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1. INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the Smart Homeowner! This software program is intended to help you
make the right decision on the various financial choices you face in the
process of buying or owning your home. Your best decisions will include both
subjective and numerical considerations. For example, while deciding on the
mortgage loan, you choose a loan broker based on a recommendation( subjective
consideration) but you decide on a higher initial cost mortgage in exchange
for lower mortgage rates (numerical consideration). This program will guide
you to better decisions based on numerical considerations only. In other
words, this program will guide towards the decision that will save you more
money in the long run. There are several excellent books dealing with
subjective considerations during the decision making process. Check in your
local library in their residential real estate section. Your final decision
should be a blend between these considerations.
Most decisions faced by the home buyer(or owner) is usually a "which is
better?" kind of question such as which of two loans to choose, should you
buy or rent etc. etc. Accordingly, most modules in this program is geared for
two sets of input, with the answers presented by the computer indicating
which is better. Some other decisions involve looking at payment/cost
structures after a decision has been made. Some modules in the program will
handle such cases.
Since a home is the probably the biggest investment you will make in your
lifetime, a wrong decision may cost you many thousands of dollars. A few
hours of your time on your personal computer along with this program could
reap substantial financial benefits. It is with this philosophy that IEG
Consultants developed this software, and we hope you find it friendly and
useful.
2. FEATURES
The Smart Homeowner is designed to work in (a) Buyer mode and (b) Owner
mode. The buyer mode contains functions that are likely to be of interest to
the prospective home buyer. The owner mode contains functions that are
likely to be of interest to the home owner and prospective home seller. The
following are the questions that the Smart Homeowner is designed to answer.
- Given my finances, what is the maximum price of a home that I can afford ?
- Should I buy a home or should I rent the home ?
- Given a mortgage loan, what will my payment structure look like ?
(amortization tables)
- Which of two loans should I choose over a certain time horizon ? What if I
extend/shorten my time horizon ?
- How much should I prepay my mortgage so that I can end my mortgage loan by
a certain date ?
- Reverse mortgage amortization
- Should I prepay enough to my mortgage balance to eliminate PMI ?
- Should I refinance an existing loan ?
- Should I assume an existing mortgage or take out a new one ?
- Should I take out a home equity loan or refinance to a larger first
mortgage ?
- Should I sell my home or rent it ?
- What is the true interest rate on my mortgage loan ?
3. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO RUN PROGRAM
You need an IBM PC or compatible running MS-DOS or PC DOS 2.0 or higher.
4. BACKING UP MASTER COPY
If you have two floppy disk drives A and B of the same format,
Place the Smart Homeowner disk in drive A. Close drive door.
Place the backup disk in drive B. Close drive door.
If you are not at the A:> prompt, type "A:" and <ENTER>.
Type "COPY *.* B:" and <ENTER>.
If you have either one floppy drive A or two drives of different formats(e.g
5 1/4" and 3 1/2" sizes),
Place the Smart Homeowner disk in drive A. Close drive door.
Type "DISKCOPY A: A:" and <ENTER>. You will be instructed to sequentially place
the master and backup disk in the A drive.
If you have a floppy disk drive A and a hard disk drive C,
Place the Smart Homeowner disk in drive A. Close drive door.
If you are not at the C:> prompt, type "C:" and <ENTER>.
Choose a directory where you would like to store the software, or create a
new DOS directory.
Type "COPY A:*.*" and <ENTER>.
You should store the original disk in a safe place, shielded from heat, dirt
or magnetic fields.
5. STARTING THE SMART HOMEOWNER
From a floppy disk drive (either A or B),
If you are not at the floppy drive prompt, type "A:" and <ENTER>.
Type "HOME" at the DOS prompt.
From a hard disk drive,
If you are not at the hard drive prompt, type "C:" and <ENTER>.
Type "HOME" at the DOS prompt.
Since the Smart Homeowner runs much faster on a hard disk drive compared to
a floppy disk drive, you should install it on a hard disk if you have one.
