Tag Archives: estate
Real Estate: Leasing Is An Option
You may be thinking about purchasing a property or maybe making your first steps into the real estate business. You may be overwhelmed by the figures this implies and wonder where to turn for financing. You probably did not know that leasing contracts are also available from certain financial institutions for apartments and houses in different places and that this method provides cheaper financing in terms of monthly payments.
Leasing is an excellent financial option but it is not for everyone. There are people for whom leasing can be advantageous and there are also situations under which leasing is the perfect choice. However, there are also other financial products that may be more advantageous under different circumstances. Just like home loans are not for everyone, leasing is also not the perfect solution for any financial situation.
Leasing A Real Estate Property
A leasing contract grants the use of real estate property to the borrower. The financial institution either owns the property or purchases it and remains proprietor of it till the borrower decides to exercise the right to purchase it. In the meantime the monthly payment work exactly like rent payments but in the event that the borrower decides to purchase the real estate property, these payments are considered part of the purchase price.
Leasing is a form of financing that avoids the down payment usually associated to the transfer of real estate property and also reduces the amount of the monthly payments compared to mortgage loans. Though in the long run purchasing a property through leasing is more expensive, in terms of monthly payments it is significantly cheaper and more affordable and provides you with the possibility to change your mind and return the property without purchasing it.
Who Should Lease A Property
As stated above, leasing is not for everyone. Someone who can not afford the monthly payments on a home loan will find in a leasing contract a possible solution to his problems. Even those who do not have a fixed income can make good use of leasing because they can put amounts aside in a savings account whenever they have additional income and destine it for the lump payment at the end of the leasing term so they can keep the property.
Also, those who are not sure whether they will stay at a certain place or are not sure whether they have found their place in the world can find in leasing the possibility to abandon the property at the end of the leasing contract or keep it. They will have plenty of time to make up their minds this way and they will not have to spend so much on home loan payments if they will finally decide to move somewhere else.
As you can see leasing provides great flexibility and low monthly payments. The only drawback is that it is more expensive than financing with a home loan, in the long run. But if you fall under any of the categories explained above, you may wish to consider leasing as an option for real estate purchases.
Financing a new home in Chicago (Page 1 of 2)
Chicago is the largest city in the state of Illinois and also the third most populated city in the United States of America, with almost 3 million people. Chicago is located along the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan and when combined with its suburbs and the nine surrounding counties in Illinois, the metropolitan area known as Chicagoland encompasses a population of 9.4 million. Nowadays Chicago is known as a major transportation, business, and architectural center of the US and it is the economic, business, financial and cultural capital of the Midwest. The Chicago area is moderately expensive; the home price median here is nearer the national median than homes in spots such as New York City. Buyers can probably spend about three times their incomes, depending on the part of the area where they’re house-hunting.
Chicago’s suburban real estate market is as vibrant as the city itself. The suburbs have developed both commercial as well as residential real estate at a tremendous pace. A large number of properties are always available for purchase in Chicago’s suburban areas such as Lake County, Kane and DeKalb counties and DuPage and Will counties. There are real estate firms that specialize in one of the suburbs, while others deal with all of them. When financing a new home in Chicago, have in mind that the real estate prices are high. Northern suburbs are considered “elite”.
There are many ways to finance a new home in Chicago. It all depends on your credit history, the price of the property and your income. The next paragraphs give brief explanations on some of the methods for financing a new home in the city of Chicago.
The first thing to understand is the difference between a variable, or adjustable interest rate mortgage and a fixed rate mortgage. With a fixed rate mortgage, the monthly payments remain the same over the period of the loan. The adjustable rate mortgage has a lower introductory interest rate, but it may vary over the duration of your loan. So depending on the interest rates, whether they are lowered or raised each month, your monthly mortgage payments will also change accordingly.
When financing your new Chicago home through a loan, no matter if it is adjustable or fixed rate, you have to consider the length of the loan, in terms of how long you finance your home. The most common terms are 15, 25, 30, 40 and now even 50 year mortgages in some areas. Of course, the longer the period the more you will pay in interest over the duration of the loan.
With a FHA home loan you can purchase a single family home, condo, house, or apartment in one of the neighborhoods in Chicago. This FHA home loan is mostly used by first time home buyers because it allows the purchase of a home with a lower down payment, in some cases as low as 3%. This form of new home financing requires you to have a good credit history and enough income to cover the loan and your other financial obligations.
The Chicago City Mortgage program offers qualified first-time homebuyers 30-year, fixed-interest mortgages at competitive interest rates and a gift of 4 percent of the mortgage amount to cover down payment and closing costs.