Hawaiian Funding Loan Information

Fixed Rate Loans
Consider a fixed rate mortgage if either of the following describes you:

1. You plan on living in your new home for many years, and/or

2. You are not a risk-taker and prefer the stability of knowing how much your payment will be each month.

Since most home loans are for a period of 30 years, if you want a payment you can count on for that long of a period of time, a fixed rate mortgage may be what works best for you. Once your loan amount and interest rate are calculated and locked in, a fixed rate mortgage will guarantee that you will have the same payment over the life of the loan. Making extra payments to principal will allow you to pay your loan off sooner.

This may not always be the best choice, however. If interest rates are very high at the time you take out your loan, with a fixed rate mortgage you'll be stuck with that high interest for the life of the loan (unless you choose to refinance). Conversely, if interest rates are very low, you'll come out the winner with interest rates that will stay low no matter how high interest rates go in the future.

The following are the advantages and disadvantages of the varying lengths and terms of fixed-rate mortgages:

Interest Only
This type of loan is recommended for people who plan to move out of their house within 3-7 yrs. With this loan you make an interest only payment every month. If you make a payment to the principle it will change your interest payment for the following month. This is a very advantageous loan for the disciplined borrower.

Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs)
If you are more comfortable in taking a risk with your money or if interest rates are very high at the time you take out your loan, an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) may be the solution for you. You might also choose this type of loan if your planned ownership of the property is short-term or if you expect your income to increase to cover any potential rise in the interest rate.

Generally, the interest rate when you take out your loan will be lower than a fixed-rate mortgage. Please note that this is true initially, not necessarily long-term.

Since an ARM rate rises and falls depending on the prevailing interest rate, your mortgage payment will rise and fall accordingly. If your income is not sufficient to cover the highest possible payments, then this option is not for you. On the positive side, the lower initial payments will allow you to qualify for a larger loan than if you choose a fixed-rate. The downside is that your payments will increase if/when the rates go up.

Typically, ARM interest rates are tied to a specific financial index (such as Certificate of Deposit index, Treasury or T-Bill rate, Cost of Funds-Indexed Arms or COFi, or LIBOR [London Interbank Offered Rate]) and your payment will be based on the index your lender uses plus a margin, generally of two to three points. Get the formula used by your lender in writing and make sure you understand what it means.

Fortunately, the amount an ARM can increase is limited. There are "caps" on how much your lender can increase your rate, both for a period of one year and for the life of the loan. Plan ahead, and have your lender calculate what the maximum payment would be if your rate went to the highest amount allowed by the cap for your particular mortgage. If you are not confident you'll be able to pay that amount on a monthly basis, perhaps you should reconsider this type of loan.

Convertible ARMs (Adjustable Rate Mortgages)
If neither the fixed-rate or the adjustable-rate mortgage seems like the best option, perhaps the convertible ARM will be right for you. This alternative combines the initial advantage of an ARM with a fixed rate after a predetermined number of years.Obviously, this type of mortgage has more advantages when the initial interest rate is low and the future rate is not guaranteed.

FHA/VA
The two types of government loans are: Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans, and Veterans Administration (VA) loans. The advantages of financing using FHA loans are that they are easier to qualify for and allow a borrower to finance more of the loan amount than non-government loans. Whereas with a Conforming loan a borrower may only be able to finance 80% of the loan amount, a FHA loan allows a borrower to finance 97% of the loan amount. FHA loans are recommended for those borrowers who are first-time buyers, have little money to put down, have a short credit history, or are having trouble qualifying for a Conforming loan. The two main advantages of financing using VA loans are that the VA allows borrowers to finance 100% of the loan amount, and that, the VA only requires proof of veteran status to qualify for the loan. The only drawback to government loans is that mortgage insurance is required at all loan to values (LTV), unlike Conventional and Jumbo loans where payment of mortgage insurance is determined by the amount of equity a borrower has in his home.

Investment Properties (Non-Owner Occupied)
These types of homes are normally acquired specifically for investment purposes or are owned as a result of moving to a new house without selling or being able to sell the old house. Financing for investment properties can be achieved using any of the above described programs. Typically, the rates for financing on investment properties are higher than owner occupied homes and the LTVs allowed are lower, due to the fact that default rates tend to be higher on these types of loans.

No Document or Low Document Loans
In certain situations it is either difficult or impossible for potential borrowers to show a lender their income on paper. Also in some instances it is hard to verify assets. We have loans that do not require documentation to verify income or assets. These loans offered tend to be slightly higher. This type of financing is recommended for self-employed borrowers or borrowers who have difficulty showing their income on paper, for one reason or another.

Cash-Out Refinances
Occasionally, when refinancing a first trust, a borrower wants to "cash out" some of the equity that has been built into the loan. Under specific conditions, established by the lender, a borrower can actually receive a check for an amount of money that meets those conditions. Cashing-Out is not normally limited to any type of loan program, it can be done with most of the described programs.