rise or fall in the next few years. Your property’s value might have grown from R 500 000 to R 800 000 in the past few years but it might depreciate in the next few years, leading to negative equity.

Further loans can be used to finance renovations to your home, but some homeowners use the money to buy new cars, consolidate their debt or for other capital expenditure. This is one of the cheapest ways to access finance because home loan rates are typically the lowest of all other financing methods.

We will give you free advice on the questions you might have about the costs associated with further loans and we can help you understand the personal financial planning implications of a further loan. We will also be able to renegotiate the interest rate you are currently paying on your home loan as your loan-to-value ratio improves.

Benefits of applying for a Further Loan against your existing property

• You get fast access to a loan
• To release cash tied up in the value of your house
• Access to cash when you need it
• To use surplus cash released to reduce other expensive forms of debt
• You benefit from a low interest rate
• To restructure your home loan over the maximum period to reduce monthly cash flow
• Easy to manage

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