Sunday, September 28, 2008

Why More People Choose Offset Mortgages

By Chris Channing

Offset mortgages are a popular mortgage that is used in the United Kingdom area. It is a highly beneficial way to lower interest and pay even less than what it would be originally. Interest is charged on a "net balance" versus the entire "real" balance. It is also available in some places in the United States. These savings used for offsetting are generally kept at the bank where you receive a loan from. The bank benefits and you benefit as well.

Offset mortgages provide a decent advantage for citizens in the United Kingdom that use this form of mortgage. Its very tax efficient, and can save a considerable amount of cash. This means lower interest payments, and an overall lower repayment that needs to be paid out.

Offset mortgages encourage homeowners and those wanting to purchase a home to have a savings account. This account is linked to the mortgage, and then deducted from what you owe on your loan. If for example, you have a 300,000 mortgage, and 75,000 saved in the bank with non-interest; you will only be charged an interest on 225,000. Depending on your interest rate, then you can save thousands over the course of the lifetime of the mortgage.

The big benefits and "refunds" come in when you don't spend your savings. Having extra money laying around will allow you to pay off your bills faster, and save money in the long run. That's the main goal of an offset mortgage, and you benefit massively.

The only disadvantage or negative aspect of an offset mortgage is if you only have a small amount of money; they will not do you any good at all. If you have more than 25% of what you get a mortgage for, then consider it a very good offer.

You can also add money to your accounts at any time. If you start off with a 200,000 euro debt, and only 20,000 available for offsetting, then you can add 20,000 the next year, and so on. This works especially well if you are renting your home out to other people so that you constantly have money to be spent on repaying the loan.

Closing Comments

Offset mortgages are typically easy to get, and easy to work with. They make things organized and simple, where other mortgages can be complicated and take a long time to pay off. Offset mortgages can usually be paid off in half of the time it takes to pay off a regular mortgage.

About the Author:

No comments: