Mortgage Rates
Mortgage Rates
How Do I Know If I’m Getting The Best Interest Rate?
Interest rates are impacted by a borrower’s credit score, loan term, mortgage program and a series of market factors that are outside of our control.
Unfortunately, many advertisers will tease a low interest rate in a marketing campaign for the purpose of creating interest in a specific loan program which may only fit a unique type of qualified borrower.
However, by promoting a lower note rate, with a higher APR, lenders are able to control the flow of the inbound phone call or Internet lead.
Understanding how interest rates work will certainly help relieve a lot of unnecessary anxiety about the home financing process.
While loan programs, credit scores and outside economic factors tend to control mortgage rates, borrowers do have the option of paying more up-front at the time of closing in the form of a discount point or loan origination fee in order to secure a lower interest rate.
Alternatively, borrowers currently have the option of taking a slightly higher rate in exchange for lower closing costs. This particular rate / closing cost scenario is sometimes referred to as a “No Closing Cost Loan” option, or something similar.
Mortgage Rate Basics:
How Are Mortgage Rates Determined?
Many people believe that interest rates are set by lenders, but the reality is that mortgage rates are largely determined by what is known as the Secondary Market.
The secondary market is comprised of investors who buy the loans made by banks, brokers, lenders, etc. and then either hold them for their earnings, or bundle them and sell them to other investors.
When the secondary market sells the bundles of mortgages, there are end investors who are willing to pay a certain price for those loans.
Top Five Market Factors That Influence Mortgage Rates
Timing the market for the best possible opportunity to lock a mortgage rate on a new loan is certainly a challenge, even for the professionals.
While there are several several generic interest rate trend indicators online, the difference between what’s advertised and actually attainable can be influenced at any given moment by at least 50 different variables in the market, and with each individual loan approval scenario.
Outside of the borrower’s control, the mortgage rate marketplace is a dynamic, volatile living and breathing animal.
Lenders set their rates every day based on the market activities of Mortgage Bonds, also know as Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS).
On volatile days, a lender might adjust their pricing anywhere from one to five times, depending on what’s taking place in the market.
Inflation, The Federal Reserve, Unemployment, Gross Domestic Product and Geopolitics are a few of the items you can pay attention to if you’re trying to track rates for 30 day lock.
Tudela-MacArthur
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