http://www.mortgage-loan-info.com/mortgage/mortgage-rates.html You'd better know as much as you can about mortgage rates before you borrow. en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EDT Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EDT Weblog Editor 2.0 When you are considering a home mortgage, you should have a lot of important questions to ask: where do you need your mortgage? how much do you need to finance your home? will you be able to handle the financial stresses of home owner ship or the additional weight of that second mortgage? Are you prepared? But perhaps the most important question of all concerns your mortgage rates. What effects them? And what can you do to assure a low, more affordable rate? The thought behind mortgage rates Mortgage rates are thee cost of your mortgage loans - simply put, financing your home isn't free, and it definitely isn't cheap. When we're talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial transactions., you can expect high costs, so instead of charging your for the loan outright lenders spread out your repayment over time with interest. Your selected mortgage company will base your specific rate off many factors you have no control of: International financial indexes determine the base rate for mortgages across the country. Your lender will align with a single specific index, and your rates will be based off the levels of that index. Common indexes include treasury bills, COFI, and LIBOR, but that shouldn't concern you too much. Choosing a lender because of their index is traditionally reserved for large-scale real estate investment. Your lender will automatically attach a smaller rate above your base rate for their own profit. So while an index might portray a 3.4% national rate, lenders will boost your mortgage loan automatically up to something like 4.4%. Again, you have no control over national rates and what your lender demands for compensation. What you can influence is how much compensation your lender gets through mortgage rates. So break out the old mortgage calculator and get ready to ruin your lender's day. Where you can control your costs Other factors will go into finding a rate for your mortgage in specific: your credit history and need for a bad credit mortgage will greatly affect your rates. your income and debt-to-income ratios will play a major role in your mortgage rates as well. the amount you pay up front in a down payment and lender points will also affect your rate, so affording more at the outset will almost assure you of finding the absolute lowest interest rates possible. The mortgage quotes you receive will be as much a reflection of the national economy as your personal financial strength. Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EDT