Low interest rates can have their bad side

Low interest rates continue to drive a frenzy of refinancing and homebuying. It’s a frenzy one real estate expert says you should view with caution. Arthur Cox is the director of the University of Northern Iowa real estate education program. Cox says you should resist the temptation to add more debt than you can handle.He says it’s possible to qualify for a loan that doesn’t fit your lifestyle, and then you end up in financial difficulty. Cox says you may be able to swing a larger home with the lower interest rates, but the bigger digs could become a burden later if you have to move due to a change of job or lifestyle. He says it’s possible there will be some softness in the market, and if interest rates jump back up, there could be a lesser demand for higher priced homes. He says it could be tougher to sell the home and get back what you paid for it. Cox says you also need to figure in the closing costs and whether you can recover them by the time you sell the home.He says you should be aware of the closing costs when comparing different lenders to get a true idea of the cost of the loan. There are refinancing and loan offers being advertised everywhere from radio and TV to the internet. Cox says you should compare them all before signing on the dotted line. He says there are bad apples in every barrel and there are good lenders using all types of advertising. Cox says the internet is a good place to research loans. He says many of the lending organizations have good websites with information on loans. And Cox says you should take the time to ask a lot of questions of your lender before going ahead with a loan.