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5/12/2006

Fixed Rate OF MORTGAGE

Adjustable-rate mortgages
Adjustable-rate mortgages, or ARMs, differ from fixed-rate mortgages in that the interest rate and monthly payment move up and down as market interest rates fluctuate.

Most have an initial fixed-rate period during which the borrower's rate doesn't change, followed by a much longer period during which the rate changes at preset intervals.

Adjustable rates start low
Rates charged during the initial periods are generally lower than those on comparable fixed-rate mortgages. After all, lenders have to offer something to make it worth their while to assume the risk of higher rates in the future.

The initial fixed-rate period can be as short as a month or as long as 10 years. One-year ARMs, which have their first adjustment after one year, used to be the most popular adjustable, and were the benchmark. Recently the standard has become the 5/1 ARM, which has an initial fixed-rate period that lasts five years; the rate is adjusted annually thereafter. That type of mortgage, which mixes a lengthy fixed period with an even lengthier adjustable period, is known as a hybrid. Other popular hybrid ARMs are the 3/1, the 7/1 and the 10/1.

These hybrid ARMs -- sometimes referred to as 3/1, 5/1, 7/1 or 10/1 loans -- have fixed rates for the first three, five, seven or 10 years, followed by rates that adjust annually thereafter.

After the fixed-rate honeymoon, an ARM's rate fluctuates at the same rate as an index spelled out in closing documents. The lender finds out what the index value is, adds a margin to that figure and recalculates the borrower's new rate and payment. The process repeats each time an adjustment date rolls around.

Major Indexes
Most ARM rates are tied to the performance of one of three major indexes:
Major indexes
Most ARM rates are tied to the performance of one of three major indexes:

1. Weekly constant maturity yield on the one-year Treasury Bill
The yield debt securities issued by the U.S. Treasury are paying, as tracked by the Federal Reserve Board.
2. 11th District Cost of Funds Index (COFI)
The interest financial institutions in the western U.S. are paying on deposits they hold.
3. London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR)
The rate most international banks are charging each other on large loans.

Bankrate publishes the latest index rates.

Deciding between an ARM and a fixed-rate mortgage
Which is the better mortgage option for you: fixed or adjustable?
The low initial cost of adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) can be very tempting to home buyers, yet they carry a degree of uncertainty. Fixed-rate mortgages offer rate and payment security, but they can be more expensive.

Here are some pros and cons of ARMs and their fixed-rate brethren.
Adjustable-Rate Mortgage
Advantages Disadvantages
• Feature lower rates and payments early on in the loan term. Because lenders can use the lower payment when qualifying borrowers, people can buy larger homes than they otherwise could buy.
• Allow borrowers to take advantage of falling rates without refinancing. Instead of having to pay a whole new set of closing costs and fees, ARM borrowers just sit back and watch the rates -- and their monthly payments -- fall.
• Help borrowers save and invest more money. Someone who has a payment that's $100 less with an ARM can save that money and earn more off it in a higher-yielding investment.
• Offer a cheap way for borrowers who don't plan on living in one place for very long to buy a house.

• Rates and payments can rise significantly over the life of the loan. A 6 percent ARM can end up at 11 percent in just three years if rates rise sharply.
• Allow borrowers to take advantage of falling rates without refinancing. Instead of having to pay a whole new set of closing costs and fees, ARM borrowers just sit back and watch the rates -- and their monthly payments -- fall.
• The first adjustment can be a doozy because some annual caps don't apply to the initial change. Someone with an annual cap of 2 percent and a lifetime cap of 6 percent could theoretically see the rate shoot from 6 percent to 12 percent 12 months after closing if rates in the overall economy skyrocket.
• ARMs are difficult to understand. Lenders have much more flexibility when determining margins, caps, adjustment indexes and other things, so unsophisticated borrowers can easily get confused or trapped by shady mortgage companies.
• On certain ARMs, called negative amortization loans, borrowers can end up owing more money than they did at closing. That's because the payments on these loans are set so low (to make the loans even more affordable) they only cover part of the interest due. Any additional amount due gets rolled into the principal balance.

