Mortgages - What you need to know!

Mortgage pricing is a complicated process.The first step for any borrower looking to obtain the best possible price is to learn how the pricing process works.  Each Mortgage Type Is Priced Separately A 30-year fixed-rate mortgage carries a different price than a 15-year fixed-rate, and the same is true of each type of adjustable rate mortgage (ARM). Loans carrying special options, such as prepayment penalty or interest-only, are also priced separately.  Prices Are Multi-Dimensional Unlike most other products and services, the price of a mortgage has 2 or more dimensions: the interest rate which is paid over the life of the loan, and upfront fees paid at closing. Fees are of two types: those expressed as a percent of the loan, called “points”, and those expressed as a fixed dollar amount. In addition, if the borrower’s equity or down payment is less than 20%, mortgage insurance (MI) is required. The complete price of an FRM, for example, might be 4%, 2 points, $500 ...

Home buying basics Buying a home is probably the biggest investment you’ll ever make in your lifetime. Here are some basic tips to get you started as you plan for your purchase. Once you've decided to take the plunge and switch from renter to homeowner, your first step should be to research your financing options so that you can decide which loan term best suits your need. The Mortgage Bankers Association reported that 85 percent of purchase home loans in June 2012 were 30-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular among both first-time and repeat homebuyers. But before you jump on the 30-year bandwagon, you should understand all the loan-term options available to ensure you're getting the best home loan to suit both your lifestyle and financial needs. Fixed-rate home loans Fixed-rate home loans are available in a variety of terms, including 30, 20 and 15 years. Some lenders even offer less-popular 7, 10, 17 or 25-year loan terms. Thirty-year fixed-rate mortgages are really the d...

How long does it take to close on a purchase?  Lately, the number of days is shrinking.  As mortgage rates climbed this summer, refinance mortgage demand waned, freeing up lenders to close on purchase home loans more quickly. Data from mortgage software firm Ellie Mae shows that lenders needed 42 days, on average, to close an August purchase.  It's a noteworthy reading for today's home buyers. Rate locks of 45 days or fewer  incur fewer costs than locks of even one day more. How To Get Your Purchase Approved More Quickly For buyers wanting to close quickly, some of the loan factors will be beyond your control. For example, you cannot control how fast an appraisal is performed because the appraisal requires the cooperation of the seller; or how fast a title search is performed by a title company. However, there are steps you can take to make sure your loan gets approved as fast as humanly possible. Step one is to be prepared. Know Your Paperwork Requi...