Choosing a Home Loan: Learning How Mortgages Work
Educational programs help you understand mortgage terms and how mortgages can perform over time. You'll also learn about how to budget for affording your mortgage payment and saving for emergencies. When you own a home, you can't call the landlord if the plumbing fails or the roof leaks. Additional costs associated with home ownership can include
Georgia property taxes, hazard insurance, homeowners' association dues, and mortgage insurance.
Understanding your home loan terms can also be useful if you decide to refinance later; you'll be able to compare your current home loan with refinance options.
Also, please make use of our
loan calculators which include a
refinance calculator, a
mortgage loan rate comparison calculator, and an
amortization calculator & amortization chart. There's also a
mortgage calculator to tell you your monthly payments, and an
affordability calculator that looks as how much you can spend, and your expenses to show you how much home you can afford.
Trouble Comes Knocking: Avoiding Foreclosure in Georgia
Illness, unemployment, divorce--any number of reasons can create the downward financial spiral leading to foreclosure. Fortunately, there are programs available that can help with managing debt and working toward saving your home. Although not everyone can qualify for assistance, there are many programs that provide refinance, modification and other strategies for avoiding foreclosure. Local and state service providers also assist with federal foreclosure relief programs. If you act quickly, your chances for preventing foreclosure are better than if you wait until the foreclosure process is started.
Resources
Georgia Department of Community Affairs Georgia Homeownership Program
Georgia Department of Consumer Affairs foreclosure information
Georgia Department of Banking and Finance: Verify licensing of Georgia lenders and Georgia mortgage brokers:
Fannie Mae Home Affordable Refinance and Modification Programs:
Georgia Mortgage laws and rules:
US Dept of Housing and Urban Development (HUD info for homebuyers)
HUD approved housing counseling agencies in Georgia:
Georgia Community homebuyer assistance programs:
Georgia Foreclosure assistance
National Foundation for Credit Counseling (links to local providers)
Veterans Administration Loan Guaranty Program
Tax rate (estimates by state)