Fixed-Rate Mortgage
Advantages Disadvantages
• Rates and payments remain constant. There won't be any surprises even if inflation surges out of control and mortgage rates head to 20 percent.
• Stability makes budgeting easier. People can manage their money with more certainty because their housing outlays don't change.
• Simple to understand, so they're good for first-time buyers who wouldn't know a 7/1 ARM with 2/6 caps if it hit them over the head.

• To take advantage of falling rates, fixed-rate mortgage holders have to refinance. That means a few thousand dollars in closing costs, another trip to the title company's office and several hours spent digging up tax forms, bank statements, etc.
• Can be too expensive for some borrowers, especially in high-rate environments, because there is no early-on payment and rate break.
• Are virtually identical from lender to lender. While lenders keep many ARMs on their books, most financial institutions sell their fixed-rate mortgages into the secondary market. As a result, ARMs can be customized for individual borrowers, while most fixed-rate mortgages can't.

Subprime
Egregious credit problems, such as a recent foreclosure, will prevent you from getting a mortgage. But lesser credit flaws won't necessarily stop you from getting a home loan. An industry of subprime mortgage lenders has sprung up to serve the vast constituency of Americans who have credit problems.

Subprime defined
Generally, subprime mortgages are for borrowers with credit scores under 620. Credit scores range from about 300 to about 900, with most consumers landing in the 600s and 700s. Someone who is habitually late in paying bills, and especially someone who falls behind on debts by 30 or 60 or 90 days or more, will suffer from a plummeting credit score. If it falls below 620, that consumer is in subprime territory.

Few lenders will use the term "subprime" to describe you or your loan, because it's considered bad salesmanship. You might hear the word "non-prime" or, more likely, an adjective won't be used to describe the mortgage at all.

Mortgages for people with excellent credit are somewhat of a commodity, with rates that don't vary much from lender to lender for equivalent loans. That's not the case with subprime mortgages. You might receive widely differing offers from different subprime lenders because they have different ways of weighing the risk of giving you a loan. For that reason, it's important to comparison-shop when your credit score is less than 620.

How subprime mortgages differ
Subprime loans have higher rates than equivalent prime loans. Lenders consider many factors in a process called "risk-based pricing" when they come up with mortgage rates and terms. This makes it impossible to generalize about subprime rates. They are higher, but how much higher depends on factors such as credit score, size of down payment, and what types of delinquencies the borrower has in the recent past (from a mortgage lender's standpoint, late mortgage or rent payments are worse than late credit card payments).

A subprime loan also is more likely to have a prepayment penalty, a balloon payment, or both. A prepayment penalty is a fee assessed against the borrower for paying off the loan early -- either because the borrower sells the house or refinances the high-rate loan. A mortgage with a balloon payment requires the borrower to pay off the entire outstanding amount in a lump sum after a certain period has passed, often five years. If the borrower can't pay the entire amount when the balloon payment is due, he/she has to refinance the loan or sell the house.

Researchers contend that prepayment penalties and balloon payments are associated with higher foreclosure rates. The subprime mortgage industry contends that borrowers get lower interest rates in exchange for prepayment penalties and balloon payments, but that point is debatable.

Predatory loans
Subprime customers have to be on the lookout for predatory lenders who set out to cheat borrowers. There are several predatory tactics, and sometimes a lender will combine them. Some lenders soak naive borrowers with outrageous fees and sky-high interest rates. These lenders are likely to tell the borrower that his/her credit score is lower than it really is.

Another predatory tactic is to pressure a homeowner to refinance the mortgage frequently, charging high closing fees each time and rolling the closing costs into the mortgage amount. That goes hand-in -hand with another predatory tactic: Issuing a loan regardless of the borrower's ability to repay it. When the borrower inevitably defaults, the predatory lender forecloses and sells the property.

An ethical mortgage lender doesn't want to foreclose on a property because foreclosure is a money-losing process. An ethical lender makes money by charging interest and loses money by foreclosing. A predatory lender, on the other hand, profits by repeatedly collecting closing fees, then seizing the house.

