What Are Fixed Rate Mortgages?

Fixed rate mortgages are the most common type of house-buying loan, where the payments and interest rates remain the same, no matter what happens. Interest rates may increase, and other bills may also get bigger, but your payments towards your mortgage are constant. This means that you can settle your budget far in advance, knowing that your mortgage rates will remain fixed. If you have any additional items, such as house insurance, this may go up and down as money rates change, but payments of the fixed term itself does not move.

What Does A Fixed Rate Mortgage Involve?

The fixed rate mortgage will involve a set number of payments over a number of years. There are a few options available, such as a 15 year loan, up to 30 years being the most common. The fewer years involved, the higher the payments made but the less interest that is accumulated. There are also options where you can pay ‘biweekly’, in which you can pay half the monthly sum every two weeks; this amounts to 13 months’ worth of payments, thereby shortening the life of the mortgage.

Why Pick A Fixed Rate Mortgage

Many people feel more comfortable with a fixed rate mortgage, as it is a fairly stable monthly payment, and this makes budgeting for the amount easier to do. There is also comfort in the knowledge that there won’t be any surprises when the bill arrives, and neither will you be hit with any extra sums at the end of the year. Fixed rate mortgages also allow you to ‘overpay’, or clear off more of your loan sooner, to a certain percentage each year, and do not charge. This can make the customer feel more in control of his money.

Where Can Fixed Rate Mortgages Be Found?

Most banks and building societies will have one, if not several, fixed rate mortgages available. They will have a number of different versions of this mortgage because there are made ‘additions’, options and services that can be put into the mortgage to make it more suitable to the client. As well as all these options, the booming mortgage industry now means that there are independent advisors, private mortgage brokers, and independent loan services who will all be happy to provide you with their selection of fixed rate options. There are now plenty of Internet sites where advisors, brokers and even the mortgages themselves can be found.

Risks Of Fixed Mortgages

Just like any other kind of loan, the fixed rate mortgage has some problems. Firstly, it is not available to high-risk clients, and anyone who cannot provide proof of earnings will be unwelcome; however, there are other options for them. The other risk is the amount of time it will take to clear the mortgage. A 30 year mortgage will probably cover the whole of the client’s working life, a constant monthly payment that can only be paid off early by accepting a heavy ‘charge’ for breaking the contract. However, if you are looking for a stable mortgage in a world of unstable mortgage rates, then a fixed-rate mortgage is worth looking in to.

Ian D. Major is the editor of Affordable Mortgage Search

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So you’re interested in buying a house and you’re looking at home mortgages online. Whether you’ve decided on a fixed rate mortgage, an adjustable rate mortgage or any of the other various types of mortgages available, there are several things to be sure to look at when comparing the offers.

The first, and most obvious, is the interest rate. Since for the first few years your payment will be mostly interest with little going towards equity, your interest rate is very important. A slight difference in interest rate can make a big difference in your monthly payment. And the larger your loan balance, the larger this difference will be. While 1/8 of one percent might not affect your payment by a huge amount, 1/2 of one percent certainly will. And if your finances are tight, then every dollar will count. One way lenders lower rates is by charging you “points” which is simply money paid upfront in order to get a slightly lower rate. Make sure you are aware of any fees you are being charged as you may have to pay a lot more to get the loan from one lender than from another.

Another thing to look at is the APR. You see it all the time … but what does it really mean to you? The Annual Percentage Rate is actually the cost of interest plus any other fees being charged by the lender over the life of the loan. The APR will always be higher than the interest rate. By comparing the interest rate and APR of one lender to the interest rate and APR of another lender, you will get an idea of who is charging more fees. For example, if one lender offers an interest rate of 6.35% with an APR of 6.54% and another lender offers an interest rate of 6.25% with an APR of 6.97%, the second one is charging more fees … and will ultimately cost you more. Ask the lenders what fees are included in your quotes for home mortgages online so you can compare apples to apples.

Some other items to compare would be -

• The lock-in terms (is it for the same amount of time, what if interest rates go down, etc.)
• Is there a pre-payment penalty (many loans do not have pre-payment penalties and even if yours does, it may or may not be an issue, depending on the conditions)
• What are the closing costs and fees (this money will need to be paid upfront or financed back into the loan which will then affect your payment somewhat)
• Ask for a Good Faith Estimate (compare the GFE from each lender and be sure that everything is as you understood it to be)

Customer service is extremely important. If you have questions when making your comparisons, call them and see how timely and informative your conversations are. If you have trouble getting answers before you start your loan, you’re likely to have trouble during your loan process also. You want a lender who is quick to return your calls and responsive to your questions.

Searching for home mortgages online simplifies this process as you can submit your information one time and get quotes from several lenders at once. Then you can do your comparisons and make your decision after looking at the offers from all angles.

For more advice and helpful information on getting home mortgages online or for more information on mortgages, mortgage refinancing, home equity loans, and bad credit mortgages, please visit 1st-Mortgage-Tips.com which can be found at www.1st-mortgage-tips.com.

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