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The Economic Consequences of Homelessness in The US

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1. Initial Interest Rate. This is the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>terest rate on an ARM.<br />

2. <strong>The</strong> Adjustment Period. This is the length <strong>of</strong> time that the <strong>in</strong>terest rate or loan<br />

period on an ARM is scheduled to rema<strong>in</strong> unchanged. <strong>The</strong> rate is reset at the<br />

end <strong>of</strong> this period, and the monthly loan payment is recalculated.<br />

3. <strong>The</strong> Index Rate. Most lenders tie ARM <strong>in</strong>terest rates changes to changes <strong>in</strong> an<br />

<strong>in</strong>dex rate. Lenders base ARM rates on a variety <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>dices, the most common<br />

be<strong>in</strong>g rates on one-, three-, or five-year Treasury securities. Another common<br />

<strong>in</strong>dex is the national or regional average cost <strong>of</strong> funds to sav<strong>in</strong>gs and loan<br />

associations.<br />

4. <strong>The</strong> Marg<strong>in</strong>. This is the percentage po<strong>in</strong>ts that lenders add to the <strong>in</strong>dex rate to<br />

determ<strong>in</strong>e the ARM's <strong>in</strong>terest rate.<br />

5. Interest Rate Caps. <strong>The</strong>se are the limits on how much the <strong>in</strong>terest rate or the<br />

monthly payment can be changed at the end <strong>of</strong> each adjustment period or over<br />

the life <strong>of</strong> the loan.<br />

6. Initial Discounts. <strong>The</strong>se are <strong>in</strong>terest rate concessions, <strong>of</strong>ten used as<br />

promotional aids, <strong>of</strong>fered the first year or more <strong>of</strong> a loan. <strong>The</strong>y reduce the <strong>in</strong>terest<br />

rate below the prevail<strong>in</strong>g rate (the <strong>in</strong>dex plus the marg<strong>in</strong>).<br />

7. Negative Amortization. This means the mortgage balance is <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g. This<br />

occurs whenever the monthly mortgage payments are not large enough to pay all<br />

the <strong>in</strong>terest due on the mortgage. This may be caused when the payment cap<br />

conta<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> the ARM is low enough such that the pr<strong>in</strong>cipal plus <strong>in</strong>terest payment<br />

is greater than the payment cap.<br />

8. Conversion. <strong>The</strong> agreement with the lender may have a clause that allows the<br />

buyer to convert the ARM to a fixed-rate mortgage at designated times.<br />

9. Prepayment. Some agreements may require the buyer to pay special fees or<br />

penalties if the ARM is paid <strong>of</strong>f early. Prepayment terms are sometimes<br />

negotiable.<br />

<strong>The</strong> choice <strong>of</strong> a home mortgage loan is complicated and time consum<strong>in</strong>g. As a help to<br />

the buyer, the Federal Reserve Board and the Federal Home Loan Bank Board have<br />

prepared a mortgage checklist.<br />

Caps<br />

Any mortgage where payments made by the borrower may <strong>in</strong>crease over time br<strong>in</strong>gs<br />

with it the risk <strong>of</strong> f<strong>in</strong>ancial hardship to the borrower. To limit this risk, limitations on<br />

charges—known as caps <strong>in</strong> the <strong>in</strong>dustry—are a common feature <strong>of</strong> adjustable rate<br />

mortgages. Caps typically apply to three characteristics <strong>of</strong> the mortgage:<br />

Page 220 <strong>of</strong> 289

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