6. STORING AND RETRIEVING SAVED SCENARIOS
6.1. Saving Scenarios in Files
At the end of the answer screen of each program function, you will be
prompted whether you would like to save the data (scenario) you just used
for your answer, in a file. The default entry for the prompt is "N", meaning
No. If you do want to save this data, enter "Y" at this prompt. The program
will prompt you for a name of the file where you wish to save this data. The
file name is limited to 6 characters in length. After you enter the file
name and press <ENTER>, your data is now saved in a file for retrieval
later. You are now placed back in a fresh screen of the program function
type you just saved. Currently, upto 10 data files can be saved for each
program function. An attempt to save more than 10 files will be refused with
an error message.
6.2. Retrieving Saved Scenarios
After you select, in either the Buyer or the Owner menu, the function you
wish to use, you will enter a File menu. The file menu allows you to
retrieve saved files. To start fresh, simply press <ENTER>. The file menu,
by default, highlights a new (or fresh) scenario. However, if you have saved
scenarios in files earlier, you can select a saved scenario by highlighting
the scenarioyou wish to retrieve and then pressing <ENTER>. The program
function screen displayed contains the saved input values. To peruse through
the data, simply press <ENTER> successively and navigate through your saved
file. At the end of the answer screen, you will be prompted whether you wish
to save this scenario. If you have made any changes while perusing that you
wish to store, save the scenario again. Otherwise press <ENTER> at the save
prompt. The default answer of "N" will not re-save(nor destroy) your old
data file.
6.3. Deleting Saved Scenarios
Since no more than 10 scenarios (data files) can be saved for each program
function, you will eventually need to delete saved files. At the file menu,
press <DEL> key. This will bring you into the Delete mode of operation which
will be highlighted at the top of the screen. The only way to exit the
Delete mode and return to regular operation is by pressing the <DEL> key
again.
Once in Delete mode, each time you select a file from the menu and press
<ENTER>, the data file will be deleted. When you have finished, press <DEL>
again to return to regular operation.
7. GUIDELINES APPLICABLE TO ALL FUNCTIONS
The following items are features of the design of the software program.
7.1. The program is menu driven and has the hierarchical structure as shown
below:
-------------
| Header |
| Screen |
-------------
|
-------------
--------------| Top |--------------
| | Menu | |
| ------------- |
| |
------------- -------------
| Buyer | | Owner |
| Menu | | Menu |
------------- -------------
| |
------------- -------------
| File | | File |
| Menu | | Menu |
------------- -------------
| |
------------- -------------
| Program | | Program |
| Functions | | Functions |
------------- -------------
The key to navigate up the hierarchy is the <ESC> key. For example, pressing
<ESC> 3 times in succession while in a program function will bring the user
to a box asking whether he wants to quit the program. The header screen is
bypassed on the way up the hierarchy.
7.2. Default Field Entries
Some field inputs (i.e places where user has to enter data) are
restrictive. For example, attempting to enter ABC in a field where user is
requested to enter an interest rate will not be accepted by the program.
Some field entries have default values already filled in. To accept the
default value, press <ENTER>.
In addition, some fields also have range inputs. If the user enters a
value outside the range, the values will appear as entered, but the cursor
will not move to the next field. Replacing the invalid value with a valid
value will allow the cursor to navigate the screen again. Hence, an entry of
either 55 or -3 or 0 on a field requiring the user to enter the term of a
loan in years will halt the data input process until a valid value (range 1
to 40 in most cases) is entered.
7.3. Field Sensitive Help Messages
There are field-sensitive help messages at the bottom of each function
screen. These messages change with the field that the user is currently
navigating. The input requests are fairly self-explanatory, but any
confusions should be addressed by the help message below. Further
clarifications, if needed, should be available from this user manual.
7.4. Error Messages Popup
Some field entries may be invalid as a group, even though the individual
entries may appear within valid ranges. In such a case, a box containing the
error message will appear in the middle of the screen. If you are using a
color monitor, the box will be red(text) on black(background).
7.5. Special Purpose Keys F1 and F2
After you enter the relevant data, you will see an answer screen. If you
are using a color monitor, the screen will be white on green. In all answer
screens that have tables after calculations, context-sensitive help is
available by pressing the F1 key. Pressing any key other than the F1 key
will make the help screen disappear. You can switch back and forth from the
data entry screen and answer screen using the F2 key. Pressing the F2 key
will enable you to review the answers in light of the data you entered.
