Mortgages Archives - Financial Samurai https://www.financialsamurai.com/category/mortgages/ Slicing Through Money's Mysteries Sat, 13 Dec 2025 06:39:02 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://www.financialsamurai.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/cropped-FinancialSamurai-Site-Icon-700x700-32x32.png Mortgages Archives - Financial Samurai https://www.financialsamurai.com/category/mortgages/ 32 32 A 50-Year Mortgage Is Fantastic For Homeowners And Investors https://www.financialsamurai.com/a-50-year-mortgage-is-fantastic-for-homeowners-and-investors/ https://www.financialsamurai.com/a-50-year-mortgage-is-fantastic-for-homeowners-and-investors/#comments Fri, 14 Nov 2025 12:18:00 +0000 https://www.financialsamurai.com/?p=286808 Housing is one of life’s fundamental needs, right up there with food, water, and safety. For decades, though, housing affordability has become increasingly out of reach for the average American. With the median U.S. home price hovering around $440,000 and the median household income roughly $80,000, it’s easy to see why homeownership has become more of a dream […]

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]]> https://www.financialsamurai.com/a-50-year-mortgage-is-fantastic-for-homeowners-and-investors/feed/ 75 The Ideal Length Of Time To Hold A Mortgage Until Paying It Off https://www.financialsamurai.com/the-ideal-length-of-time-to-hold-a-mortgage-until-paying-it-off/ https://www.financialsamurai.com/the-ideal-length-of-time-to-hold-a-mortgage-until-paying-it-off/#comments Wed, 01 Oct 2025 11:39:00 +0000 https://www.financialsamurai.com/?p=215415 Deciding whether to pay off a mortgage early—or how long to keep one—is ultimately a personal choice. In this post, I’ll share my perspective by drawing on both real-life experience and some numbers to frame the decision. In 2022, my wife and I finally paid off the mortgage on our Lake Tahoe vacation property. That […]

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]]> https://www.financialsamurai.com/the-ideal-length-of-time-to-hold-a-mortgage-until-paying-it-off/feed/ 32 Owner-Occupancy Mortgage Fraud: Benefits, Risks, and Legal Workarounds https://www.financialsamurai.com/owner-occupancy-mortgage-fraud/ https://www.financialsamurai.com/owner-occupancy-mortgage-fraud/#comments Fri, 29 Aug 2025 11:28:00 +0000 https://www.financialsamurai.com/?p=283826 Embattled Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook is facing accusations of mortgage fraud—specifically, owner-occupancy mortgage fraud. The claim is that she took out two mortgages in two states, within two weeks, while designating both properties as her “primary residence.” If true, it’s a terrible look for someone sitting on the Fed, the very institution tasked with […]

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]]> https://www.financialsamurai.com/owner-occupancy-mortgage-fraud/feed/ 27 How An ARM Can Save And Make You More Money On A Home https://www.financialsamurai.com/how-an-arm-can-save-and-make-you-more-money-on-a-home/ https://www.financialsamurai.com/how-an-arm-can-save-and-make-you-more-money-on-a-home/#comments Mon, 19 May 2025 11:18:00 +0000 https://www.financialsamurai.com/?p=277487 About once a month, I get an email or comment from a reader criticizing adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) as a poor financial choice. Since I’ve been a proponent of ARMs since starting Financial Samurai in 2009, I understand the pushback. Roughly 95% of homebuyers with mortgages get 30-year fixed-rate mortgages. However, I still prefer an ARM […]

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]]> https://www.financialsamurai.com/how-an-arm-can-save-and-make-you-more-money-on-a-home/feed/ 15 Resist The Temptation To Do A Cash-Out Refinance As Rates Collapse https://www.financialsamurai.com/temptation-to-do-a-cash-out-refinance/ https://www.financialsamurai.com/temptation-to-do-a-cash-out-refinance/#comments Mon, 16 Sep 2024 14:38:00 +0000 https://www.financialsamurai.com/?p=269339 With record-high home equity and declining mortgage rates again, the temptation to do a cash-out refinance is growing. I’ve certainly considered it myself. Real estate prices have surged during the pandemic and most homeowners refinanced to mortgage rates below 4%. However, after careful reflection, my conclusion is that it's probably not the best move. Having […]

