Tips on Finding the Best Home Loan Rates

By Jackie Smith

When you are ready to purchase your new home, or are looking to refinance your current mortgage, it is important to shop around for the best rates available to you. There are numerous internet sites, available, that allow you to receive quotes from various mortgage lenders. While researching a mortgage on the internet, you will also want to compare the various fees that are associated with each offer. Sometimes you may find that the lender with the lowest quote, will actually end up costing you more when you add in all the additional fees.

The first thing you should look at when choosing a mortgage is the interest rate, but after that, the fees associated with acquiring the mortgage are extremely important as well. There are mortgage companies that may have hidden fees that will not be communicated to you until the time of closing, so the more research you do related to the fees the better. The last thing you want is to be at the closing and have the mortgage company surprise you with this unanticipated expense, which can be quiet costly. Mortgage companies are required to provide you with an estimate before you agree to the loan, and the estimate must be close to the actual expenses when you close on the home or refinancing. This will not stop some companies though from taking advantage of you when you are in an extremely vulnerable position.

If you currently own a home, and are happy with the rate that you have then the only reason to refinance your mortgage is if you are in need of extra funds. It is wise, in this case, to research home equity rates, that make funds available to you for anticipated expenses. The funds that you receive from a home equity loan can be used for any number of reason, from purchasing a new car, to renovating your home. What you spend the funds on is your choice, but you should remember that you are mortgaging your home for this expense, and using up most of its equity by doing so.

It is your decision if you feel that this is a worthwhile investment. It is, however, very difficult today to get a home equity line of credit. Years ago these were very simple to obtain but today, in our current economic climate, many of the existing lines have been cancelled or placed on hold, while new ones are extremely hard to obtain. A home equity loan is more readily available in today's market, as this is a one-time loan with specific payment terms. It is the home equity line of credit that has fallen out of favor with the financial institutions in today's market.

No matter what type of loan you are interested in, there are some general requirements that you should be made aware of. Typically the lender will require you to have a certain level of home owners insurance on the house, to protect their investment in the case of any damage to the home. The lender will also want the appropriate legal documentation in place that assures them that if you fail to live up to the terms of the loan, or you are loosing your home for any other reason, that they will be paid back first. These are just standard procedures, and should not discourage you from applying for a loan if the situation requires it. - 29970

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