Mortgage Rates:: Fort Worth Texas Real Estate Mortgage Loan ::
Obtain Information from Several Lenders
If you are a first time home buyer or have purchased many homes , the type of mortgage you select is very important in the State of Texas. There are many lenders in Fort Worth that are going to be competing for your business. In order to get the best deal you need to shop around, compare costs and terms and negotiate.
Below are the many types of mortgage loans available to the home buying consumer. There are many types of home mortgage loans within Texas to select from with lots of different offers and home mortgage loan application decisions. In the past almost everyone applied for a 25, 29 or 30-year fixed interest rate home mortgage loan, the most common being a 30 year mortgage. Now, there are so many different options well targeted toward borrowers and individuals within Texas and the Fort Worth area, in different financial situations within the state of Texas.
ARM (Adjustable Rate Mortgage Loans)
If you will be living in your home for a few years an Adjustable Rate Mortgage is the best. An adjustable rate mortgage is also referred to by the acronym "ARM". ARMS's have a set interest rate and steady monthly payment for a number of years. The mortgage loan payment is usually based on the amount to payoff the entire mortgage balance at the end of the term, which is usually 30 yrs.
The most common types of ARMS are 1 yr, 3/1 yr,
5/1 yr and 7/1 yr ARM, After
the initial period
is over, the rate and term of the mortgage will
be adjusted annually to current market mortgage
rate if you do not refinance the loan. Most ARMs
have caps on how much the interest rate may increase
after the loan expires. ARMS are very popular
because the rates are usually about 2-3% lower
that a fixed rate which means lower payments.
The less number of years usually means the lower
interest rate. A 1 yr ARM will have a lower interest
rate than a 5/1 year term. ARM.
Fixed Rate Mortgage Loan
If you know that you are going to be in the house for a number of years then a fixed rate mortgage is best. A fixed rate mortgage is the most common home finance method and usually are 15 yr or 30 yr mortgage loan. A fixed rate mortgage loan is good if you know you will be living in your home for a long time and you don't have to worry about your payment ever increasing. Monthly loan payments will be the same for the entire life of the loan. The first payment will be the same as the last payment.
If home mortgage interest rates increase you have an advantage because your loan interest rate is locked-in at a lower rate which means your mortgage loan payment will not increase. But alternatively if interest rates drop your rate will not go down unless you refinance your mortgage. Rates went up to 18% at one time and as low as 4% recently so it is hard to tell what will happen in the future.
A 15 year home mortgage will have a somewhat lower interest rate but higher monthly payments than a 30 year fixed mortgage rate. The advantages to this type of mortgage financing is that you will get more home-equity by paying down the principal balance. You also will have the loan paid off faster and will not have paid as much total interest when the loan ends. It could save you $100,000 or more in interest.
A 30 or 25 year year home mortgage loan will usually have a higher interest rate than a 15 year and a lower payment. This is a good type of loan to get if you are short on money or cannot qualify for the higher mortgage payment. If you start to make more money and want to pay off the mortgage balance faster you can always set up bi-weekly payments with your lender. You also can just pay more money every month and apply it to the principle balance. Mortgage lenders rarely impose a penalty for this.
Interest-only mortgages
An interest only mortgage is where the borrower only pays the interest on the loan each month. This means property debt never declines. Many borrowers get this type of loan because the rates are real low and the payment is low. An interest-only mortgage may be good if you expect to earn a lot more in a few years and know you will be able to afford a higher mortgage payment later on where you can always refi your loan. Some Fort Worth homeowners may choose interest only mortgages because they are going to invest funds and make money on the savings on the difference between an interest-only mortgage and a regular amortizing house mortgage loan with principle and interest.
Remember to always shop around for the best deal because it could save you thousands. Let the lenders know that you are shopping around for the best deal because their rates and terms are always negotiable. Keep a list of all of the deals and costs so you can compare.
Points
Points are fees paid to the lender or broker for the loan and are often linked to the interest rate; usually the more points you pay, the lower the rate.
