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Given the industry theory that total home costs should stay roughly within 25-33% of ones gross income, what is the best way to handle a mortgage if I have money left over? Is it best to pump money into my loan to reduce principal, on a 7-1 ARM, at 3.125%, or would I be better off looking for an investment portfolio that yields a solid annual return, between 8 and 10%? Obviously, the latter makes sense to me in that it exceeds what I am paying in interest on the 7-1 ARM, but then again, would paying down my loan debt quickly be wiser? Thank you. by ARO1975 from New Haven, Connecticut. Apr 1st 2011 Reply


Rick Pelleriti (RickPelleriti)
#366 ranked lender in California - 59 contributions

"fstadler" makes an excellent point." You should speak with a qualified/licensed investment advisor. It is my opinion that the world of real estate has changed so much so the old rules and expectations no longer apply.

Apr 2nd 2011
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Patrick McCarthy (PatrickM)
#22 ranked lender in Ohio - 196 contributions

Hello. There are several good points listed above. Seriously take those into consideration. That being said, you may be able to pay down your mortgage balance AND invest to give a more balanced investment approach. What I mean is that if your home loan is one in which you can use it like a normal bank account, you can have income deposited directly into it and the mortgage interest would be calculated based on a lower balance than if you you just reduce the balance through routine payments. We call this a mortgage accelerator loan. If you would like more info, please feel free to call on me. I am able to offer this loan in 47 states. Hope this helps. Patrick McCarthy, Northpointe Bank Mortgage, 866-901-3576, PatrickM@Northpointe.com

Apr 4th 2011
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Brian Blonder (bblonder)
#31 ranked lender in Maryland - 3 contributions

the question you be be asking yourself is do I really care if I pay off or pay down my mortgage over a given period of time? Although you have an excellent rate of your 7/1 arm you materially don't get a benefit from reducing your debt quicker. Over time you would have more money if you were to invest the residual income in an outside investment even if it were getting a more normal rate of return in a side account. Money sent to reduce debt yeilds o ZERO rate of return. If you wish to discuss this further feel free to contact me directly.Sincerely,Brian Blonder

Apr 4th 2011
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Chris Gummerson (cgummerson11)
#397 ranked lender in California - 648 contributions

Investing your money is quite complicated. Generally nothing can outpace mortagage appreciation and equity. This is why serious investors, use real estate. Given you put 10k in a rental unit, withing time, the property would be paid off from someone else making the payments, and your initial 10k investment would be worth several hundred thousand dollars. Similarly if you invested in the stock market, you wont make that kind of return. Home ownership as investment, is the one sure way to outpace inflation. If it was me, I would take my money and pay that note off by the 7 years. Add more to your payment, add one extra payment on top each year, do bi weekly payments, ect. All will help you pay off sooner. Then either move out and rent, or pull the equity to buy another investment. You cant make more money on stocks, cds or other investments, in the time allowed that real estate does. Unless you got in on Google at the IPO...Good luck!!!

Apr 1st 2011
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