Mortgage Interest Rates

For most people, the biggest purchase they will ever make is their home. In fact though, their mortgage and the mortgage interest rates it connotes are a larger purchase than their home. In single loan term, the amount you pay to cover the mortgage interest rate cost is more often than not more than what you paid for your house. Reducing even a fraction of your mortgage interest rates can save you a great deal of money on your mortgage.

The rise and fall of mortgage interest rates have become erratic during the past 20 years. As a rule of thumb, mortgage interest rates go up when the economy is strong and stock prices rise. On the other hand, if economy weakens, mortgage interest rates go down.

In todays market, the mortgage interest rates are much lower than they were in the mid-1980s to the 90s. But within the next year or two, financial experts have come up with predictions mostly outlining the rise of mortgage interest rates.

A sad fact however, is that with mortgage interest rates, there are no certainties and no guarantees. No one can really tell whether or not mortgage interest rates will rise over a period of time. The current mortgage interest rate that you are charged right now is something that your banker or broker cannot control. Often, loans with unattractive mortgage interest rates are sold to FannieMae or FreddieMac which in turn, sell these loans to the secondary market.

Mortgage investors purchase these secondary market loans with mortgage interest rates that are undesirable to the regular homebuyer. These investors are actually the ones who set the standards in mortgage interest rates.

When news of a growing economy erupts, the Fed will raise the mortgage interest rates in an effort to slow down economic growth and lower stock prices. As a result, the investors would demand higher mortgage interest rates from their lenders. To sell their loans, lenders will increase their mortgage interest rate yields. This drives mortgage interest rates even higher.

When the economy goes down on the other hand, the same thing happens with mortgage interest rates, but in reverse. The Feds will cut down the mortgage interest rates in order to bring the economy back to life. Investors will start buying more bonds while the mortgage interest rates are low. Demand grows and loan sellers offer their products with lower mortgage interest rates. Thus consumers will be able to get loans for decreased mortgage interest rates.

Mortgage interest rates are based on a financial instrument called index. LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate) is among the most common indices that mortgage interest rates are based on. Other mortgage interest rate indices are 1-Year Treasury Security, Prime, 6-Month CD, and the 11th District Cost of Funds (COFI). These indices for mortgage interest rates are subject to the financial conditions of the market.

Loans are offered with different mortgage interest rates. Take for example a traditional 30-year mortgage. This type of loan involves a fixed mortgage interest rate. The mortgage interest rate of a 30-year mortgage is higher than that of a 15-year mortgage.

Other alternative programs and payment plans for your loans can some difference on your mortgage interest rate. An adjustable rate mortgage initially has lower mortgage interest rates compared to fixed rates.

So basically, the effect of economics on mortgage interest rates is also counteracted by the type of mortgage you choose to take.

Mortgage Finance

A majority of home owners today got their houses through mortgage finance or loan. In the last decade, the changes in home mortgage finances and loans have brought many promising benefits to homebuyers. However, these changes in mortgage finance have also cost some important tradeoffs.

The most important benefit that a homebuyer got from this change in mortgage finance is the fact that they are now offered more choices. This allows them to do a more effective comparison shopping of mortgage finance products and make a more critical decision.

Where to get a mortgage finance loan

Several specialized mortgage finance institutions offer mortgage finance products to home buyers. These savings and loan mortgage finance institutions were also called thrift associations because lenders take in deposits of their savers and use the money to make mortgage finance and loan products. Thrifts experienced a wane in the 1980s when interest rates were more or less erratic and mortgage finance failure was on an all-time high.

The thrift institutions were later on replaced by mortgage finance bankers. These people are the ones who originate the mortgage finance product and offer these to investors. The 1990s brought on the arrival of mortgage brokers who are savvy freelance mortgage finance agents who originate loans for several lenders and sell these to several clients, from enterprising investors to homebuyers.

Today, mortgage brokers are still popular among homebuyers who get mortgage finance advice. Because mortgage brokers maintain associations with several lending companies, they are probably the best sources of mortgage finance advice in the market right now. The Internet is also a great help for homebuyers when they make their final mortgage finance decision.

What type of mortgage finance loan you can get

During the 1980s, the general rule was that only people with good credit standing can get a mortgage finance loan. In todays market, almost anyone can apply for a mortgage finance loan in order to buy a house. With an excellent credit, it is very likely that you can get a mortgage finance loan that covers 100% of the purchase price. Poor credit does not necessarily mean that you are excluded from getting a mortgage finance loan. Securing a mortgage finance loan on bad credit is still possible but with higher interest rates.

