Don’t Fear Fixed Rate Mortgages

Filed in Mortgage Rates on Jul.28, 2009

With more and more banks establishing more stringent lending standards and interest rates being high for loans but low for savings, it is even more important than ever before to secure fixed rate mortgages.

In fact, many mortgage borrowers have already opted for fixed rate mortgages because of some of the benefits they offer, namely the fixed payment, amortization and rate to name a few. However, others who are new to fixed rate mortgages are probably nervous about whether they are getting the “best deal” out there. Here are some of the things you should do to make sure find the best rate:

1. Ask around. Ask friends, family members and colleagues for financial institutions that offer great rates. You may be surprised to find that your local bank has an even better rate than the national bank that you’ve belonged to for many years.

2. Do your homework and never settle for the very first mortgage that is presented to you, no matter how appealing it might be. Make sure you do a bit of research to ensure you are indeed being offered a fair if not the best rate out there. By weighing your options, you will literally save tends of thousands of dollars over the term of your new fixed rate mortgage. There are many sites out there that monitor regional and national rates and will allow you to determine if the deal before you is indeed worth considering.

3. Consider paying points up-front at closing. If you are looking at maintaining a particular payment over the term or if you want to minimize the interest paid over that same term, consider paying points at the beginning of your term (or at closing in the case of a purchase). Although this will require cash up front, it can either lower your payment or reduce the total cost of borrowing over the term.

In conclusion, finding the best fixed rate mortgage requires a bit of effort but could very well be worth it. Simply ask around, do your homework and consider paying points. By doing this, you will likely end up with a great rate that you can be proud to call your own.

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