To defend yourself from predatory lenders, find your credit score before shopping for a mortgage, and ask people whom you trust for referrals to mortgage lenders. And comparison-shop by going to at least two mortgage brokers or lenders.

Other types of mortgages
The mortgage market is much more diverse than some borrowers think.
Types of mortgages
Besides the standard fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgages, there are other types of mortgages and ways to finance a home.

• Jumbo mortgages
• Two-step mortgages
• Balloon mortgages
• Assumable mortgages
• Construction mortgages
• Seller financing

Jumbo mortgage
This is considered a nonconforming loan because it exceeds the loan limit set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two publicly chartered corporations that buy mortgage loans from lenders, thereby ensuring that mortgage money is available at all times in all locations around the country. The single-family limit changes annually and the current limit is always posted on Bankrate. If you need to borrow more than that, you will need a jumbo mortgage, which generally has a higher interest rate than "conforming" loans. Bankrate.com also surveys jumbo mortgage rates.

Pro: Opportunity to buy larger, more expensive home.
Con: Pay a higher interest rate in exchange for the lender's higher risk.

Two-step mortgage
These are mortgages that combine elements of fixed and adjustable-rate mortgages. They go by confusing names such as 2/28, 5/25 or 7/23. A two-step mortgage features a fixed rate and payment for an initial period, followed by one adjustment, then a fixed rate and payment for the remainder of the loan term. A 7/23, for example, has an initial fixed period of seven years, an adjustment, and then 23 more years of payments following the adjustment.

Pro: Opportunity for damaged-credit borrowers to buy homes and to establish better credit.
Con: If your credit does not improve, you could be stuck in a high-rate loan for much longer than two or three years.

Which type of lender is right for you?
There was a time when most home buyers obtained their mortgage loans through their banks or credit unions. Today, however, there are a number of additional home-financing providers.

Which one is right for you? Let's take a look at the options.

Mortgage banks
A mortgage bank is a direct lender; that is, bank employees alone review your application and make the decision to lend you money. Typically, the bank will sell your loan on the secondary market.
Benefits of a mortgage bank:
• Reliability: You probably know and trust your local mortgage bank. It is regulated by state and federal agencies and likely has strong ties with your community.
• One-stop shopping: You deal directly with the source of your loan.
• Savings: As the loan originator, a bank may save you money in the loan process and/or offer you better terms based on your total assets on deposit with the bank.
• Speed: A bank also may process your loan faster than other providers.

Risks of a mortgage bank:
• Limited choice: Mortgage bankers only offer their own programs. To comparison shop, you will need to speak with several lenders.

Mortgage brokers
A mortgage broker is a middleman who may represent the mortgage loan products of hundreds of different lenders. The broker's goal is to match you up with the loan product that best meets your needs at the best price. Once your loan is approved, you will usually deal directly with the loan originator or their mortgage service provider.
Benefits of a mortgage broker:
• Variety: By shopping across a range of different programs and lenders, a mortgage broker may find you a better fit than a mortgage bank.
• Qualifying: A mortgage broker can best steer you to the national or regional lenders that are most likely to accept your application based on your financial and personal information.
• Savings: You may get a more favorable loan rate.
• Speed: A broker saves you time shopping for a loan.

Mortgage Basics: Chapter 2 quiz
If you think you've mastered the material in this chapter, take our quiz. After you click the "submit" button, the answers will appear below.
1. The principal of a fixed mortgage is paid off over time under a process called what?
Principia.
PITI.
Amortization.
Amore.
2. Which of the following is NOT an advantage of taking out an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM)?
ARMs allow borrowers to take advantage of falling rates without refinancing.
On certain ARMs, called negative amortization loans, borrowers can end up owing more money than they did at closing.
ARMs offer a cheap way, for borrowers who don't plan on living in one place for very long, to buy a house.
3. If you're self-employed and don't want to share a lot of information about your income, which type of lender is your best bet?
A mortgage broker.
A mortgage banker.
A home builder.

By Bankrate.com

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