Getting a home loan is no easy task. There is a lot that you need to consider before making the leap and getting one from your bank. Most of the time, people don’t stop and think about it enough before getting one. This can lead to a lot of problems in the future, and a lot of money being wasted for no apparent reason. One of the worst things that you could do is rush into this sort of decision.
A lot of people are choosing to get variable rate home loans instead of the traditional fixed rate loans nowadays. There are quite a few reasons for this, but it should be noted that both of these rate types have their own set of perks and disadvantages. Neither is better than the other, but they can be beneficial in different ways.
What is a variable home loan?
A variable rate home loan is a type of loan that you take out against your house in which the rate of interest changes over time. It isn’t a previously agreed upon value that remains constant over time. Instead, the value of interest that you need to pay changes according to the changes in the interest rates of the local market.
For example, variable rate home loans from Newcastle Permanent Building Society will change their interest rates depending on the typical rates in the general area of Newcastle. This can be both a blessing and a curse, so make sure that when you get yourself a variable rate loan, you think long and hard about the pros and cons and plan it out effectively.
3 quick tips for getting a variable loan
Before taking out the loan, make sure you find out how it works. You can ask your representative at the bank for this information. Also, do some research to find out about the current trend in the interest rates in your area, preferably by consulting a professional financial advisor. Before making the leap, make sure you know and understand these criteria:
- How high can your interest rates go with each adjustment? This could be the maximum amount that the payments could reach, using a sort of worst case scenario to predict the most that you would have to pay for a month.
- How often will the interest rate change? There are different plans for different service providers. For some, it could be a monthly adjustment of the rates, while for others it could be as infrequent as annual or every 6 months.
- Is there a lower limit for the interest rate? There could be a cap on how low it could go. After all, banks are businesses and they are looking to make money off you. It is how the world works. Make sure that you know the lower rate limit. Remember: the lower the better!
Make sure that when you find out the maximum that you would be forced to pay, see that you can still afford to make the payment. You don’t want to be up the proverbial creek without a paddle at a crucial moment and risk losing everything. Look before you leap and think before you make any financial decisions.
