Publish Date: 31 Aug 2020 Finance101
A mortgage or home loan is a type of loan offered by banks or credit organization to individuals with the purpose of buying a real estate unit. The property itself becomes the collateral for the loan. Some real estate companies will offer this type of loan to their clients under certain terms and conditions.
Down payment: a percentage of the of the property’s value that is paid up-front. This amount is deducted from the total value of the property. The down payment is interest free which is why it is advisable to pay as much as possible up-front as it reduces both the remaining principal you have to pay as well as the interest.
Financing percentage: most home loans offered by banks will only cover 70-80% of the property value.
Duration: the mortgage duration varies according to the type of loan offered by each bank, credit organization, or the real estate company itself but it is usually up to 20 years maximum. If the loan is offered by the real estate company and is without interest (the interest is calculated and already added to the price of the unit) then the loan duration becomes less than if there is an interest fee.
Monthly installments: these are monthly payments to pay off the mortgage. This amount depends on the principal of the mortgage (value of the property), length of the loan, and the interest rate.
Interest rate: it can be fixed or decreasing according to the type of loan offered by each bank or credit organization and is usually between 15-23%.
Fees: just like any loan these are administrative fees you have to pay up-front and are usually between 1.5-2% of the mortgage principal.
Fines: these are extra fees you have to pay to the bank if you are late with your monthly payments. The fines are usually between 2-3% of the late payment.