How to Compare Fixed Rate Mortgages and Adjustable Rate Mortgages

Home
>
Mortgage Refinance
>
How to Compare Fixed Rate Mortgages and Adjustable Rate Mortgages

How to Compare Fixed Rate Mortgages and Adjustable Rate Mortgages

There are many types of mortgages, and the more you know about them before you start, the better. To compare one Adjustable Rate Mortgage with another or with a fixed-rate mortgage, you need to know about indexes, margins, discounts, caps, negative amortization, and convertibility. You need to consider the maximum amount your monthly payment could increase. Most important, you need to compare what might happen to your mortgage costs with your future ability to pay.

FIXED RATE MORTGAGES

In a fixed-rate mortgage, your interest rate stays the same for the term of the mortgage. The main advantage of a fixed-rate mortgage is that you always know exactly how much your mortgage payment will be, and you can plan for it.

Benefits and Advantages:

- Low rates for the full term of your mortgage

- Security of a fixed monthly payment for the life of you loan, regardless of fluctuations in interest rates

- More stability may give you peace-of-mind

Disadvantages

- Higher initial monthly payments compared to those of adjustable rate mortgages

- Less flexibility

ADJUSTABLE RATE MORTGAGE (ARM).

With this kind of mortgage, your interest rate and monthly payments usually start lower than a fixed-rate mortgage. But your rate and payment can change either up or down, as often as once or twice a year. The adjustment is tied to a financial index. Throughout the life of that loan, the principal and interest payment will adjust periodically based on fluctuations in the interest rate.

Benefits and advantages:

- Lower Initial payments due to lower beginning interest rate

- Ability to qualify for a higher loan amount due to lower initial interest rates

- Lower interest payments if the interest rate drops over time

- Interest rate caps limit the maximum interest payment allowed for the loan

Disadvantages

- Your future monthly payment is uncertain.

- Initial lower interest rate and monthly payments are temporary and apply to the first adjustment period. Usually, the interest rate will rise after the initial adjustment period.

- Higher interest payments if the interest rate rises over time

SUMMARY

A Fixed Rate mortgage will offer you the security of knowing that your mortgage interest rate will not change during the term of your fixed rate. The advantage of an Adjustable Rate Mortgage is that you may be able to afford a more expensive home because your initial interest rate will be lower. A Fixed-Rate Mortgage applies the same interest rate toward monthly loan payments for the life of the loan. Fixed-rate mortgages are more straightforward and easier to understand than ARMs. They are more secure for the buyer and they are very popular with first-time home buyers. Since the risk to the lender is higher, fixed-rate mortgages generally have higher interest rates than ARMs. A fixed rate mortgage is ideal for anyone who likes to budget monthly expenses and plans to keep their home for several years.

A more detailed version of this article including a glossary of terms is available at: http://www.us-banks.org/archives/1970

[Discla imer: This article is provided for information purposes only. No warranty is either expressed or implied. Under no circumstance will the author be liable for any loss or damage caused by a user's reliance on this information.]

This article may be reprinted as long as all the above links are active and clickable.

In The News:

King of How To News
No Drop in Refinancing Expected
NASDAQ
Overall mortgage lending is expected to increase slightly this year, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) is predicting, thanks to declining rates that are supporting continued demand for refinancing. The MBA today upped its mortgage lending estimate ...
Mortgage Refinance in Today's Real Estate MarketKing of How To News
Refinance Applications Increase in U.S. for Third Consecutive Week, Driven by ...World Property Channel
Today's Mortgage Rates: Bank of America, Wells Fargo and PNC Bank Refinance ...Eastern Morning Herald
The Republic -Community Voice -MortgageLoan.com
all 59 news articles »

eCreditDaily.com
Time to Refinance While Mortgage Rates are So Low
FreeRateUpdate.com
After taking a look at these details, many borrowers are going to find that it is time to refinance while mortgage rates are so low even if they refinanced several years ago. For those with adjustable mortgage rates, it is the perfect time to switch to ...
Mortgage applications up on refi demand: MBAReuters
MBA Weekly Survey: Refinance Applications Increase Because of Record Low ...LoanSafe
The Truth About Mortgage Refinancing Revealed by Kansas and Missouri Mortgage ...SBWire (press release)
The Hill (blog) -eCreditDaily.com -MarketWatch (press release)
all 106 news articles »