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]]> https://www.financialsamurai.com/temptation-to-do-a-cash-out-refinance/feed/ 28 Letting An ARM Reset Is Similar To A Free Mortgage Recast https://www.financialsamurai.com/letting-an-arm-reset-is-similar-to-a-free-mortgage-recast/ https://www.financialsamurai.com/letting-an-arm-reset-is-similar-to-a-free-mortgage-recast/#comments Mon, 24 Jun 2024 10:48:00 +0000 https://www.financialsamurai.com/?p=91641 If you bought a home during a high-interest rate environment, it's wise to prepare for either a mortgage refinance or a recast. Interest rates have been gradually coming down since their highs of 2022, but also started going up after Trump became president. Over the next four years, I suspect millions of existing homeowners will […]

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]]> https://www.financialsamurai.com/letting-an-arm-reset-is-similar-to-a-free-mortgage-recast/feed/ 21 No Rush To Pay Off Your Adjustable-Rate Mortgage Before It Resets https://www.financialsamurai.com/no-rush-to-pay-off-your-adjustable-rate-mortgage-before-reset/ https://www.financialsamurai.com/no-rush-to-pay-off-your-adjustable-rate-mortgage-before-reset/#comments Mon, 17 Jun 2024 12:56:00 +0000 https://www.financialsamurai.com/?p=265607 During my days of purchasing homes with mortgages, I had a fondness for adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs). The appeal lay in securing a lower interest rate compared to a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. Further, it's better to align the fixed-rate duration with my planned homeownership tenure. With the average duration of homeownership being approximately 12 years, opting […]

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]]> https://www.financialsamurai.com/no-rush-to-pay-off-your-adjustable-rate-mortgage-before-reset/feed/ 21 Components That Affect Mortgage Rates The Most https://www.financialsamurai.com/components-that-affect-mortgage-rates-the-most/ https://www.financialsamurai.com/components-that-affect-mortgage-rates-the-most/#comments Mon, 22 Apr 2024 13:28:00 +0000 https://www.financialsamurai.com/?p=262889 Contrary to popular belief, the Federal Reserve does not exert complete control over mortgage rates. Instead, it influences them, with the bond market determining the subsequent course of action. The Federal Reserve oversees the Fed Funds rate, which represents the overnight lending rate for banks and stands at the shortest end of the yield curve. […]

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]]> https://www.financialsamurai.com/components-that-affect-mortgage-rates-the-most/feed/ 13 Adjust Your Extra Principal Automatic Mortgage Payment When Rates Rise https://www.financialsamurai.com/adjust-your-extra-automatic-mortgage-payments-when-rates-rise/ https://www.financialsamurai.com/adjust-your-extra-automatic-mortgage-payments-when-rates-rise/#comments Mon, 07 Aug 2023 10:28:00 +0000 https://www.financialsamurai.com/?p=242971 I realized something important for all of you who have automatic mortgage payments and also like to automatically pay down extra principal each month. It is don't forget to adjust your mortgage autopay amount down when rates increase. When I refinanced a primary residence loan in 2019, I decided to get a 7/1 ARM at […]

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]]> https://www.financialsamurai.com/adjust-your-extra-automatic-mortgage-payments-when-rates-rise/feed/ 29 No Regrets Getting An ARM Despite Higher Mortgage Rates https://www.financialsamurai.com/no-regrets-getting-an-arm-despite-higher-mortgage-rates/ https://www.financialsamurai.com/no-regrets-getting-an-arm-despite-higher-mortgage-rates/#comments Mon, 05 Jun 2023 18:18:00 +0000 https://www.financialsamurai.com/?p=234212 On August 1, 2020, I took out a 7/1 adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) at 2.125%. I could have gotten a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage for 2.75%. However, I wanted to save 0.625% in interest. Years later, mortgage rates zoomed higher thanks to the pandemic, massive stimulus spending, a war in Ukraine, a war in Israel, trade […]

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