Home mortgage rates are in a period of flux during the credit crisis going on at this time in the United States. You will still be able to find decent rates for a home mortgage, but you will need to work a little harder than you would have a few months ago. It is important to determine which if any of the mortgage types and rates are appropriate for your particular home mortgage situation. Information is available on line, or you can visit with a local lender in order to determine the best route for you to follow. Panic buying is never the answer, so you should take time to research your path in advance.
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Fixed Mortgage
Perhaps the most typical of the home mortgage rates and packages until fairly recently, chronologically speaking, is that of the fixed mortgage. If you hold a mortgage with an eight percent rate and a thirty year term with twenty percent down, it probably is an older mortgage. Today, the fixed mortgages still are often 30 year mortgages, but they may also be 12 years terms, 15 year terms, 20 year terms, or other negotiated packages. The rate of interest will vary according to the term and the credit worthiness, but it does not change over the term of the loan.
Variable Mortgage
In recent years, as more people in this country wanted to participate in the American dream and own their own home, more and more borrowers took out the mortgage packages with home mortgage rates known as a variable mortgage. A variable mortgage has a set term which usually consists of a low introductory rate and a second phase in which the mortgage varies according to some preset index. An example is tying the mortgage rate to prime rate. The original period may be fairly short followed by a balloon payment.
Balloon
A balloon payment is another way to finance and maintain low home mortgage rates in order to ‘sell’ the mortgage to the lenders. The borrower agrees to have low or zero mortgage rate for a very short time with the expectation that the income will be increasing before the balloon payment comes due. This can be a risky type of home mortgage, but it also works well for people who are in certain types of financial situations. You are the best judge of whether or not to use the balloon mortgage type of loan arrangement.
Reverse Mortgage
A special type of home mortgage rates is one known as a reverse mortgage. This is often taken out by a senior citizen who owns their own home. It can be a way to fund health care. It taps the equity in the house and pays the owner over the life of the person taking out the mortgage. This type of mortgage is probably one of the least understood of all the mortgage types. This should not be entered into lightly. Find out exactly what the long term effects will be in your own situation.