Qualified Mortgage

  

Categories: Mortgage, Tax

"Qualified" for tax deductability.

Huh? A mortgage is just a loan. So why wouldn't any loan (now up to $500,000 max) be qualified as a mortgage? Like...couldn't you just borrow that dough from Rich Uncle Larry?

Well...no. In fact, mortgages carry all kinds of very specific lending language for a variety of reasons, such that in order to receive the mortgage interest credit or tax deduction by dint of paying that mortgage interest, takers of mortgages have to buy them through banks.

So...doesn't this seem like a scam? Like...the government is monopolizing the mortgage industry in forcing you, the home buyer, to essentially buy through them, or at least under their set of rubrics. Well, in fact, it's actually a pretty good idea when you think of all the things that could go wrong, were anyone able to lend anyone money for mortgages.

Those issues revolve around what happens when things go...awry. Like...it's 2009 and nephew Bobby lost his job at the enema clinic. Now he can't make his mortgage payments. And, well, Uncle Larry isn't so rich any more. He wants those payments. Needs them. So now Uncle Larry has to kick Bobby and his wife and their little enemates out of the home, with a sheriff dragging the bags and tubing behind them.

Painful social situation. Bad headlnes. Nobody wants this. So in forcing mortgages to be run through banks, there is a third neutral party doing the kicking-out if need be, and there is a higher level of scrutiny in granting mortgages in the first place. That is, banks can just say no to granting a mortgage in the first place. Supposing the buyer doesn't qualify because they dont have enough money down, or don't earn enough, or have bad credit or whatever...if the bank just says no, then the family doesn't upgrade homes...or they just keep living in the apartment or tool shed they've been living in. No sheriff involved, no tears. Well, some tears.

Related or Semi-related Video

Finance: What is Interest Only Mortgage?17 Views

00:00

Finance allah shmoop what is an interest only mortgage Well

00:07

simply put it's when you only pay the rent on

00:10

the dough you borrowed you don't pay down the principal

00:14

you owe like if you have a three hundred thousand

00:16

dollars mortgage at six percent interest you're paying eighteen grand

00:19

a year to rent that money in six percent times

00:22

three hundred rands eighteen grand a year But the principal

00:25

you borrowed is likely due in thirty years So in

00:28

theory anyway if it were a normal mortgage you'd want

00:32

to pay down the principal little bit a month as

00:34

you go along like averaging ten grand a year in

00:37

principle pay down over thirty years That's times ten grand

00:41

right three hundred grand their total owning your home at

00:44

the end yeah yeah priceless that's what holmes work So

00:47

why would you want an interest only mortgage Well for

00:51

one thing the monthly payments or less so maybe you

00:54

could afford morehouse If on a thirty year three hundred

00:57

thousand dollar loan at six percent you're paying interest only

01:00

while you're writing a check each month for eighteen thousand

01:03

divided by twelve or fifteen hundred bucks maybe that's all

01:06

You can afford well the extra five hundred bucks arm

01:09

or you'd right toe pay down your principles Just not

01:12

something you can really do right now Maybe after three

01:15

years of scrimping and saving well you'll be able to

01:18

start paying down that principal reducing risk and making life

01:21

easier all the way around But right now you can't

01:24

afford it so the only thing you can do is

01:26

do the interest only dance Well the other reason you

01:28

might want an interest only mortgages that interest costs are

01:31

tax deductible Principal pay down costs are not so if

01:37

in a given mortgage payment of say eighteen hundred bucks

01:40

a month where three hundred of it is principal pay

01:43

down and fifteen hundred of it is interest well on

01:47

ly the fifteen hundred is tax deductible That three hundred

01:51

of pay down is not And if you're a forty

01:53

percent taxpayer the government is essentially picking up the tax

01:58

savings on the fifteen hundred times a forty percent at

02:02

six hundred dollars in interest You're paying such that they

02:05

quote feel unquote like the fifteen hundred is really only

02:10

about nine hundred a month in cost to you the

02:13

three hundred bucks and principal paydown feels like a full

02:16

three hundred dollars So some people seeking tio optimize their

02:19

tax deductions live in the world of interest only mortgages

02:23

and let the government for a change You know work 00:02:26.24 --> [endTime] for them How's that feel same all Take it

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