Traditionally, your mortgage payment is a monthly cost. But many mortgage lenders also offer biweekly mortgage payment plans that allow you to pay in installments every two weeks instead of every month. Biweekly payment plans sound simple and straightforward: You pay biweekly instead of monthly and reduce the balance on your loan faster. In theory, by using one of these plans, you pay less interest over time, build equity faster, and get rid of your mortgage ahead of schedule. Unfortunately, these mortgage payment plans don't always work as well as they claim. What actually happens is that you send in your biweekly payment to the company servicing the loan, and then they hold your payment until the second one arrives. Only after the company has the full monthly payment amount do they apply the money to your mortgage -- which means as far as the mortgage company is concerned, you're still making one payment per month.

In effect, this saves you nothing in interest because your funds are still only being applied as if you were making monthly payments. Worse still, some biweekly mortgage payment plans can actually ending up costing you more money, because the companies that offer these plans often charge additional fees to handle and deliver the payments for you. If you know you have an extra $100 in your budget each month, tack that on to your payment. For example, on a $100,000 loan (assume a 30-year fixed mortgage and 4% interest), paying an extra $100 a month can cut approximately 8.5 years off the life of the loan -- and save $22,463.76 in interest. That's some serious cash.

Another option? Create your own biweekly payment plan. By skipping the third-party processing (and the fee they add on for doing so), you'll end up making an extra payment each year that you wouldn't make if you paid monthly. You can also continue to pay monthly but make one extra mortgage payment at some point during the year to get the same result. Anytime you have extra money on hand -- from a tax return, bonus from work, or gift -- you can apply these funds to your mortgage too.

Just be sure that any extra payments you make are applied to the principal of your loan, not just the interest. You'll also want to ensure that the terms of your mortgage will not leave you with a prepayment penalty should you pay extra or early.

With that in mind when you are ready to buy a home or condo in Angel Fire or Taos Ski Valley that puts you close to the slopes we are here to assist you with your Real Estate needs. Perhaps you want to live in an Earthsip we have many to choose from. Are you looking to build your dream home? We have many lots or larger parcels to choose from in Taos and Angel Fire. If you cannot locate the house, condo or land you desire, on our website, you can access the Taos/Angel Fire MLS from our website. We are dedicated to bringing you the best in Real Estate throughout the Enchanted Circle. For your Real Estate needs in Taos call us at (575) 758- 5852.Looking to buy or sell Real Estate in Angel Fire our number is (575)377- 2626. Our warm and inviting staff of knowledgeable agents go that extra mile to find exactly what you desire. To speak directly to a broker call Paula at 575-770-3306. We are here to welcome you to our growing community.

Information obtained from Trulia