How do they work? Option one mortgage loans are basically interest only mortgage loans, except that the first year, you pay only 1.25% of the interest on the loan. The remainder of the interest that is accruing is being added to the loan amount. The second year of the loan you pay more interest until gradually you are paying either full interest only payments or fully amortized payments (interest & principle). The reason the loans are called option loans is because every time you have a payment due, you have the option of paying the less than interest only portion, interest only or a fully amortized payment. This option would be good in a situation where your income is sporadic.

This mortgage loan type typically gives you 4 payment options in every bill.

Here are your typical monthly payment options:

Option #1 – Pay a 15-Year fully amortized payment amount (p&i)

Option #2 – Pay a 30-Year fully amortized payment amount (p&i)

Option #3 – Pay the interest-only portion of the loan (Interest Only)

Option #4 – Make a partial interest payment (1.25% – 1.95% depending on your loan type) and defer paying the additional interest to the total loan amount. (Deferred interest can be counteracted by making bi-monthly payments and by property appreciation)

This type of loan is good if you want to:

Wait a while to refinance again – If interest rates drop again, so does your payment. If you want to accelerate your payments and increase equity quick, pay more on your loan and it will be applied to future payments & will be directly applied to the principle balance. Will you want a 30-year loan? Keep the option to pay your loan as a 30-year, 15-year, or interest only payments.

Have an adjustable rate mortgage but want stability – This loan has a payment cap. The interest rate on this loan is based on the 12 month-MTA index, the most stable index of the 4 main indexes (COFI, LIBOR, MTA & CMT). This index is always below prime. The interest rate is based on the world economic markets which have been steadily coming down over the last 3 years. This loan has a 5-year fixed payment option as well.

Invest your payment savings in something else – This could open up opportunities for you if you could invest in real estate, the stock market or another investment when you use the extra $500-1000+ a month you free up from your property payment. Pay off debt with your payment savings – You can use the payment savings to pay off other debt.

Have security and options in your mortgage loan – The main benefit to this type of loan is the security of a mortgage payment that you control. You decide at any time what kind of a mortgage you want. If all goes well in your future, you have the freedom to pay your 30 year loan into a 15 year loan without even consulting another mortgage broker. Get more home for your money – You can qualify for more home with these low payment options.

Who Can Qualify? Qualifying for this loan is basically the same as any other loan, it is based on credit, equity & assets, if you are strong in 1 of these or 2 of these, you could probably qualify and with lowest rate possible.

What if I want to take out a stated income loan? “Stated Income” or “No income/assets” loans are possible with this Option One Loan.

These are just general guidelines and information about this type of loan. You will want to discuss all of these details with your broker or lender before you actually complete the loan. These factors may vary with each individual lender. Many lenders do not offer their customers this type of loan. If you are seeking an option one or option ARM loan, you will need to talk to your broker about it or find a broker that can do this type of loan. To see our recommended lenders for this type of loan. Visit here: Option One Mortgage Lenders.

Written by Carrie Reeder, Owner of ABC Loan Guide .

Here are some sure-fire solutions to ‘ repair bad credit ‘. Keep in mind, like most ‘diseases,’ credit repair can take some time, but complete healing is possible.

The First Step

The first thing you need to do is find out what is being reported about you. This is easy and inexpensive. For under $10, you can get your credit report from one of the three main credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion. Keep in mind however, that if you have recently been denied credit, you can get a free report from the same credit bureau the lender used to reject you as long as you do so within 30 days.

What You Don’t Need

You don’t need a repair clinic. Why? There is no legal way to ‘repair’ your credit. Those that claim to know loopholes and shortcuts are merely out for your money. They may even get you into legal trouble by having you fudge the facts or creating a whole new file for you. Anything legal that a clinic can do, you can do just as easily and without the cost of ‘professional’ help.

Further Steps to Take

1. Stop using your credit cards immediately. Put them somewhere where they will not tempt you. You may consider keeping at least one card for emergency purposes. Additionally, with poor credit, you may find it more difficult to get a credit card in the future. If you keep at least one account open, then you won’t have to worry about applying.

2. Be Honest With Yourself. Taking a good hard look at your financial situation, particularly if it isn’t good, can be very difficult. Yet, to get out debt you have to fully understand what the situation is.

3. Find the Errors. Believe it or not, up to 40% of all credit reports have errors in them. If you find that your credit report shows something that is not true, you need to write to them with all the details. Be sure to use certified mail so that you can keep track of who you wrote to, when you wrote, and who received the mail on the credit bureau’s end. Then ask the credit bureau to send a corrected report to anyone who has requested a report on you in the last 6 months.

4. Find the Omissions. By law, you are allowed to add information to your report that you believe will help your rating. This might be additional information about a repayment of a loan, good credit you have with companies that do not report to the credit bureau, or salary increases.

5. You Must Have a Plan. Whether you determine to pay your bills down little at a time, take a second job, go to credit counseling, or file bankruptcy, you need to make a plan and stick to it. In order for your credit to be improved, you have to have a plan and then take action!

