Wednesday, July 4, 2007

House Mortgage- Are You Getting the Best Rate?

Getting the best rate for a house mortgage are often associated with getting the lowest rate. The truth is, lower rates may not live up to your expectation and higher rates may be the one you are looking for, thus, low rates do not always equate to cheapest loan. We will discuss how this happens later.

Getting the best rate for a house mortgage may seem to be the biggest deal to anyone. And why not? A 0.50% difference on the interest rate, provided that other factors such as points and other charges are the same, will be able to give you save hundreds of dollars, even thousands. The question now is: how can you get the best rate for a mortgage loan?

You may have heard about “shopping around” is the way to get the best rate. Let me tell you this: “shopping around” for a mortgage loan will not give you much of a good result since loans from different lenders are tied from one index. That means, if you compare 2 house mortgages from 2 different lenders, you will only get one rate. So, there is really no difference between the programs given by Lender A and Lender B. Take note: rates are based on two sources: the economic condition and inflation, which means that every mortgage company uses one and the same rate in the same country.

But why does Lender A offers a lower rate than Lender B, you ask? It is because rate changes everyday. And mortgage companies immediately adapt any current changes. So if Lender A gives a 6.00% rate yesterday; don’t expect that it will give the same rate today. And don’t compare the rates given by 2 lenders on different days. Another reason is when Lender A transfers the cost of lowering lost rate to other charges such as points, administration fees, origination charges, underwriting and processing charges, and commitment fees. So for example, Lender A offers you a 6% while Lender B offers 6.25%, make sure that you get information about other fees and charges. This is where you should focus your attention and not on shopping for different mortgage loan. That answers the question why lower rates may not live up to your expectation.

The best way to get the best rate is sticking to your game. Not because a broker gives you an attractive rate means you have to give it a bite. Know first what type of mortgage plan you can afford and stick to it. You are actually hunting for the best rate and not fishing for a mortgage plan. Don’t let mortgage companies talk you into other programs.

The second best way to get the best rate is by knowing the dynamics of the current economy. As was mentioned, the interest rate is influenced by inflation and economy. Inflation is affected by the economy and in theory, if the economy is down; the rate goes down with it. However, knowing the status of the economy days from now is like walking through a road in pitch black. There is trend of course and in general, you can predict the economic status next week or next month.

Timing is very important if you want to get the best rate for your loan. But even experts cannot tell you when is the right time to get your mortgage because they too are walking in the dark. It is a 50-50 gamble actually. Waiting or purchasing the loan now will rely on you and how strong your gut is. Who knows? You may get it right.

The length of the term also is one factor that determines if you get the best rate or not. A 15-year loan has lower interest rate than the 30-year loan. Although you may pay higher monthly mortgage for a shorter term, you pay less in total. If you can afford a shorter term, then you will definitely get a good savings.

Finally, to get the best rate is to actually dig for information. You may already know this but I will tell you still: the Regulation Z of the Federal Truth in Lending Law requires that if the mortgage companies or any other institutions quote the consumer rates, must quote the APR as well. That means; you have the right to know every rate and charge the company offers. This allows you to compare each quote including junk rates and mortgage rate.

For more information on mortgage and home financing please go to:
http://www.homefinancingalert.com/CA-Financing-Home.html
http://www.homefinancingalert.com
http://www.drnathaliefiset.com


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