After you have examined the answer screen, pressing any key will take you
back to a data entry screen containing the last entered data.
7.6. Calculations on Adjustable Rate Mortgages
Making a decision based on adjustable mortgage rates depends strongly on
the performance of the index on which the loan is based. Since the index
cannot be accurately predicted, the program allows you to choose a time
period in the recent past which will resemble (in your judgement) the index
variation over the next few years. The variation in the most common
adjustable rate indices is graphically represented in this manual. For
example, if you think that the variation of the index of your loan will
mimic the period from 1975 to 1985 over the next ten years, enter 75 and 85
at the History Start and History End field prompts for adjustable rates
respectively. Note that it is only the pattern and not the historical rate
itself that will be used by the program in its calculations. At the end of
the historical variation, the interest rate remains constant for the rest of
the duration of the calculations. Hence the interest rate in the 11th
(and 12th) year in this example will be the same as the rate at the end of
the historical variation i.e 10th year.
7. The worst case scenario in an adjustable rate mortgage is the index rate
rising rapidly over time. You can simulate this scenario by entering an
arbitrarily large figure for the index value, provided you have a lifetime
cap on the interest rate of your loan. The calculations will then adjust
your interest rate from the start rate upto the cap, realizing your worst
nightmares in a hypothetical manner.
8. EXPLANATION OF PROGRAM PROMPTS
Each individual program will prompt you to fill in some information which it
will use in its calculations. The entries to be filled in are self-
explanatory and there is a help prompt for every entry at the bottom of the
screen. However, the prompts are explained for clarity below.
Adjustment period: The time period between successive changes in your
interest rates is known as the adjustment period.
Bottom Ratio: The sum of principal, interest, taxes and insurance charges per
month(PITI) is called the Housing Expense. The ratio of the sum of Housing
Expense and other monthly debt payments to the Gross Effective Monthly
Income is known as the Top Ratio. If your Housing Expense is $1000 per
month, monthly debt payments are $200, and your pre-tax monthly income is $4000 per month, your top ratio is
1200/4000 = 0.30.
What can be considered as monthly debt varies from state to state but in
general the debt should consist more than ten monthly payments. If your debt
is not quite monthly e.g installments, lenders have their own methods to
calculate monthly debts. Call a mortgage lender to determine their specific
rules.
Choose index (menu): The Smart Homeowner can handle adjustable rate
mortgages with the indexes listed below.
(a) 6 month treasury bill
(b) 1 year treasury bill
(c) 1 year treasury bond
(d) 3 year treasury bond
(e) Prime rate
(f) 6 month Certificate of Deposit(CD) rate
(g) 11th district cost of funds rate
The program has built in monthly history data of the above indexes from 1970
to 1990, and hence allows history (start and end) inputs within this period.
The one exception is the 11th district cost of funds, which is a more recent
index. The data on this index is from 1982 to 1990 only.
The default start and end history data are the starting year and end year of
the monthly data known to the program. If you change the value to be outside
this range, the cursor will not move to the next field.
***It is not that important if your loan is tied to an index not listed
above. As explained above, it is only the historical pattern over a certain
time period that will be mimicked to evaluate your loan. Hence, if (in your
best guess) you think that your index for the next (say) 10 years will
follow the pattern followed by (say) 3 year treasury bond between 1972 and
1982, enter 3 year treasury bond as your index. ****
Current index value: The index value determines the adjustment of your
interest rate. Your interest rate is usually the index value plus a fixed
percentage(margin) unless your rate is shielded by maximum adjustments or
maximum rate caps.
History end: This value is the ending year from which your estimated
interest rate will be calculated based on the variation in the index value
ending at this year (Please see above).
History start: This value is the starting year from which your estimated
interest rate will be calculated based on the variation in the index value
starting from this year (Please see above).
Home equity percentage sufficient to eliminate PMI: Lenders allow
the cancellation of the PMI insrance premium when this percentage figure has
been reached in terms of the equity of the homeowner. Usually this figure is
20% and hence is the default.
Income tax rate: The income tax rate is the average percentage of your
income that is used to pay income taxes. For federal taxes, this percentage
varies from 28% to 33% based on your income. When combined with state income
taxes, this figure can rise to 30% - 40% for states with higher state income
taxes.