6. Talk to those that you owe. Creditors want their money. They do not want you to default (quit paying). In fact, most creditors will work with you to get a reduced payment schedule. If you can keep them from reporting you to the credit bureau, then it won’t hurt your credit. The catch here is this: be sure to stick to the new negotiated plan – they won’t renegotiate if you fail to comply.

7. The Best Cure is Time. Have you ever heard the saying ‘time heals all wounds’? It also heals your credit. After 7 years, most items will be dropped. This is good news if you are working to correct your credit. As each year passes, more and more bad items will drop off and more and more good items will be included. Eventually, the disease will be cured.

Follow these steps and you will find that your credit looks healthier and healthier each day. Eventually this path will lead you to full recovery. Good Luck!

Wesley Atkins is the owner of http://www.credit-cards-advisor.com – which aims to get you fitted with the best credit cards to suit your situation. Information about bad credit loans can be found here

Perhaps one of the first signs of an ailing economy is the housing market. With a considerable amount consumer debt, folks are increasingly falling behind on their mortgage payments. To assist homeowners in reducing their housing payments, President Obama’s has come out with the Loan Modification Homeowner Stability Plan.

The loan modification plan works by reducing homeowners mortgage payments and providing the homeowners the opportunity to reduce excessive late fees and balance accrual.

How it works?

1. Interest rates and cap:

The homeowners interest rate may be reduced to 2-6% for qualifying hardship.

3. Reduction of principal balance:

If the loan qualified for principal reduction under the Obama Loan Modification plan, the principal balance will be reduced and brought forward when the market turns around.

3. Reduced monthly payments.

Your lender will help to assist in reducing the monthly payments.

The loan modification plan states that the lender cannot lower the mortgage payments to less than 38% of the Debt to income (DTI) ratio. The administration will further try to revive the interest rates to 31% of the DTI ratio.

4. Introduction of incentives:

Potential lenders will receive $1000 in incentives to qualify homeowners for the loan modification plan.

In addition, $1000 will be reduced from the homeowners principal, if the debtor continues with the plan. The prime purpose behind this is to help homeowners to refinance their loans.

5. Payments for successful performance of debtors:

The decrease in principal is an added benefit to this loan modification plan. This principal reduction can result in a reduced principal balance of 2-15% of the current home market value.

It is recommended that the homeowner keeps all paperwork in so they are completely aware of what it is that they signed.

The Loan Modification plan has been proven to be a big hit with homeowners and has helped thousands of people reduce their home loans.

Obtaining a copy of your credit report will allow you to see in detail the items that make up your credit profile. The first thing you will want to look for is errors and incorrect information. If you see accounts that aren’t yours or information that is not correct, all you will need to do is contact the credit agencies and have the information updated or removed. Be prepared to send documentation to the agencies as well to support the changes that you are requesting.

Many companies provide credit scores as well. A score of 500 Or below is typically considered bad credit. A score between 501-580 is considered poor credit. A score of 580-620 is considered average. A score of 620-720 is considered good credit and scores above 720 are excellent credit. Scores can be deceiving at first glance, don’t read too much into the report as there are a number of things you might be able to do to drastically improve your score in thirty days or less.

In many instances, mortgage brokers will be happy to evaluate your credit with you to determine the best steps for you to take in order be able to qualify for a home loan. Mortgage brokers are a great resource as they can direct you on how to improve your situation from a bad credit borrower to a good or even excellent credit borrower in the eyes of the lending industry. Also, many mortgage brokers have access to lenders and banks who specialize in helping people with not so perfect credit. A mortgage broker can also help you determine what type of payment and loan you can afford. With this information you can begin looking for homes in your price range and avoid spending time on properties with price tags and payment that may be out of your reach.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions when speaking with a mortgage broker. Also, be sure to give the broker honest answers. Be sure to discuss possible rates, payments and fees with your broker. As a rule of thumb, the better your credit, the better the loan. If you can improve your credit, you will have a good chance of receiving a lower rate and less fees. Also, if your credit score is below 620, you may need to make a down payment on the property of up to 20% of the purchase price. If your score is above 620, you have a good chance of qualifying for a zero down home loan.

Even if you have bad credit, you may be able to qualify for a new home loan. If you do have bad credit and have the ability to put money down to purchase a home, you may want to take a look at making the purchase even if the loan terms aren’t exactly the best on the market. Once you have a mortgage reporting on your credit report, you begin demonstrating to the credit agencies and to future lenders that you are not as risky of a borrower as you once were. However, you have to be sure to pay the mortgage on time as paying it late will keep you in the bad credit bracket.

Remember, if you have bad credit, but are willing to take the necessary steps to improve your financial situation, you could be closer than you think to qualifying for a home loan. If you haven’t done so already, obtain a copy of your credit report and contact a mortgage broker to discuss your situation and identify the steps that you can take to transform yourself from a bad credit renter to a good or even excellent credit homeowner.

Contact MyRefi.com for a free no obligation consultation to see if you can qualify for a bad credit home loan as a first time home buyer. Your comprehensive Home Bad Credit and resource