Go Long and Short

One of the things that can make people a bit nervous about mortgages is their length. Generally speaking, one can expect to spend 30 years or so paying a loan back. There are loans with shorter terms, but the monthly payments are also significantly more. Many people are nervous about committing to such higher payments. One way to get the benefit of a shorter term loan and retain flexibility is to think outside of the box. Get a 30 year mortgage, but treat it like a 15 or 10 year loan. You can use any online calculator to figure out the monthly payment amount. Start making it each month. If you go through a rough period, you can “fall back” to the set payment on the 30 year note. Using this strategy, you get the best of both worlds.