Insurance: The insurance field in the program refers to hazard insurance
which most lenders consider mandatory to protect your home from natural and
accidental hazards. The premium for such insurance ranges from 0.1% to 0.6%
of the loan amount annually. In California, the average is 0.35% which is
the default value.
Interest rate cap: This is the highest interest rate that you would ever pay
over the life of the loan. This rate protects the consumer in the event that
the index value skipes upwards. If your loan has no such upper limit, press
<ENTER> to accept 0 as the default, or enter a very large number.
Loan assumption fee: There is usually a fee associated with changing the
borrower. Sometimes it is charged as a percentage of the mortgage balance
(points) or as a multiple of the monthly payment. You need to arrive at an
amount to enter into this field.
Loan-to-Value ratio (LTV): This is the ratio of the amount of the mortgage
loan to the appreciated value of the house. Lenders use this ratio to
evaluate risk. For example, a house valued at $100,000 with a mortgage loan
outstanding of $80,000 has an LTV of 80%.
Margin: The margin is the difference between your interest rate and the
index value that your loan is tied to. The margin remains constant over the
life of the loan and is set by the lender at origination time.
Max adjustment per period: This value is the maximum percentage an interest
rate can rise during the adjustment period. If there is no limit on this
value, press <ENTER> to accept 0 as the default value, or enter a very large
number. In such a case, the interest rate will mimic the index value after
the first adjustment from the starting rate.
Monthly debt: Monthly debt usually considered are ones with more than 10
monthly payments still due. Car payments, alimony and child support
payments, credit card balances are all taken into account.
Monthly homeowners dues: For dwellings with common areas shared by other
homeowners, there usually exists a monthly homeowners dues. This is most
common for townhomes and condominiums where such dues pay for maintenance
and upkeep of the complex.
Opportunity cost of money: There is a time value of money, due to
investments available, and inflation. Your input should reflect the
percentage return you could earn on your money conservatively(i.e in a bank
or money market instrument) or aggressively(i.e stocks, bonds etc.). For
example, if bank CDs are in the 6-7% range, enter 6.5 for a conservative
decision on the buy or rent scenario. Alternatively, if you believe that you
can earn in the 10 to 12% range through the stock market, enter 11 for an
aggressive decision on the buy or rent scenario.
Prepayment penalty: Some loans have prepayment penalties specified in their
loan documents. Hence, if a loan is fully repaid before the end of the loan
term, the lender can assess a penalty charge. Sometimes this charge is a
multiple of your monthly payment, sometimes it is a percentage of your
outstanding balance, and other times it is a flat processing fee. You need
to arrive at an amount in $ to be entered in this field.
Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI): This insurance is usually required by
lenders when the borrower cannot make a down payment of 20% of the value of
the home. The objective is to protect the lender against loss. The yearly
premium for this insurance is about 0.5% of the loan balance, which is the
default value.
Property tax: A property owner owes taxes to the county or state based on
the value of the home. These taxes vary from 0.5% to 1.5% of the home value
annually. In California, the average is 1.025% which is the default value.
Starting interest rate: The starting interest rate is the initial
interest rate paid on an adjustable rate mortgage. This rate is usually set
lower than prevailing interest rates in order to attract consumers. The
starting rate is adjusted after a certain time period(adjustment period). If
the starting rate entered is higher than the sum of the margin and the index
value, the interest rate will be adjusted to the sum of margin and index
value after the initial adjustment period.
Tax Shelter per year: A number of states offer tax benefits to renters. For
example, California offers a tax credit of $60 to a (filing tax as) single
taxpayer. For this case, enter 60 in the field. If this benefit is in the
form of deduction, you will need to arrive at a value of amount saved per
year by renting.
Top Ratio: The sum of principal, interest, taxes and insurance charges per
month(PITI) is called the Housing Expense. The ratio of the Housing Expense
to the Gross Effective Monthly Income is known as the Top Ratio. If your
Housing Expense is $1000 per month and your pre-tax monthly income is $4000
per month, your top ratio is 1000/4000 = 0.25.