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Check your Fort Worth Texas local newspaper for information about mortgage rates and points currently being offered. |
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Ask for points to be quoted to you as a dollar amount--rather than just as the number of points--so that you will actually know how much you will have to pay. |
Fees
A Fort Worth Texas mortgage home loan often involves many fees, such as loan origination or underwriting fees, broker fees, and transaction, settlement, and closing costs. Every lender or broker should be able to give you an estimate of its fees. Many of these fees are negotiable. Some fees are paid when you apply for a loan (such as application and appraisal fees), and others are paid at closing. In some cases, you can borrow the money needed to pay these fees, but doing so will increase your loan amount and total costs. "No cost" loans are sometimes available, but they usually involve higher rates.
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Ask what each fee includes. Several items may be lumped into one fee. |
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Ask for an explanation of any fee you do not understand. Some common fees associated with a home loan closing are listed on the Mortgage Shopping Worksheet in this brochure. |
Down Payments and Private Mortgage Insurance
Some lenders require 20 percent of the home’s purchase price as a down payment. However, many lenders now offer loans that require less than 20 percent down--sometimes as little as 5 percent on conventional loans. If a 20 percent down payment is not made, lenders usually require the home buyer to purchase private mortgage insurance (PMI) to protect the lender in case the home buyer fails to pay. When government-assisted programs such as FHA (Federal Housing Administration), VA (Veterans Administration), or Rural Development Services are available, the down payment requirements may be substantially smaller.
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Ask about the lender’s requirements for a down payment, including what you need to do to verify that funds for your down payment are available. |
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Ask your lender about special programs it may offer. |
If PMI is required for your loan,
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Ask what the total cost of the insurance will be. |
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Ask how much your monthly payment will be when including the PMI premium. |
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Ask how long you will be required to carry PMI. |
Obtain the Best Deal That You Can
Once you know what each lender has to offer, negotiate for the best deal that you can. On any given day, lenders and brokers may offer different prices for the same loan terms to different consumers, even if those consumers have the same loan qualifications. The most likely reason for this difference in price is that loan officers and brokers are often allowed to keep some or all of this difference as extra compensation. Generally, the difference between the lowest available price for a loan product and any higher price that the borrower agrees to pay is an overage. When overages occur, they are built into the prices quoted to consumers. They can occur in both fixed and variable-rate loans and can be in the form of points, fees, or the interest rate. Whether quoted to you by a loan officer or a broker, the price of any loan may contain overages.
Have the lender or broker write down all the costs associated with the loan. Then ask if the lender or broker will waive or reduce one or more of its fees or agree to a lower rate or fewer points. You’ll want to make sure that the lender or broker is not agreeing to lower one fee while raising another or to lower the rate while raising points. There’s no harm in asking lenders or brokers if they can give better terms than the original ones they quoted or than those you have found elsewhere.
Once you are satisfied with the terms you have negotiated, you may want to obtain a written lock-in from the lender or broker. The lock-in should include the rate that you have agreed upon, the period the lock-in lasts, and the number of points to be paid. A fee may be charged for locking in the loan rate. This fee may be refundable at closing. Lock-ins can protect you from rate increases while your loan is being processed; if rates fall, however, you could end up with a less favorable rate. Should that happen, try to negotiate a compromise with the lender or broker.
Remember: Shop, Compare, Negotiate
When buying a home, remember to shop around, to compare costs and terms, and to negotiate for the best deal. Your local newspaper and the Internet are good places to start shopping for a loan. You can usually find information both on interest rates and on points for several lenders. Since rates and points can change daily, you’ll want to check your newspaper often when shopping for a home loan. But the newspaper does not list the fees, so be sure to ask the lenders about them.
The Mortgage Shopping Worksheet that follows may also help you. Take it with you when you speak to each lender or broker and write down the information you obtain. Don’t be afraid to make lenders and brokers compete with each other for your business by letting them know that you are shopping for the best deal.
