Saturday, March 14, 2009 

Tips For Avoiding Mortgage Mistakes

Buying your very own house is always a very momentous occasion. You can get very excited which often results to carelessness. Oftentimes, people who get their very first mortgage make too many mistakes. These include buying houses one cannot really afford, being house poor, and getting mortgages with very high interest rates.

In looking for your very first home, you should always avoid mistakes in mortgaging. Such mistakes can be very expensive, running to thousands of dollars, and cannot be easily fixed. A mistake may drag on for years before it can be fixed, if it can be fixed at all. As such, here are some tips that to consider to avoid mistakes in mortgaging.

Examine Your Financial Capability

Before you get your first mortgage, be sure you are financially capable of buying a house. Note that mortgages are long term financial commitments involving heavy doses of monthly house bills.

To determine if you are really capable of buying your house, check your monthly budget first. Analyze your income to expense ratio. Be sure you list down all your regular and expected monthly expenses. Also, make allowances for contingency expenses, such as medical emergencies, car repairs, etc. Always provide an amount for desired monthly savings. Add these all up and compare the total to your expected monthly income. Are you well covered? You are only capable of getting a mortgage if your monthly income exceeds your total monthly expenses by at least twenty-five per cent (25%).

Determine Your Target Monthly House Payment

Once you have computed your income to expense ratio, determine how much monthly house payment you can actually afford. You have to ask real estate agents or mortgaging companies about the average monthly home mortgage payments. Do not forget asking about real estate taxes, mortgage insurance (if applicable), and homeowner insurance. Always factor in allowances for home repairs and refinishing.

Analyze the Pros and Cons of Getting a House

Once you have a good grip of the expected expenses for home mortgages, reassess your plan to buy your own home. Carefully examine the pros and cons of buying your very own home. Meticulously compare the costs of buying and maintaining a new home and those of just renting one. Also, examine the amount of rent as it relates to the monthly house payment, house repair, and other related expenses. Consider also the prospect of having your very own house as just an investment. Ask yourself if you really are capable of getting your own house? Do you really want one?

Check Your Credit Report

Now, if you opt to buy a house because you are convinced that you are ready, check your credit report. Make sure that everything written in it is accurate and complete. Any incorrect information may adversely affect your mortgage approval.

In case you have a bad credit history, such will adversely affect your ability to get a mortgage. If you are lucky to get a mortgage, it will likely be one with a very high interest rate. If you have a very low credit score, consider getting a mortgage some other time.

Real Claims and Consumer Credit Claims are a group of solicitors dedicated to miss sold loans and payment protection insurance.

 

Driving Cautiously in the Rain

Driving in adverse weather conditions can be very dangerous and even though most of us recognize the importance of safe driving, we can't put our busy lives on hold to accommodate the weather. Instead, we regularly go against the local weatherman's advice and get into our cars during rainstorms and snowstorms; and we don't give much thought as to how we can drive safer or what we will do in the event of an emergency. The following tips can make your next drive in the rain both safer and easier:

MAKE SURE YOU CAR IS READY

Check your windshield wipers regularly by spraying washer fluid onto the windshield and seeing how the wipers perform. If there is any smearing on the glass, clean the wipers or replace them. Having windshield wipers, that work properly can make all the difference during a rainstorm; if your windshield is smeared with greasy water, your visibility is greatly reduced and you're putting yourself in a potentially deadly situation.

Check the tire pressure and tread wear regularly to reduce the likelihood of losing traction with the road (hydroplaning) during a rainstorm.

Regularly check your headlights, brake lights and signal lights to make sure that they're working properly; in a dark, rainy setting one headlight can look like a motorcycle instead of a car and this can be fatal.

TAKE YOUR TIME

You should always give yourself extra time to make it to your destination; when it's raining you should give yourself even more time. If you're rushing you increase the chance of losing control of your car and getting into an accident, and as the old adage goes, "better late than never."

If there is very heavy rain or your visibility is affected in any way, the best thing to do is to pull over and wait for the rain to subside.

GO SLOW & STAY FAR

It's important to driver slower in the rain because if you're going too fast, you won't be able to stop as quickly as you normally would; this could send you into a skid as you slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the car in front of you. It's also important to keep extra distance between your car and the car in front of you in the event that the car in front of you stops unexpectedly.

TURN YOUR HEADLIGHTS ON

Most state laws require that you turn your headlights on when it rains, but make sure you don't put your high beam lights on because the reflection could blind you or other drivers and cause an accident.

HYDROPLAINING AND SKIDDING

When your tire treads can't move enough water out of the way during wet road conditions, a layer of water can build up between the tires and the road causing the tires to lose traction; this is known as hydroplaning. You can tell you're hydroplaning when your car is sliding around and not responding to the steering wheel. If you find yourself hydroplaning, resist the urge to slam on the breaks because doing so will make the situation even worse. The best thing to do is to ease your foot off the gas pedal while keeping the steering wheel very still; after a few seconds, you should be able to regain control.

In a skid, the front of your car will move opposite to the rear of your car causing you to lose control. If you find yourself in a skid, ease your foot of the gas pedal and gently move the steering wheel in the direction of the skid until you're able to straighten up and regain control.

In order to prevent an accident, it's crucial to remain calm when driving in the rain, especially if you're ever faced with a terrifying situation like hydroplaning or skidding. However, the best way to prevent a weather-related car crash is to postpone or cancel a drive when the weather turns bad.

Have a fun and safe time on the road, and visit us to find the best deal on the insurance coverage you need. Get money-saving tips, affordable auto insurance quotes and helpful information about insuring your vehicle from Auto Insurance Rates Direct today.