What can be considered as part of the gross income varies from state to
state but in general the principal salary along with other verifiable income
with at least a two year history is taken into account. Call a mortgage
lender to determine their specific rules.
Usable savings: The amount of savings you can afford to prepay towards
principal on your mortgage loan. If this amount exceeds the amount required
to reach the required equity, the program will display the exact amount
needed.
9. PROGRAM FUNCTIONS
9.1 HOW MUCH HOME CAN I AFFORD ?
9.1.1 Introduction
This function allows you to determine the home buying power that you (or
your) family possesses. Once you have an idea of how much home you can
afford based on your savings/income/debts, you can start researching the
prospects of buying an affordable home. You do not need to bid on a dream
home and find that the lender disqualifies you for the loan amount. The top
and bottom ratios suggested in the function are approximate. You may wish to
contact a mortgage broker to confirm whether these ratios are accurate for
banks in your area.
Subjective criteria in your ability to obtain a loan includes your past
credit history, judgements or liens, or foreclosure on a previous property.
The function cannot take such factors into account.
9.1.2 Assumptions in calculations
- PMI is assumed as required if the 20% down payment is not met by the
borrower.
9.1.3 Answer screen
The answer screen outlines the maximum loan available to you, which along
with your savings will allow you to purchase your home. In the event that
you purchase this house, the monthly breakdown of home related expenses is
listed. If PMI is required, it is denoted at the bottom.
9.2 SHOULD I RENT OR SHOULD I BUY ?
9.2.1 Introduction
This function allows you to determine whether you should buy the house you
want to live in or simply rent it. In some areas of the country, a home
costs a lot of money, with no guarantees that it's value will appreciate as
rapidly as in the past few years. In such cases, it makes more sense to rent
the house instead of buying it. Renting has far fewer "headaches" to the
occupant, since maintenance is usually provided by the owner. However, in a
majority of cases, assuming that home prices will keep rising, buying a home
may be the most profitable investment you will make.
9.2.2 Assumptions in calculations
- Property taxes, insurance and maintenance costs remain constant over the
term of the loan
9.2.3 Answer screen
The answer varies by the time horizon. If you are thinking of buying and
selling after (say) 10 years, the choice field tells you whether buying is
advisable, and the amount of money you would save over the 10 year period if
you made the right choice. The last two fields calculate your break-even
rent i.e. what rent would make the decision to buy cost exactly as much as
the decision to rent over the time horizon.
9.3 WHICH LOAN SHOULD I CHOOSE ?
9.3.1 Introduction
This function allows you to compare two loans. Due to variation in
origination fees of two loans, the lower interest rate loan may not be the
better one. Similarly, the loan with the lower APR is better only if the
loans are not repaid earlier than their term period. If you are thinking of
moving to another house in (say) 5 years, it is difficult to choose the
better loan over this time horizon. This function will evaluate the relative
desirability of the two loans over their loan terms. Since a significant
amount of interest charges is saved if the loan term is reduced, any
comparison of loans with different terms will tend to favour the loan with
the lower term. Use the "how much home can I afford ?" function to determine
if you qualify for the lower term loan.
9.3.2 Assumptions in calculations
- none
9.3.3 Answer screen
The answer screen displays the relative costs of the two loans over yearly
time period horizons. For each loan, the amount paid and the outstanding
loan balance is displayed. The difference is then calculated based on these
amounts, as well as closing costs on the loans. All figures are adjusted to
Present Value terms.
9.4 LOAN PAYMENT TABLES
9.4.1 Introduction
This function allows you to preview the payment characteristics of your loan
either monthly or yearly. You can also print the loan tables if you are
connected to a printer. The function will help outlay your housing expenses,
tax related mortgage deductions as well as being a yardstick to compare
different loans.
9.4.2 Assumptions in calculations
- none
9.4.3 Answer screen
The answer screen displays the interest paid for the month(or year), the
principal paid for the month(or year) and the total payment for the month(or
year), which is the sum of the first two values. The interest and principal
charges paid to date is also displayed in the cumulative totals columns. The
outstanding loan balance after the payment for the month(or year) is also
displayed.
