Whether you are looking to buy a new home or refinance your existing home, finding the best mortgage rates is vitally important. If you are located in Washington, Wirefly can help you find the best mortgage rates. Wirefly makes finding the best home loan rates easy by giving you the proper tools and information you need. When you research, analyze, and compare mortgage rates, you can be sure you are getting the best deal and that you are not paying high interest rates in the long term. After all, purchasing a new home is an exciting time in your life. Don’t let high costs and interest rates damper this experience.
Very few people can afford to pay for a home loan in cash. Therefore, individuals will need a mortgage to pay for the new home. Homes will range in price from under $50,000 to over a million. Even with the lowest priced home, it would be very difficult to purchase without a loan. There are several factors that influences the interest rate of a home loan. If a borrower has a good credit score, he is more likely to get a lower rate on the loan. Lenders will consider the borrow more likely to make payments if he has excellent credit. When comparing lenders, individuals want to find the lowest rate possible, so they will save money. It is not a good idea for borrowers to listen to their real estate agent or other people try to tell them which lender to choose. Real estate agents make a commission off of borrowers, and when a deal closes quickly, the agent will get paid sooner. Borrowers need to research their options and be patient. A home loan is a huge investment, so it is best not to rush the process. Individuals have numerous options when finding a lender. They can look at some local businesses in Washington, or they can try a larger business. People should look at all rates to get the best comparison. Wirefly will give people an accurate rate tool, so they can find the lowest rates in Washington.
A conventional home loan is a popular option with many people. If a person puts down a 20 percent down payment with this type of loan, they are not required to pay any mortgage insurance. Conventional home loans come in a few different types. They include fixed and variable rate options.
Fixed rate mortgage loans are ideal for many homebuyers in Washington. They allow a person to have a long-term interest rate and payment that is fixed. It allows a person to budget far off into the future as they know that their monthly payments will not change. Two types of conventional loans are typically available for both individuals. These include the 30 year fixed-rate and 15 year fixed-rate home mortgage loans. While very similar, they do have a few differences. A 30 year fixed-rate conventional home loan is ideal for individuals who may already have some other debt. They can create a lower payment by choosing a 30 year option. The disadvantage is that they will have to carry the debt for 15 more years than they would with a 15 year fixed-rate home loan.
Individuals who may be relocated in Washington due to a job change or other reason and know that they will only be living in the area for less than five years, may want to look at the option of obtaining a mortgage with an adjustable rate. The advantage of using an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) is that it offers a much lower interest rate for the first few years. 3/1 and 5/1 ARMs are a few of the recognized adjustable rate mortgages that people usually choose. In the case of the 5/1 ARM, a person would pay a fixed rate for the first five years that they have the loan, and they would pay a variable rate every year after. In an environment where interest rates are rising, this would not be suitable for someone wanting to stay in their home for a long time as payments would increase each year once the fixed-rate time is over.
Besides conventional loans, government loans are also available in Washington. These type of home loans are backed by the federal government. Because these loans are subsidized by a government entity, a lender faces less risk if a person were to default. The main aim of government loans is to create a more affordable option for households with lower incomes and for first-time buyers who have smaller down payments. Three types of government loans are available through lenders. These include FHA loans, VA loans and USDA loans.
FHA loans in Washington are typically sought after by first-time homebuyers. However, they are available to any type of borrower. With an FHA loan, a borrower only has to fund a down payment that's as low as 3.5 percent of the total mortgage. This allows individuals with less available cash to enjoy the perks of being a homeowner. However, it also means that they will be paying insurance for the privilege of doing so.
In some cases, it makes sense for people to refinance their loan. Washington borrowers choose to refinance to shorten the life of the loan, get a lower interest rate, lower the monthly payment amounts, or to switch from an adjustable-rate mortgage to a fixed-rate loan. When an individual refinances, it will be a new loan. The old loan will be paid, and a new loan will replace it. Therefore, people will need to pay closing costs and other fees. It is important for consumers to decide if they are really saving money by refinancing. If a person is changing from an adjustable-rate loan to a fixed-rate loan with a lower rate, he probably is saving money. Rates probably will increase rather than decrease in the future. Borrowers who have a low credit score are considered more risky; therefore, people might want to see if they can get their score above 700. Even if consumers do not get their credit score high, low rates are still possible.
