Mortgage Refinance Guide

If you’re in the process of refinancing your home you can save yourself thousands of dollars by getting a wholesale mortgage rate. The problem for many homeowners is that that they don’t know how get wholesale rates; most mortgage brokers would simply laugh at you if you told them “give me a wholesale mortgage rate.” Here are several tips to help you negotiate with mortgage brokers and find the right person to arrange your home loan.

Not Every Mortgage Broker Will Negotiate

The problem with negotiating with a broker is that not all brokers are in a position where they can negotiate. If you’re speaking to a salesperson from a large brokerage house they will probably not have the authority to negotiate for the terms you’re looking for. The reason for this is that the owner of the brokerage will be splitting the commission with the salesperson meaning you’ll always pay more than you have to with a mortgage broker in this situation.

This is also true of mortgage brokers that employ their own salespeople. Suppose for instance, you’re charged a one percent origination fee for your home loan. Your broker pockets this fee and will most often pay the salesperson from the Yield Spread Premium on your loan. Loan offers that don’t have origination fees are making up the difference often by doubling the amount of Yield Spread Premium on your loan. If you want a wholesale mortgage rate and plan on keeping your home for a long time you’ll need to avoid Yield Spread Premium completely.

If you’re not already familiar with this retail markup of your mortgage rate for a commission here is an article about the basics of Yield Spread Premium.

Self Employed Mortgage Brokers Are Best

It’s always better to work with the owner of the company you are dealing with. A self-employed mortgage broker that has been working for ten years or longer is the perfect candidate for arranging your mortgage. Working out of their home? Even better. One reason why working with a self employed mortgage broker is better is that they simply don’t have the overhead expenses that come with posh offices and support staff. A self employed mortgage broker is more likely to negotiate with you and agree to your terms for the loan.

What To Ask For When Refinancing

If you plan on keeping your home for the duration you’ll want to pay a one percent origination fee without any Yield Spread Premium on the loan. Some mortgage brokers argue that paying the origination fee will only raise your closing costs; however, agreeing to a higher mortgage rate that includes Yield Premium will result in a mortgage payment that could be as much hundreds of dollars higher per month than it has to be.

You can learn more about finding the right mortgage broker to arrange your loan by registering for my free video tutorial. Register today and you’ll learn how to refinance with a wholesale mortgage rate without paying garbage fees to your lender or broker.

Are you considering taking out a new mortgage to refinance you existing loan and want the lowest possible mortgage rate? Did you know that wholesale mortgage are available to the average homeowner who knows how to get them and can save thousands of dollars? Here are several tips to show you how rates are quoted so that you can take advantage of wholesale mortgage rates.

Banks vs. Mortgage Brokers

There are basically two types of rate quotes out there today. There are mortgage rates quoted by banks that fund loans with their own money and rates quoted by mortgage brokers reselling loans from wholesale lenders. Both types of mortgage rates are considered “retail” mortgage rates because they include markup. Banks mark up their mortgage rates to make a profit when selling their loans to investors and mortgage brokers mark up their rate quotes to get a bonus from the lender for closing loans with above market mortgage rates.

Take out a mortgage from either one of these and you’ll pay too much just to give someone a profit. If retail mortgage rates are inflated to give someone a commission, how do you refinance your home loan without paying too much? The first thing you need to do when shopping for a mortgage is avoid your bank completely. Your bank will never negotiate with you over mortgage rates or fees because they don’t need to; banks aren’t even required by law to disclose their markup or profit margins on your loan thanks to a loophole in the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act. With this in mind why would you give your business to someone that doesn’t have to play by the rules?

Understanding Yield Spread Premium

Now that you’ve ruled out banks for your next mortgage you need to understand how wholesale mortgage rates work. These rates are offered by wholesale lenders that do not deal with the public directly; you might think you can avoid the broker by contacting a wholesale lender yourself…the only problem is that every wholesale lender has a retail division that deals with the public. Only mortgage brokers have access to wholesale mortgage rates.

Now that you know that mortgage brokers are the only way to get wholesale mortgage rates, how can you find one that won’t rip you off? While it’s true that mortgage brokers have earned a reputation for being sleazy sales types there are honest people working in the industry…you just have to find them and learn how brokers make their money.

How Mortgage Brokers Are Paid

Brokers receive compensation from two sources in a typical mortgage transaction. When taking out a mortgage you are usually required to pay an origination fee for the broker’s services. Many brokers charge a “loan processing fee” on top of their origination fee; however, this processing fee is a garbage fee you should not agree to pay. What is a reasonable fee for loan origination? One point, or one percent of your loan amount is reasonable and fair compensation for your mortgage brokers services.

The second way that mortgage brokers receive compensation is from a commission paid by the lender. Commissions are usually paid for selling something…so you might be surprised what exactly your broker sells to earn this commission…it’s a higher mortgage rate. That’s right…your mortgage broker receives a commission from the lender for closing loans with above market mortgage rates. This commission is called Yield Spread Premium and according to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is responsible for homeowners in the United Sates overpaying billions of dollars for their home loans every year.

