If you're at all considering an ARM, you absolutely, positively must understand what rising interest rates (and, therefore, a rising monthly mortgage payment) would do to your personal finances. Only consider taking an ARM if you can answer all of the following questions in the affirmative:
If you are fiscally positioned to take on the financial risks inherent to an adjustable-rate mortgage, by all means consider taking one -- we're not trying to talk you into a fixed-rate loan. The odds are with you to save money, in the form of lower interest charges and payments, with an ARM. Your interest rate starts lower (and stays lower, if the overall level of interest rates doesn't change). Even if rates do go up, as they are sometimes prone to do, they will surely come back down. So, if you can stick with your ARM through times of high and low interest rates, you should still come out ahead.
Also recognize that, although ARMs do carry the risk of a fluctuating interest rate, almost all adjustable-rate loans limit, or cap, the rise in the interest rate allowed on your loan. We certainly wouldn't allow you take an ARM without caps. Typical caps are 2 percent per year and 6 percent over the life of the loan.
Consider an adjustable-rate mortgage only if you're financially and emotionally secure enough to handle the maximum possible payments over an extended period of time. ARMs work best for borrowers who take out smaller loans than they are qualified for or who are consistently saving more than 10 percent of their monthly income. If you do choose an ARM, make sure that you have a significant cash cushion that is accessible in the event that rates go up. Don't take an adjustable just because the initially lower interest rate allows you to afford a more expensive home. Better to buy a home that you can afford with a fixed-rate mortgage.
This Homebuyers Tip was excerpted from
Home Buying For Dummies, by Eric Tyson, Ray Brown. © 1997 by Eric Tyson, Ray Brown, used by permission of IDG Books.
ISBN#: 1568843852