9.5 SHOULD I ASSUME EXISTING LOAN ?
9.5.1 Introduction
Loans are sometimes assumable, which means that the lender will permit a new
borrower to replace an old borrower for the same loan. These loans are
popular during times of high interest rates, where a prospective buyer can
assume an existing loan at a lower interest rate instead of taking out a
fresh mortgage with higher interest rate. The seller also has a bargaining
tool to make the sale.
9.5.2 Assumptions in calculations
- none
9.5.3 Answer screen
The answer screen displays the relative costs of the three loans in
consideration i.e assumable mortgage, new second mortgage and the
alternative new first mortgage, based on yearly time horizons. If the tax
and inflation adjusted cost of the new first mortgage is higher than the
sum of the cost of assuming the existing mortgage and the new second
mortgage, then the choice field would say ASSUME. Otherwise it would say NEW
FIRST. The profit over the time horizon if the lower cost option is chosen
is displayed on the far right.
9.6 TRUE INTEREST RATE ON MY LOAN ?
9.6.1 Introduction
The true interest rate on your loan varies with the time period you
hold the loan and the loan origination fees paid up front. A loan held for
the full term has a true interest rate called the Annual Percentage
Rate (APR), which takes into account administrative charges in addition to
points. However, if you pay off the loan earlier than the term, you will
incur a much higher interest rate than the APR. This function will allow you
to evaluate the interest rate you would incur over the entire range of
yearly time horizons.
9.6.2 Assumptions in calculations
- The maximum rate on an adjustable loan (cap) is not taken into account in
the calculations for an adjustable rate mortgage.
9.6.3 Answer screen
The answer screen simply displays the true interest rate incurred over the
yearly time horizons upto the term of the loan. The true interest rate at
the loan term horizon is the APR.
9.7 SAVINGS IF I PREPAY MORTGAGE
9.7.1 Introduction
Substantial financial savings can result if you partially prepay your
mortgage towards principal during the early years of the loan. Because of
the high outstanding loan balances in the early years, a major chunk of the
mortgage payment goes towards interest charges on the loan. Prepayment
towards principal can end your mortgage loan years earlier than your loan
term. This function helps you determine the amount of prepayment you iwll
need to make if you want to end the mortgage by a certain time frame. For
example, a good way to save for your child's college education would be to
aim to pay off your mortgage right before he is ready for college. Your
mortgage amount can then be continued to him as a monthly college expense.
9.7.2 Assumptions in calculations
- this function is designed for fixed rate mortgage loans only
9.7.3 Answer screen
The answer screen displays the extra payment towards principal each month or
the extra payment towards principal in a lump-sum prepayment that will be
necessary to end the mortgage in the range of years upto the term of the
loan. Based on your budget, you may wish to outlay a financial planning
strategy based on this function.
9.8 SHOULD I REFINANCE ?
9.8.1 Introduction
During periods of low interest rates, the popularity of refinancing
increases on loans that were originated with higher interest rates
previously. The old loan is repaid using a new loan freshly borrowed at the
prevailing low interest rate. The origination costs of the new loan is
recovered through lower monthly payments as long as the borrower holds
onto the home longer than the break-even period. This function allows you to
determine whether you should refinance your existing mortgage despite its
origination costs.
9.8.2 Assumptions in calculations
- none
9.8.3 Answer screen
The answer screen lists the decision that would incur lower costs over the
time horizon of the loan with longer term. The savings gained with the
correct decision is displayed at the far right.
9.9 SHOULD I PREPAY TO REMOVE PMI ?
9.9.1 Introduction
Preventive Mortgage Insurance (PMI) is often required when the homeowner's
equity in the home is less than 20%. It is usually a fixed monthly premium
collected by the lender. When the equity in your home rises above 20%,
lenders usually allow you to cancel the insurance policy. This function
allows you to decide if you shhould prepay your savings towards principal in
order to create your equity beyond 20% and thereby save on the insurance
premium. In general, this practice is more beneficial when home prices are
stagnant, since a rise in home value leads to rise in your equity stake in
your home.
9.9.2 Assumptions in calculations
- The function is designed for fixed rate mortgage loans only.
- The monthly premium is assumed constant over the time period when
insurance is required.
9.9.3 Answer screen
The answer screen explains the decision that saves money by comparing the
savings if money is invested with the savings in PMI premium savings if
money is paid towards mortgage principal. The screen calculates the number
of months it would take before PMI can be removed for both cases.
