Dean Shainin asked:


Not many people know a lot about home loan rates, even some who have purchased or refinanced their mortgages before.

In most cases this applies to people who do not take the time and effort to know more about interest rates for their home loans. These people may be busy executives who are involved in investment properties, or home buyers who do not know that it is important for them to know more about interest rates for their home loans. This also applies to some home buyers who get their mortgage brokers or advisors to process their applications on their behalf, and the advisors do not explain the loan terms and interest rates to their clients.

It is very important for home buyers to know all the details about the home loans, including interest rates.

There are a lot of lenders available who offer various packages of home loans with many different aspects of rates. Most people do not have the time or proper education to find good rates for their situation.

Some home loan officers do not explain the details of different loan products and rates to their customers. In some cases, loan officers tend to promote home loan packages for which they earn high commissions, although these packages may not the best for the customers in the long term. In some cases loan officers assume that the customers know about the loans and rates, and do not take the time to explain the details of the loans. It is therefore important that you ask any questions you have about different loan packages.

It is therefore a good idea that you educate yourself about the various options that are available to you. If you do this initial research, you will be aware of some details of various home loan packages and rates, and you can then ask for clarification for what you do not understand.

Whether you are dealing with a mortgage broker and or a loan agent at a bank or other lending institution, it is important that you ask the right questions so that you can select a loan type and rate that is suitable for you.

You will need to educate yourself about the risks for the various loan packages, and you will also need to know about fixed-rate home loans, adjustable rate mortgage loans (ARM), and two step mortgage (Fixed interim-rate mortgage or FIRM).

For you to ask the right questions which will help you choose the best home loan with a good rate, you will need to have educated yourself about the basics of the home loan packages and rates.

Assess the different home loan packages and rates, compare what will be the best for you and your situation, and if you have any questions, ask your agent. A mortgage is a long term financial obligation, so it has to be right.



PRESTON

Kristin Abouelata – Home Loans asked:


It’s not very often that a borrower takes into heavy consideration what his loan to value is when shopping for a loan.  In fact, if the subject is brought up by the customer, it’s mostly in relation to avoiding paying monthly mortgage insurance.  But sometimes, a loan to value can affect even more aspects of your loan – like pricing and approval!

What is loan to value?  Well, it’s exactly what it says.  The loan amount compared to the value of the home you are buying or refinancing.  For example, if you are buying a $100,000 home, and your loan amount is only $50,000, your loan to value or “LTV” is 50%.  It’s also very common to refinance a home to obtain a lower LTV and drop mortgage insurance that was before required.

Different types of loans have different minimum requirements for LTV’s.   With primary residence purchases, for instance, an FHA loan can have as high as a 97.75% LTV (soon to change to 96.5% in 2009).  A conventional loan can have as high as a 97% LTV (but more common is 95% LTV).  VA and Rural Housing loans can have 100% LTV’s.  People who have cash to put down on the property they are buying and financing with a conventional loan oftentimes try to amass 20% of the purchase price in order to avoid mortgage insurance.  Mortgage insurance is required when your LTV for a primary residence is above 80% and is issued by independent mortgage insuring companies like Genworth Financial or PMI.  Fannie and Freddie, the big purchasers of conventional loans, will require one of these or other approved companies issue mortgage insurance unless the loan has an 80% LTV.  And if you’re refinancing the home you live in?  The whole grid of acceptable LTV’s changes for the most part, with a few exceptions.  And furthermore, if you’re talking about investment properties, it’s another can of worms.

But when else does LTV mean something?  Consider when a loan specialist prices your loan.  Oftentimes there are pricing differentials based upon the loan to value.  For instance, if you carry mortgage insurance and your LTV is 85.01% or higher, you might actually get a better interest rate than if you had an 85% LTV (but don’t get too excited because your monthly mortgage insurance will be higher).  Or if your LTV is 60% or lower, you might also get a better interest rate.  If you are close to tipping the scales on one of these ratios, it may be to your benefit to ask your loan specialist how close you are to a pricing break one way or another.  You’d be surprised to find out it might change your mind as to how much money you decide to put down on your loan. 

And guess what else?  A low loan to value may be the difference between loan approval and loan denial.  Why is that?  Because if you are investing enough of your own money into the equity of a property, chances are you won’t default on the loan.  And if you do, it’s probably a last recourse.  Not to mention, the lender who holds the note won’t lose money because there is enough equity in the property to cover foreclosure costs, re-sale costs and any value loss from an upside down market.  The lender is covered.  So, the lender will consider the loan less risky and a higher debt to income ratio is tolerated when reviewed with a high credit score. 



BART