First-time homebuyers who do not yet have a credit record also have a number of mortgage finance loans available for them. These mortgage finance loans usually have low down payments and flexible standards specified in the underwriting.

How Mortgage Finance Loans work

Streamlining some underwriting parts of the mortgage finance loan has made loan approval a much quicker process for homebuyers. With the advent of computers, information on mortgage finance loans can be easily accessed. In some mortgage finance companies, approvals are done online or using computer programs. The notion of credit scores has also reduced the number of mortgage finance loans to get rejected. Since credit scores can ease the usually strict mortgage finance loan approvals, applicants experience less hassle.

The mortgage finance market of modern times seemed to have developed new mortgage finance products. For instance, when interest rates began falling, home owners took advantage of this by refinancing their mortgages. In an effort to reduce their costs on refinancing, lenders began offering mortgage finance loans with no discount points.

Mortgage Company

There are several mortgage companies that offer a rich array of loan products of services. Below is short list of these mortgage companies.

Fannie Mae Mortgage Company

An industry giant, Fannie Mae Mortgage Company is one of the leading companies that offer home loans. The products and services of this mortgage company make it possible for low-, moderate-, and middle-income families to buy homes of their own. Since 1968, Fannie Mae Mortgage Company has helped more than 63 million families achieve their homeownership goals.

Freddie Mac Mortgage Company

Another mortgage company that is comparable with Fannie Mae Mortgage Company is Freddie Mac Mortgage Company. This mortgage company is a stockholder-owned corporation chartered by the U.S. Congress to keep cash flowing to mortgage lenders and in the process support homeownership and rental housing. Freddie Mac Mortgage Company purchases residential mortgages for single or multiple families. Aside from that, this mortgage company also buys mortgage-related securities. These mortgages and securities are financed by Freddie Mac Mortgage Company through the issuance of mortgage pass via securities and debt instruments in the capital markets. By doing this, this mortgage company helps homeowners and renters get lower housing costs and better access to home financing.

CTX Mortgage Company

CTX Mortgage Company is a subsidiary of Centex Corporation, one of the Fortune 500 companies. This mortgage company offers several loan programs. One of the loan programs offered by this mortgage company is Conventional Financing. This loan program is not insured or guaranteed by any agency of the state of federal government. Another loan program offered by this mortgage company is FHA. This loan program requires lower down payment compared to conventional loans. This mortgage company offers Veterans Administration (VA) as part of their loan programs. VA loans allow more freedom compared to FHA loans and conventional loans. Through this mortgage company, veterans may obtain 100% loans up to 203,000 with no money down.

Other loan programs offered by this mortgage company include 5/1 Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs), 7-year Balloons, and jumbo loans.

Members Mortgage Company

Based in Woburn, Massachusetts, this mortgage company specializes in providing assistance to credit unions throughout New England. Members Mortgage Company does this by providing a comprehensive, convenient, and cost effective mortgage and loan programs for their clients. Aside from offering services for credit unions, this mortgage company also offers its products to home owners. This mortgage company has lending programs for home purchase financing or refinancing mortgages.

Utter Mortgage Company

A mortgage company that specializes in long term-financing, Utter Mortgage Company caters to commercial real estate. This mortgage company provides direct correspondence for a number of west and mid-west insurance companies. With loan amounts beginning at 750,000, this mortgage company provides financing for properties, such as warehouses, shopping centers, office buildings, et cetera located in Nevada and Northern California. The loan terms involved in this mortgage company are usually 5, 7, or 10 year terms. Moreover, interest rates of this mortgage company are based on the Treasury rate index.

East/West Mortgage Company

This mortgage company offers very low rates on their mortgages. This mortgage companys loan products include refinance mortgages, home equity loans, and debt consolidation. In addition, the East West Mortgage Company website offers free and convenient mortgage calculator that will help you estimate your monthly payments.

Mortgage Calculator

Mortgage calculators are pivotal factors when youre looking for the right mortgage that best suits your home buying needs. Below is a short list of mortgage calculators to help you make your financial decision.

APR Mortgage Calculator

An APR mortgage calculator helps you calculate and compare the APRs or Annual Percentage Rates of different types of mortgage loans. To use an APR mortgage calculator, you need to fill in the loan amount and the quoted interest rate. Say for example, you take in a 30-year loan for 20,000 at 4.5% interest rate. Percentage of discount points is 2.0% with a closing fee of 1,000. When you calculate this using the APR mortgage calculator, youll find that the annual interest rate of this loan is 5.5275%.