Fair Lending Is Required by Law
The Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits lenders from discriminating against credit applicants in any aspect of a credit transaction on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, whether all or part of the applicant’s income comes from a public assistance program, or whether the applicant has in good faith exercised a right under the Consumer Credit Protection Act.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in residential real estate transactions on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.
Under these laws, a consumer cannot be refused a loan based on these characteristics nor be charged more for a loan or offered less favorable terms based on such characteristics.
Credit Problems? Still Shop, Compare, and Negotiate
Don’t assume that minor credit problems or difficulties stemming from unique circumstances, such as illness or temporary loss of income, will limit your loan choices to only high-cost lenders. If your credit report contains negative information that is accurate, but there are good reasons for trusting you to repay a loan, be sure to explain your situation to the lender or broker. If your credit problems cannot be explained, you will probably have to pay more than borrowers who have good credit histories. But don’t assume that the only way to get credit is to pay a high price. Ask how your past credit history affects the price of your loan and what you would need to do to get a better price. Take the time to shop around and negotiate the best deal that you can.
Whether you have credit problems or not, it’s a good idea to review
your credit report for accuracy and completeness before you apply for
a loan. To order a copy of your credit report, contact:
Equifax: (800) 685-1111
TransUnion: (800) 888-4213
Experian: (888) 397-3742
Glossary
Adjustable-rate loans, also known as variable-rate loans, usually offer a lower initial interest rate than fixed-rate loans. The interest rate fluctuates over the life of the loan based on market conditions, but the loan agreement generally sets maximum and minimum rates. When interest rates rise, generally so do your loan payments; and when interest rates fall, your monthly payments may be lowered.
Annual percentage rate (APR) is the cost of credit expressed as a yearly rate. The APR includes the interest rate, points, broker fees, and certain other credit charges that the borrower is required to pay.
Conventional loans are mortgage loans other than those insured or guaranteed by a government agency such as the FHA (Federal Housing Administration), the VA (Veterans Administration), or the Rural Development Services (formerly know as Farmers Home Administration, or FmHA).
Escrow is the holding of money or documents by a neutral third party prior to closing. It can also be an account held by the lender (or servicer) into which a homeowner pays money for taxes and insurance.
Fixed-rate loans generally have repayment terms of 15, 20, or 30 years. Both the interest rate and the monthly payments (for principal and interest) stay the same during the life of the loan.
The interest rate is the cost of borrowing money expressed as a percentage rate. Interest rates can change because of market conditions.
Loan origination fees are fees charged by the lender for processing the loan and are often expressed as a percentage of the loan amount.
Lock-in refers to a written agreement guaranteeing a home buyer a specific interest rate on a home loan provided that the loan is closed within a certain period of time, such as 60 or 90 days. Often the agreement also specifies the number of points to be paid at closing.
A mortgage is a document signed by a borrower when a home loan is made that gives the lender a right to take possession of the property if the borrower fails to pay off the loan.
Overages are the difference between the lowest available price and any higher price that the home buyer agrees to pay for the loan. Loan officers and brokers are often allowed to keep some or all of this difference as extra compensation.
Points are fees paid to the lender for the loan. One point equals 1 percent of the loan amount. Points are usually paid in cash at closing. In some cases, the money needed to pay points can be borrowed, but doing so will increase the loan amount and the total costs.
Private mortgage insurance (PMI) protects the lender against a loss if a borrower defaults on the loan. It is usually required for loans in which the down payment is less than 20 percent of the sales price or, in a refinancing, when the amount financed is greater than 80 percent of the appraised value.
Thrift institution is a general term for savings banks and savings and loan associations.
Transaction, settlement, or closing costs may include application fees; title examination, abstract of title, title insurance, and property survey fees; fees for preparing deeds, mortgages, and settlement documents; attorneys’ fees; recording fees; and notary, appraisal, and credit report fees. Under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the borrower receives a good faith estimate of closing costs at the time of application or within three days of application. The good faith estimate lists each expected cost either as an amount or a range.
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