e-wisdom.com
Realtors(R) Offer Support for Bill to Help Responsible Homeowners Refinance
MarketWatch (press release)
WASHINGTON, DC, May 24, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- A proposed bill to streamline and align the refinance processes of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may soon make it easier for homeowners who are current on their mortgage payments but who have been ...
Mortgage Rates: Low Mortgage Rates Remain in Place as Consumer Sentiment SoarsFreeRateUpdate.com
Freddie Mac: 30-year mortgage rate down a tick at 3.78%Los Angeles Times
Refinancing homeowners overwhelmingly choose fixed loanse-wisdom.com
International Business Times -KETK -BusinessWeek
all 315 news articles »

The Mortgage Reports (blog)
The Truth About Mortgage Refinancing Revealed by Georgia Mortgage Expert
SBWire (press release)
Atlanta, Georgia based Mortgage Broker Brad Hartman reveals mortgage refinancing secrets, offers free reports, a home buying guide and free mortgage calculators on his website, brad-hartman.com. The site is designed to give Georgia residents all the ...
Real estate industry pushes Senate on refi billMarketWatch
Push intensifies to pass home-loan refinancing billThe Hill (blog)
Q & A : Why Won't My Bank Do HARP Mortgages With PMI Or LPMI?The Mortgage Reports (blog)
FreeRateUpdate.com -Cleveland Jewish News -Seeking Alpha
all 13 news articles »

Mortgage rules prove too strict for some retirees
Washington Post
Jim Eberle of McLean found this out the hard way when he applied to refinance his mortgage. After spending much of his career working for banking industry trade associations in Washington, Eberle, 68, decided to take advantage of this spring's ...

and more »

Mortgage Origination Forecast Increased by Nearly $200 Billion by TSA
LoanSafe
MBA now expects that mortgage originations will reach $1.28 trillion in 2012, up from $1.26 trillion in 2011. Refinance originations are now expected to total $870 billion in 2012, an almost identical amount to 2011. MBA is slightly lowering its ...
2012 Originations Now Expected to Exceed 2011Mortgage Daily

all 2 news articles »

Obama's Disclosure Shows Mortgage Refinance Not High on Agenda
San Francisco Chronicle
Rates for a 30-year fixed mortgage averaged 4.46 percent last year, according to Bankrate.com data, hitting a low at the end of the year of 3.92 percent. In 2011, 4.3 million homeowners refinanced, according to data from the US Department of Housing ...

and more »

Politico
Obama to tout success of mortgage refinancing
Washington Post
In addition, he cited a program Obama announced in October 2011 designed to remove barriers to refinancing to homeowners with federally backed mortgages. Now, it is up to Congress, Donovan said, to expand such programs to homeowners with loans that are ...
Obama touts mortgage refinancing to help economic recoveryThe Hill (blog)
Obama Visits Reno, Urges Congress To Expand Mortgage Refinancing ProgramCarson Now
In Nevada, Obama touts his housing crisis effortsLos Angeles Times
Politico -CNN (blog)
all 599 news articles »

Chicago Tribune
Costco members can now shop for mortgages online
Chicago Tribune
Mortgages? Well, not exactly. The company is receiving a fair amount of publicity for the rollout on its website of a home purchase and refinancing mortgage product for members. But technically it's not Costco's program. It's an online mortgage ...

e-wisdom.com
Mortgage refinancing applications jump; rates fall: MBA
Chicago Tribune
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Applications for US home mortgages surged last week, driven by increased demand for refinancing as interest rates hit fresh lows, an industry group said on Wednesday. The Mortgage Bankers Association said its seasonally adjusted ...
Mortgage refinancing surgesBizjournals.com
The Truth About Mortgage Refinancing Revealed by Pennsylvania Mortgage ExpertSBWire (press release)
Mortgage applications increase on jump in refinancingThe Hill (blog)
LoanSafe -LoanRateUpdate (press release)
all 120 news articles »

Google News