Articles Tagged With: Interest Rate Trends

February 25, 2020

Corona Virus Headlines And FHA Mortgage Rates

The headlines recently have said it all; “Coronavirus fears cause mortgage rates to plunge to 8-year low”. That’s courtesy of CNBC, not one of the many many amateur finance blogs or fly-by-night junk stock purveyors. What’s the reality behind the headline? FHA and VA home loan rates for Monday, February 25 2020 were reported at 3.25%, which is definitely one of the lowest points the rates have fallen to in the last several years. There is speculation that rates might broach new territory where historic lows are concerned; whether this actually happens or not remains to be seen. Why do interest rates move higher and lower? There is no single factor, just as there is no single factor that goes into a home loan transaction; it’s a complex operation featuring | more...

July 19, 2019

Mortgage Loan Interest Rates: What You Need To Know About Trends

By Bruce Reichstein

What should borrowers know about mortgage loan interest rate trends? Especially when those trends are pushing rates toward historic lows? It’s a very good idea to be aware of the forces that affect mortgage rates; understanding how they work is a step toward making a more informed purchase as a house hunter or first-time home buyer. Interest Rate Trends Are Affected By The Economy What is good for the economy is often bad for mortgage loan interest rates, and vice versa. You will see rates pushing higher when there is good economic news, and rates trend lower when there is bad economic news. Except when they don’t. The thing to remember about mortgage loan rates is that no single factor affects them; it’s a combination of things and sometimes interest | more...

July 18, 2019

Will FHA Mortgage Loan Interest Rates Drop Even More?

By Joe Wallace

Mortgage loan rates have been reported at historic lows in recent times and many are wondering if now is the right time to buy or refinance a home, or if it’s better to wait to see if rates sink even lower. Should you wait to refinance? Is it better to hold off on buying? There is no good answer to these questions for one reason-all home loan transactions are different, not all get offered the same interest rates, and your experience may vary. First-time home buyers should know that when you are looking for a new home to purchase with an FHA mortgage, the interest rates you see today may not be the same tomorrow, or the next day. If you are house hunting and have not found a home | more...

Refinancing a Second Home With An FHA Mortgage Loan

September 27, 2018

Why Isn’t The Mortgage Loan Interest Rate I See On The Internet The Same Offered To Me?

By Joe Wallace

Why do house hunters find FHA home loan interest rates advertised online to be different than the interest rates offered to them by a lender? Many borrowers want to know what the difference in rates will be and why. The answer is that several variables combine when your lender is reviewing your application for a new mortgage. Your interest rate will be offered based in part on those variables. What are some of these variables? FHA Home Loan Interest Rates And Daily Market Conditions FHA home loan interest rates are affected daily by investor behavior, breaking financial news, politics, even natural disasters and holidays. The daily changes in mortgage rates may or may not be passed on to the consumer in the form of an actual higher or lower rate; | more...

June 22, 2018

FHA Mortgage Loans: Do Interest Rates Matter?

By Joe Wallace

If you are a first time home buyer you might wonder whether FHA home loan interest rates quoted to you at the appropriate time actually matter-after all, aren’t these rates subject to change depending on market forces and isn’t the borrower basically being offered the “going rate” no matter what? The short answer is, interest rates DO matter and the rates you are offered are not necessarily the “going rate”, whatever that may be. Why? There are a few variables that affect the mortgage loan interest rate you are offered by the lender. Market forces are one of those variables. Depending on breaking news, market activity, and even overseas financial developments, the rates offered at any given time may be different than the last time you checked the rates. Another | more...

October 13, 2017

What Are The Interest Rates On FHA Mortgage Loans?

By Joe Wallace

What are the interest rates on FHA mortgage loans? This is a question that can be tough to answer because there are variables involved. Some of those variables are with the lender, but some are associated with the borrower. FHA Interest Rates Are Not Set By The FHA One very important aspect of FHA loans to be mindful of; the FHA and HUD do not set or regulate the interest rates on FHA mortgage loans, refinance loans, or loan assumptions. Interest rates will be negotiated between the lender and the borrower. FHA Mortgage Loan Interest Rates Are Not The Same For All Borrowers FHA loan interest rates, like other mortgage loan rates, are determined in part by market forces, but also by the borrower’s financial qualifications. The greater credit risk | more...

June 6, 2017

FHA Mortgage Rates: Trending Slightly Higher After Recent Lows

By Bruce Reichstein

Since our last report, we’ve seen mortgage rate trends push rates to lows we haven’t seen since the Christmas holiday season but the start of the new week has seen those rates creep slightly higher. Even with the minor upward movement, gone are the previously reported ranges of rates, replaced by single-digit best execution numbers some industry pros are urging borrowers to take full advantage of in situations where locking/floating is being considered. 30-year fixed rate conventional mortgages are reported, at the time of this writing, at the very bottom of the four percent range best execution. That means an extremely well-qualified conventional borrower could find rates as low as 4.0%. FHA mortgage loan rates are still below the four percent threshold, coming in at a best execution 3.75%. Best | more...

April 27, 2017

Mortgage Rate Trends: Moving Higher

By Joe Wallace

Since our last report, mortgage rate numbers went from an incursion into sub-four percent territory for the most competitive lenders back up to highs we haven’t seen in approximately two weeks. Domestic tax policy, overseas election drama, and other factors have played a part in the recent ups and downs, but what we’re seeing is short-term influences rather than indications of a possible long-term trend. At the moment it’s tough to say what the mid-to-long term direction of rates might be. We’re in an uncertain period and much of our reporting lately on mortgage rate movement has to do with these short term issues. At the time of this writing, 30-year fixed rate conventional mortgages are back to a range between the very bottom of the four percent range and | more...

April 25, 2017

Mortgage Loan Interest Rate Trends: Higher

By Joe Wallace

Since our last report, we’ve seen rates climbing again, but the most recent uptick in numbers has a lot to do with global political headlines rather than domestic economic issues or market corrections. The election results in France have certain implications-one candidate favors a French version of Brexit and investors watching the results unfold have reacted in ways unfavorable to mortgage loan interest rates. At the time of this writing, we’re seeing upward movement in rates; 30-year fixed rate conventional mortgages are in a best execution range between 4.0 and 4.125%-remember last week we reported some aggressive lenders were offering best execution rates below the four percent line for the first time in a long while. FHA mortgage loan rates are reported at the time of this writing in a | more...

April 18, 2017

Mortgage Rate Trends: Lower

By Joe Wallace

Mortgage rate trends have generally been moving in favor or lower rates over the short term, and since our last report we’ve seen those rates move into territory not firmly held for quite some time. What is good for the economy is often bad for mortgage rates, and vice-versa, so the uncertain news you see related to some economic issues at home can be viewed as a contributing factor for lower rate activity in recent days. What we’re seeing as of late includes the influence of global economic headlines, domestic questions about the value of the U.S. dollar following statements out of Washington, and stock market activity. All this contributing toward the downward trend in mortgage rates. Investors hate uncertainty, and often run to the safety of bonds when times | more...