9.10 SHOULD I TAKE OUT A HOME EQUITY LOAN ?
9.10.1 Introduction
Homeowners often face the need to borrow more money, perhaps for educational
or remodeling uses. In such a case, the homeowner can borrow off his home
equity and take out a 2nd mortgage(or a home equity loan) or may choose to
refinance his existing mortgage into a larger 1st mortgage, if interest
rates are low. This function compares the two choices and calculates the
better decision from a financial point of view.
9.10.3 Assumptions in calculations
- none
7.10.4 Answer screen
The answer screen compares the costs incurred by the 3 loans, existing 1st
mortgage, new 2nd mortgage and larger new 1st mortgage, on a yearly basis,
after adjusting for taxes and present value terms. The better choice is
displayed for the yearly horizons, along with the savings generated if this
choice is exercised.
9.11 SHOULD I SELL OR RENT MY HOME ?
9.11.1 Introduction
There comes a time when you decide to move to a larger home or to another
neighborhood or city. Then you will have to decide between renting the home
you have or to sell it. If home prices appreciate rapidly, it may be in your
interest to hold onto it as a rental property. There may be greater costs
though for maintaining the rental if you relocate far, and intangible
"headaches" that you will be facing. This function will determine which
choice would be better from a financial point of view.
9.11.2 Assumptions in calculations
- Property taxes and insurance percentages and maintenance costs do not
change over the time horizon used in the calculations (10 years)
9.11.3 Answer screen
The answer screen simply displays the profit generated by renting the house
over the yearly time horizon and then selling it. Since the profits are
calculated for a 10 year time horizon, the trend in the profits over the
time horizon determines the correct choice. A statement at the bottom of the
screenindicates what you should do for maximum profit.
9.12 PRIVATE REVERSE MORTGAGES
Reverse mortgages are still in their infancy, hence the program functions
included in the software may be only a fraction of the types of reverse
mortgages available. As these mortgages get more popular and better defined,
IEG Consultants may provide other common functions in later versions of the
software. Please consult lenders or library references regarding the
administrative aspects of reverse mortgages.
9.12.1 Introduction
Reverse mortgages are a recent innovation, where a home-rich, cash-poor,
usually elderly homeowner is paid, usually at regular intervals until he no
longer resides in the house. The loan is then considered due. A number of
lenders in the private sector offer uninsured reverse mortgages where the
loan balance at the end of the loan is a percentage of the present value of
your home. This percentage is referred by lenders as the Loan-to-Value
ratio. This functions amortizes private uninsured reverse mortgages. If you
are thinking of taking out a reverse mortgage, this function allows you to
preview your advances and loan balance finances.
9.12.2 Assumptions in calculations
- this function is designed for fixed rate reverse mortgage loans only
9.12.3 Answer screen
The answer screen displays the monthly income, the interest and principal
owed to the lender and the outstanding balance on the loan each month. Based
on expected appreciation of home value, the homeowner;s equity in the home
is also displayed for each month.
9.13 FHA/HUD REVERSE MORTGAGES
9.13.1 Introduction
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) operates
probably the most popular reverse mortgage existing today, through the
Federal Housing Administrative agency (HUD). The program is very flexible in
terms of choice of advances, but has some restrictions based on age and
certain limits on home value. This function amortizes FHA insured reverse
mortgages. If you are thinking of taking out a reverse mortgage, this
function allows you to preview the combination of possible advances and
their financial implications.
9.13.2 Assumptions in calculations
- assumptions in calculations are based on guidelines published in Federal
Register Vol 54, No. 110
9.13.3 Answer screen
The answer screen displays the characteristics of the types of advances
chosen by the homeowner, the interest and principal owed on the loan and the
outstanding loan balance.
10. APPENDIX
This section contains the graph of historical variations of the various
indices that are used for simulating adjustable interest rate mortgages. For
the chosen index and the time period, the adjustable mortgage calculations
will mimic the variation in the manner shown in the relevant portion of the
graph.
< GRAPHS AVAILABLE IN BOUND USER MANUAL SENT WITH REGISTERED PRODUCT >