Thursday, April 26, 2012

Get The Best Mortgage Rate or Refinance Rate

It is no secret that mortgage rates can fluctuate from day to day. They do this, usually in response to changes in broader interest rate trends. To get the best mortgage rates, there are a number of things you must bear in mind as a borrower. You should understand that rates are usually affected by a number of different things. Investor demand for securities can directly affect rates. As a borrower, you should also be sensitive to any short-term rate changes.

The key point you should understand as a borrower is that the rate that lenders offer you does not depend only on current mortgage rates. It also depends on your credit score, employment stability, debt-to-income ratio and down payment. If you would like to take advantage of an available rate however, you must be swift. Inform your loan officer that you would like to reserve a specific rate. Reserving, also known as locking holds a borrower's rate to obligate the lender to offer the specific rate for a given period of time.

When you want to get a mortgage loan, it is important for you to go through the best mortgage company you can find. A variety of companies give borrowers their mortgage quotes. Choose the best mortgage rates by comparing the mortgage quotes from numerous companies. After this, you simply choose the most attractive. Again, these companies could have some hidden charges, and it is best you check them thoroughly to ensure they give exactly what they offer.

Mortgage Loan Basics

You can not get the best mortgage rates without understanding some mortgage loan basics. This ensures you choose the right mortgage for you. The process of obtaining one is gruesome, and a bit of knowledge on the same is helpful. It helps you in discussing and comparing the available mortgage loan options with the mortgage companies in question.

Loan term is simply the duration of repayment. Interest rate is the amount of the cost you incur for borrowing the money. It is charged over a long period of time and can be fixed or adjustable. Fees are those extra charges that come with your loan. This is where you can actually shop around to check the companies with the most favorable terms.

Understanding your financial situation ensures you get the best mortgage rates. To ensure you get this right, there are a number of things you should know.

• Your credit score- This largely affects your mortgage loan. Ensure you have a quality rating. Before applying for your mortgage loan, ensure that your credit report is reading right because it can have mistakes.

• Reduce your debt- A lower debt-to-income ratio increases your chances of getting a good mortgage loan. It also helps you get low interest rate mortgage quotes on the home loan.

• Make down Payment- Some mortgage loans might not require this. However, make a decent down payment in-case the company allows for this. It helps you secure some more favorable terms in relation to the loan.

Sometimes it is best to use a Mortgage broker. This is because they research on your behalf and give you a variety of choices. This ensures you choose the one with the best mortgage rates.

Refinance Your Mortgage

Mortgage refinancing is usually the process whereby a new loan is created on a property already having an existing loan. Normally, when the owner of the property refinances, the new lender pays off the existing loan and a new loan is then created between the lender and the borrower. Many people choose to refinance a mortgage so as to obtain a lower interest rate, reduce their monthly repayment or take out cash by accessing the built-up equity.

When the borrower intends to reduce the interest rate as well as the term of the existing loan, he will create a new loan with a term and interest rate that is lower than the initial loan amount without having access to the home's equity. More than possible, the amount of the new loan might not be considerably higher than the initial loan amount. The lender may decide to do this since by getting a lower interest rate, this may lower his monthly payment while a shorter term of lease can decrease the amount of cash payable to the lender in form of interest over the agreed period of the loan.

Mortgage refinancing that involves the property equity which is the positive difference between the amount owed on the property and the current value of the property is known as "Cash-Out Refinance." Cash out refinancing can provide funds that may be used to pay off high credit cards interests as well as other consumer debts. Making a comparison of the interest rates may not be sufficient to determine your savings and it may be essential to also consider the refinancing costs as well as the duration you will be required to pay your new mortgage.

Based on the on the home equity amount you have, it is possible for you to refinance for an amount higher than that required to pay off the current mortgage. Typically, lenders tend to restrict cash out refinancing to not more than 80% of the total current value of the home. However, if you are thinking about cash out refinancing, keep in mind that you are increasing you're the risk of foreclosure as well as mortgage debt and if the value of the home decreases, you might owe more than the value of your home.

On the basis of rate as well as term refinance, the borrower must calculate what will be his monthly savings in relation to the new loan and compare it with the loan. The borrower also needs to consider the total cost of acquiring the loan as common charges include pre-paid interest, lender origination fees, tax, title, appraisal, credit check and also escrow fees. The borrower also needs to determine the period of time he intends to live in his current home and as soon as he is equipped with all this information, then he is in a position to calculate the duration he must remain the owner of the property before the monthly savings justify the up-front costs of the loan.

Therefore, before undertaking any mortgage refinancing, it is important to understand how long you intend to stay in your existing home as this will assist your lender to recommend you a mortgage product that is suitable for your refinancing.

Mortgage Loan Basics

A mortgage loan or a mortgage as it is commonly referred to, is a loan provided against a real property or home by banks, lenders and other financial institutions. There is a mortgage note along with every mortgage that ensures the encumbrance of the property or home against which the Mortgage is provided. There are several types of Mortgage Loans that vary based on individual requirements such as the amount of loan, the interest rate, repayment period, mode of payment and few other criterions.

The key component of a mortgage loan includes the income of an individual versus the expenses based on which the eligibility of the loan amount is calculated. Once a loan amount is sanctioned, the repayment of the loan will be linked to the amount of down payment and the monthly repayment amount based and the loan term is determined accordingly. A mortgage calculator which is easily accessible online over the internet can provide a detailed analysis of numbers based on certain parameters.

Mortgage Loans have played a significant role in transforming the housing market and have enabled a lot of people to become home owners. You can also be a proud home owner by taking advantage of the several types of mortgages available in the market. However, there is a certain amount of due-diligence that is required in analyzing the various mortgage loans and comparing them based on different parameters. A thorough evaluation of your requirements, types of mortgages and mortgage lenders is a must in order to make an informed decision.

Below is a list of different types of mortgage loans for your review:

Fixed Rate Mortgage Loan: As the name suggests, the rate of interest is fixed for the entire loan term and is agnostic to market fluctuations. However, if you opt for the fixed rate loan, the interest rate is slightly higher as the lenders would want to cover themselves from any losses they might have to incur due to volatile market fluctuations. Typically, the fixed rate mortgage loans are most suited for people opting a shorter loan term.

Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loan (ARM): The interest rates in these types of loans are adjusted as per the change in the market index such as LIBOR, CFI and CMT. The interest rates are typically lower to start off with when compared to the fixed rate loans and are prone to increase or decrease based on the index fluctuations.

Apart from these, there are other Mortgage Loans such as the Interest only mortgage loans, reverse mortgage and low interest mortgage loans. The type of mortgage loan that suits your requirement depends on whether you are a first time home buyer, your financial situation, your debt situation and affordability of monthly repayments.

Apart from identifying the right mortgage loan, identifying a right mortgage lender is also critical. You will need to approach multiple lenders to compare the deals that are offered, evaluate the competetive interest rates along with the flexibility provided in terms of repayment, amount of down payment options, etc. to ensure you get the right offer.