




Free Consultation! Are you unsure about the current market? Contact me for a free, consultation on the current local market, as well as what to do in it! Find Out More > View All Offers >
|
Compare three mortgages at one time.
Download TripleCalc now. It's free.
|
Bradford Houser is one of The Top
Selling Real Estate Experts Find Out More > |
|
For a Limited time Only Win 50,000 Dollars!!! With Iowa Realty's Home Sweet Home Sweepstakes Giveaway! Looking for homes? Search everything the web has to offer, right here! Don't miss my Feature Homes Need local real estate information? I've summarized much of what is important about the Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty real estate market in this site. Whether it be residential or commercial, I have you covered!. American Homebuyers and Sellers just got a boost! Click here for more information on the newly extended and expanded tax credit for homebuyers. The $8,000 credit was extended for first-time homebuyers, but now existing homeowners get a break too. If you have owned a home for 5 years, you can now get a $6,500 credit on a new home purchase. We would be happy to help answer any questions you have about how the stimulus package might effect your real estate needs. Please be sure to consult your tax advisor as well. Realtors making a difference in our community Positive change one house at a time! Click here to find out how the REALTOR Homes for Our Future project takes community service to a whole new level. See pictures of this green home under construction and get ideas for the universal design as well. We are proud to be a part of this endeavor!   Need expert advice? No web site, large or small, can take the place of a top realtor. Not even mine! This site is filled with ways that you can contact me for one-on-one expert help and advice. That's my job. Contact me with confidence! I guarantee your privacy will be respected. And I offer the services on this site for free and without obligation. Why? I want to be YOUR REALTOR. As your trusted, professional real estate partner, I will help you find the best home in your area within your price range. And together we will sell your home, for as much as the market will bear, and as quickly as possible. Buying and selling a home is one of the biggest events in your life. As a top Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty REALTOR�, I have the experience and track record you are looking for to turn one of the biggest events in your life to the BEST event in your life. A good real estate agent can mean the difference between a home bought or sold to your satisfaction or a real estate disaster. I can make the difference - Brad Houser  |
Financing Your Home >ARMs
Here is a tip for those who are shopping for Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs): the "margin" is almost as important as the initial rate. The margin is the percentage point above the average yields for Treasury notes on which future rate adjustments will be calculated.
Let's compare two hypothetical one-year ARMs. The first may have an initial interest rate of 7% with a 2.5 margin, while the second begins at 6 7/8% with a 2.75 margin. Both loans have rate caps of 2%. Suppose that at the end of the first year of the loan, the average of the one-year Treasury note yield has been 5 1/2%. For each loan, the lenders will add the margin to that 5 1/2% average yield. Thus the interest rate for first loan would increase from 7% to 8%, and the second would go from 6 7/8% to 8 1/4%. While the first ARM had a slightly higher initial rate, it will have lower rates in subsequent years, unless the Treasury note rates increase enough to activate the annual caps on the amount of the increase. There is a wide variance among margins in ARMs offered by competing lenders, and this should be a factor when you decide on your loan.
|
| Q |
What is the world's most expensive Monopoly set?
|
| A |
San Francisco jeweler Sidney Mobell created an exclusive $2 million Monopoly set, with solid 23 carat gold houses, chimneys made of rubies and sapphires and dice with 42 full cut diamonds for spots. |
See More Real Estate Trivia > |
|
|

"Brad is professional, knowledgeable, courteous, helpful-altogether a wonderful help; and a great experience!!" Jack and Carol Boal Read Quote > View All Quotes >
|
|
|