Interest Only Mortgage Loans / Payment Option ARMS
Payment changes. Many payment-option ARMs limit, or cap, the amount the monthly minimum payment may increase from year to year. For example, if your loan has a payment cap of 7.5%, your monthly payment won't increase more than 7.5% from one year to the next (for example, from $1,000 to $1,075), even if interest rates rise more than 7.5%. Any interest you don't pay because of the payment cap will be added to the balance of your loan.
Payment-option ARMs have a built-in recalculation period, usually every 5 years. At this point, your payment will be recalculated (lenders use the term recast) based on the remaining term of the loan. If you have a 30-year loan and you are at the end of year 5, your payment will be recalculated for the remaining 25 years. The payment cap does not apply to this adjustment. If your loan balance has increased, or if interest rates have risen faster than your payments, your payments could go up a lot.
Ending the option payments. Lenders end the option payments if the amount of principal you owe grows beyond a set limit, say 110% or 125% of your original mortgage amount. For example, suppose you made minimum payments on your $180,000 mortgage and had negative amortization. If the balance grew to $225,000 (125% of $180,000), the option payments would end. Your loan would be recalculated and you would pay back principal and interest based on the remaining term of your loan. It is likely that your payments would go up significantly.
What do you need to ask when shopping for an I-O interest only mortgage payment or a payment-option ARM?
Ask lenders or brokers about the details of their loans and about the different loan options they offer. And don't be afraid to make lenders and brokers compete with each other by letting them know you are shopping for the best deal. Look for a mortgage that allows you to buy the house and continue to afford the payments, even if payments go up over time.
What are the risks with I-O interest only mortgage payments and payment-option ARMs?
Rising monthly payments and payment shock. It is risky to focus only on your ability to make I-O interest only or minimum payments, because you will eventually have to pay all of the interest and some of the principal each month. When that happens, the payment could increase a lot, leading to payment shock. In the worksheet example, the monthly minimum payment on the option-ARM payment rises from $630 in the first year to $1,308 in year 6, assuming the interest rate stays at 6.4%. The monthly payment could go up to $2,419 if interest rates reach the overall interest rate cap.
Mortgages
Interest Only Mortgages and Payment Option ARMS
Negative amortization. If you have a payment-option ARM and make only minimum payments that do not include all of the interest due, the unpaid interest is added to the principal on your mortgage, and you will owe more than you originally borrowed. And if your loan balance grows to the contract limit, your monthly payments would go up. For example, if your $180,000 loan grew to $225,000 (125% of 180,000), your payments would be recalculated.
Refinancing your mortgage. You may be able to avoid payment shock and higher monthly payments by refinancing your mortgage. But no one knows what interest rates will be in 3, 5, or 10 years. And if your loan balance is greater than the value of your home, you may not be able to refinance.
Prepayment penalties. Some mortgages, including I-O interest only mortgages and payment-option ARMs, have prepayment penalties. So if you refinance your loan during the prepayment penalty period, you could owe additional fees or a penalty. Most mortgages let you make extra, additional principal payments with your monthly payment. This is not considered "prepayment," and there usually is no penalty for these extra amounts.
Falling housing prices. If housing prices fall, your home may not be worth as much as you owe on the mortgage. Even if home prices stay the same, if you have negative amortization, you may owe more on your mortgage than you could get from selling your home. Also, you may find it difficult to refinance. And if you decide to sell, you may owe the lender more than the amount you receive from the buyer.
