Everything you need to know about home loans in one place. Use our "frequently asked questions" section to learn everything about mortgages, refinancing, home equity lines of credit and more.
A FHA 5/1 ARM is a kind of hybrid mortgage in which interest rates remain fixed for a 5-year period, but can then increase after that due to changes in market interest rates. Unlike regular ARMs, an FHA 5/1 ARM is insured by the government, which can give you some serious benefits.
Read MoreAn ARM jumbo loan is an adjustable rate mortgage that exceeds the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loan-servicing limits. This amount, for most American counties, is $453,100. For more expensive areas, that limit can go as high as $679,650. Right now, ARM jumbo loans are becoming incredibly popular -- with statistics suggesting that around 75% of ARMs currently issued are actually for jumbo loans. Of that 75%, 47% of those home loans are for more than $1 million.
Read MoreAn FHA 7/1 ARM is a kind of hybrid home loan that’s insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). If you get a FHA 7/1 ARM, your interest rate will be fixed for the first seven years of the loan, and can then be adjusted afterward when the variable interest rate portion of the loan begins. Like other ARMs, FHA 7/1 ARM variable interest rates are based on a index rate -- which is usually the rate at which banks in a certain area lend money to each other.
Read MoreA 10/1 ARM is one type of hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage. Much like other hybrid loans, a 10/1 ARM has a fixed period (in this case, 10 years) during which your interest rate won’t change. That makes it one of the safest types of hybrid mortgages, as it gives you a lot of time to figure out your financial situation and determine whether you want to continue owning your home after the adjustable-rate period begins.
Read MoreA 7/6 ARM is a hybrid adjustable-rate mortgage with a fixed-rate period of seven years. Unlike its cousin, the 7/1 ARM (which has one-year adjustment periods), the interest rates on a 7/6 ARM can be adjusted once every 6 months during the variable-interest part of the loan.
Read MoreA 7/1 ARM is a kind of adjustable rate mortgage -- in this case, one that has a fixed interest rate for seven years. After that, the interest rate can change, usually depending on changes in the market interest rate. Like its cousins 3/1 ARMs and 10/1 ARMs, a 7/1 ARM is considered a hybrid mortgage because it has both a fixed-rate and a variable-rate interest period.
Read MoreMuch like vanilla and chocolate ice cream, home mortgage loans come in two main flavors: adjustable rate home loans, and fixed rate home loans. While the interest rate on a fixed rate loan stays the same throughout the entire life of the loan, an adjustable (or variable) interest rate loan can go up or down, depending on market conditions.
Read MoreA variable-rate mortgage is a loan with a variable (changing) interest rate. It’s also known as an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) or a tracker mortgage. The interest rate varies according to an underlying index like LIBOR, treasury bills, or the federal funds rates.
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