The variety of choices in choosing a mortgage can make the process seem overwhelming. A mortgage is the single largest investment most people will make in their lives. The wrong decision can be costly and have long term affects on other financial decisions.
For many people, a 30 year mortgage is the option that makes the most sense. While 30 years seems like a long time, the 30 year mortgage has many benefits over an interest only loan. Choosing between a 15 and 30 year loan will require more careful considerations. Before making those comparisons, it is important to understand why either a 15 year or 30 year loan is a better financial choice for most people than an interest only loan.
In an interest only loan, the borrower is only repaying the interest that was borrowed. The principal of the loan remains untouched. At the end of the loan term, the homeowner has several choices. They may refinance, either with another interest only loan or a conventional loan that will pay off the principal, or they may sell the property.
Since the homeowner has not paid down the principal of the loan at all, it can be difficult to make any money on a resale. In fact, it is not uncommon to lose money on such a transaction. In contrast, for a homeowner in a conventional mortgage, even living in a home for ten years is often long enough to have substantial equity built up in the home if they wish to sell.
Many people who choose interest only loans have done so to afford a home that they would not be able to afford with a conventional loan. Since they are only paying interest on the loan, the monthly payments are lower than a loan where the bowered repays interest and principal.
The choice between a 15 and 30 year mortgage can be more complicated. The term of the loan is longer in a 30 year mortgage, so the monthly payment is lower. However, the overall cost of the 15 year loan is substantially less. How to decide which one is best for you?
• Consider your overall spending habits. Are you in a place financially where you have a comfortable amount of income left over at the end of each month? If not, are there spending habits you can change to free up same cash? If you can afford the higher monthly payments, a 15 year mortgage does make more financial sense.
• How much are your other loans? Most lending institutions want to see your total monthly obligations at around 36% of your monthly gross income. If a 15 year loan will push you over this limit, when combined with credit card debt and auto loans, the lower payments of a 30 year loan makes more sense.
• Know how much owning a home really costs. Adding in the cost of your mortgage is not enough. When considering how much you can afford, remember that you will have homeowner's insurance and possibly mortgage insurance to pay, as well as property taxes and sometimes miscellaneous fees such as homeowner's association fees. Once all of these are added into your budget, it is easy to see where a 30 year mortgage will free up some essential money in your budget.
• Look at the interest rate spread. The interest rate spread is a term used for the difference between the interest rate of a 15 year loan and a 30 year loan. Sometimes the spread is relatively small, even less than 1%. Other times the spread is greater. The smaller the interest rate spread, the greater the advantage of a 30 year loan.
• What is your monthly income? Most lenders consider 30% the maximum monthly amount someone should pay of their income toward a mortgage. Greater than that, and it becomes difficult to meet other obligations or handle problems in the case of an emergency. If the monthly payment on a 30 year mortgage drops you below 30% of your income, this option would make sense.
There are a variety of reasons why a 30 year mortgage may be a more attractive choice than a shorter term. While the overall cost is greater, the lower monthly payments allow for a greater amount of financial freedom. If you believe that you can financially handle the higher payments of a 15 year mortgage but the numbers are close, talk to your lender.
Many lenders will allow you to make payments to the principal of your loan without paying a prepayment penalty. By doing this you can take extra money and use it to lower the principal of your loan, which, in turn, reduces the amount of interest you pay over the life of the loan. If, however, your finances tighten up, you are not obligated to make this additional payment.
Wesley Pritchard is a freelance writer who writes about the mortgage industry, often focusing on a specific topic such as
mortgage rates 