ARM vs. Fixed Mortgage Calculator

Different financial situations require different types of mortgage. An adjustable rate mortgage is good when the loan term that you want is short. On the other hand, fixed rate mortgages might give you the certainty that you need when it looks like interest rates are rising. Use ARM vs. fixed rate mortgage calculators to find out which mortgage suits you. An ARM vs. fixed rate mortgage calculator would require you to fill in the details both mortgages. Once done, the mortgage calculator will help you determine how much you can save with either mortgage types.

For example, you decide to take out a loan of 105,000 payable in 30 years. The fixed rate mortgage interest rate is 7.5% while the ARM interest rate is 4% with an adjustable period of one year. Maximum cap period of the ARM loan is 0.5% while the lifetime cap is 4%. Once you put in these details into the mortgage calculator, you can start estimating your savings on each mortgage. The mortgage calculator will show you that with a fixed rate loan, you will be paying 734.18 monthly and no savings. On the one hand, the mortgage calculator will also show you that ARM loan will have you paying up to 663.67 monthly with cumulative savings up to 11,024.46.

Comparison Mortgage Calculators

As the name itself suggests, this mortgage calculator allows you to compare several mortgage types and find out what suits you best. You can put in variables to as much as four loans into this mortgage calculator and start comparing prices. By providing the number of payments to be made, interest rates, and principal amount, this mortgage calculator will calculate for you the projected monthly payment.

30 Year and 15 Year Mortgage Calculator

This mortgage calculator will help you decide which mortgage suits your needs 30 year or a 15 year term. For instance, youre considering a 100,000 loan. For 15 years, the interest rate is 6.250%. For a 30-year term, the interest will increase slightly to 6.500%. Discount points for each are equal at 1%.

For more accurate results on this mortgage calculator, lets put in a state/federal tax rate of 38%, property tax amount of 2,000, homeowners insurance of 600, and savings rate of 4%. The purchase price of the home is 125,000. The result generated by the mortgage calculator will be a total payment of 1,074 for the 15-year term and 849 for the 30-year term.

Mortgage Broker

Mortgage broker. Mortgage lender. Bank loan officer. Theyre all the same. Their job is to sell you mortgages. Period Well, not exactly. While all three are closely related, the nature of their jobs deviates slightly from each other.

Whats a mortgage broker?

Contrary to popular belief, mortgage brokers do not work for the loan company or any lending organization or firm. A mortgage broker is a real estate financing professional who works independently from a lender. A mortgage broker concentrates on the instigation of residential or commercial mortgages. The lending company is the wholesaler. The mortgage broker is the one who provides the actual funding and servicing to these loan wholesalers.
Basically, mortgage brokers are freelance agents working with (not for) various wholesale lenders. Almost half of all the real estate residential loans in the United States are instigated by mortgage broker firm operations.

Mortgage Broker Services

Mortgage brokers have direct access to hundreds of loan products. Because of this, mortgage brokers are the best when it comes to providing consumers cost-effective and efficient options that cater to their specific loan needs. The mortgage broker evaluates and provides assessment based on the financial details which the customer gives. Using this information as leverage, the mortgage broker would then search through the hundreds of posted rates in order to find the best one for the customer. In this way, not only does a mortgage broker provide their customers with expertise and convenience, but choice as well.

Mortgage lending is a complicated task. Mortgage brokers act as guides for consumers, helping them through the entire process. When confusion sets in, mortgage brokers help dispel this by offering extensive choices and advice to aid the consumer maintain his financial balance with his goal.

When customers have a bad credit or a less-than attractive credit history, mortgage brokers help them get loans by looking for lending companies that are willing to let these types of consumers borrow money. Mortgage brokers also use novel loan packages to allow customers with low to moderate income enjoy the benefits of home ownership.

Mortgage brokers help consumers save on their time, money, and effort. Because mortgage brokers provide assessment on their clients financial status, they can easily target products which more or less cover and fit with the clients needs. This makes the job easier and less time-consuming. Mortgage brokers maintain contacts with several lending companies. This allows mortgage brokers to get the cheapest loans for their clients.

National Association of Mortgage Brokers

Established in 1973, the National Association of Mortgage Brokers is the primary trade association that represents the community. The association is affiliated with 46 states of the United States and promotes professional certification for mortgage brokers.

Mortgage brokers who are members of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers are required to follow the associations code of ethics and keep only the best lending practices in his profession. The mortgage broker acts as the liaison between the lender and the borrower. A mortgage broker is responsible for bridging the gap between these two. Such a large responsibility requires a mortgage broker to be completely thorough in his dealings with both and in the mortgage process.