You Can Avoid Yield Spread Premium

Understanding that the rate quotes you receive include commission based markup is the first step to avoiding it. Your mortgage broker receives one percent of your loan amount for every quarter percent that you agree to overpay…tell your potential mortgage brokers that you understand how Yield Spread Premium works and you’ll be in a much better place to negotiate for a wholesale mortgage rate.

You can get started by contacting local mortgage brokers in your telephone book and tell them that you will pay a reasonable fee for loan origination but will not accept a mortgage that includes lender paid compensation or Yield Spread Premium. When negotiating with mortgage brokers you may be more likely to be successful negotiating with mortgage brokers that are self employed; representatives at a large brokerage firm may not have the authority or willingness to negotiate over Yield Spread Premium.

You can learn more about mortgage rates and refinancing your home with a wholesale loan by registering for a free video tutorial. Register today while these videos are still a free offer and you’ll learn how to avoid the retail markup and garbage fees that you hear about in the news.

The average homeowner in the United States refinances every four to five years for a variety of different reasons. Many people refinance to lower their mortgage rate; however, consolidating bills or borrowing cash are also good reasons for refinancing. Is mortgage refinancing right for you? Here are several tips to help you decide if mortgage refinancing is right for you.

Are Mortgage Rates on the Rise?

Did you purchase your home with an Adjustable Rate Mortgage and are concerned how rising rates will affect your monthly payment? If this is you, refinancing your mortgage with a fixed rate loan allows you to lock in your mortgage rate and payment amount. You won’t have to worry about payment shock when that statement from the lender arrives after your Adjustable Rate Mortgage resets. If you already have a fixed rate mortgage and rates are rising there are still good reasons for refinancing even if getting a lower mortgage rate isn’t one reason.

Are Your Payments Too Much to Manage?

If your budget is struggling under the weight of your mortgage payment you could get a lower mortgage payment by refinancing even if you cannot get a lower rate. By extending the term length of your new loan you can get a lower payment by spreading your mortgage out over more time. This is a more expensive option as you will pay more to your lender for the financing; however, if you are in a cash crunch refinancing with a longer term length could be your answer.

Is Your Option ARM Headed For Trouble?

Many homeowners used risky option adjustable rate mortgages to purchase their homes because they couldn’t qualify for traditional financing. If you did this and have only been making the minimum payment you’re headed for big trouble. The problem with only making the minimum payment with an Option ARM is that it does not cover all of the interest due in a given month. The unpaid amount of interest is simply added to your mortgage balance each and every month. This means your loan is actually growing over time.

When your loan reaches a certain amount of negative equity, often 125% of your original balance your lender will “recast” your loan to a standard Adjustable Rate Mortgage amortized for the time remaining on your loan contract. Suppose you’ve been making this payment for five years on a thirty year mortgage; your new loan will have a term length of 25 years with a balance of 125% of you borrowed. Your payments will skyrocket. If you’ve barely been making ends meet with the minimum payment amount you’re destined to lose your home to foreclosure when this happens. If this describes your situation, don’t delay…refinance now before it’s too late.

Has Your Financial Situation Improved?

If your finances have improved since purchasing your home you may qualify for a lower mortgage rate. Did you get married and now have two incomes? Did you get a better paying job or pay off some of your debts? If your credit score is higher now than when you purchased your home you could qualify for a much better rate and lower your monthly payment at the same time.

Do You Have Private Mortgage Insurance?

If you used a 100% mortgage loan to purchase your home the lender might have required you to purchase Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) at the time. The premiums for this insurance are included in your monthly payment and can add hundreds of dollars to your bill each month. You can save yourself some money by asking your lender to cancel your insurance; as long as you’ve been making your payments on time and have reached a certain amount of equity in the home the lender will cancel your PMI. If cancelling your PMI is not an option refinancing could save you a hundred dollars each month; even more.

Do You Want to Borrow Cash or Consolidate Bills?

If you have equity in your home this money is available to you for any reason you like. You can use this to pay off high interest credit cards, use the money to renovate or repair your home. Because you’re borrowing against the equity in your home you can use this money for any reason; there are no limits or restrictions on how your use of the cash.

You can learn more about refinancing your mortgage with a wholesale mortgage rate without paying lender garbage fees with a free mortgage DVD. Register today, the DVD is yours with no strings attached whatsoever.

If you are in the process of refinancing your mortgage you might encounter POC charges. POC stands for “Paid Outside of Closing” and is a fee paid to your mortgage broker. Why does your broker receive this money and should you be concerned about how it affects your mortgage rate? Here are several tips to help you understand POC charges and avoid being taken advantage of when refinancing your mortgage loan.

What Are Paid Outside of Closing Fees?

This charge appears on your HUD-1 statement on line 810-811. It is frequently called a mortgage broker rebate but you will also see it called Yield Spread Premium or YSP paid to broker. This fee is a commission paid by the lender for closing your loan with an above market mortgage rate. That’s right; your lender rewards the broker for overcharging you.

P.O.C. Charges = Yield Spread Premium

Yield Spread Premium is the technical term for the incentive paid to your broker for overcharging you. Your broker knows the mortgage rate you qualify based on your financial details; (it actually takes sixteen pieces of financial information form you to accurately quote a mortgage rate) however, your broker marks up the rate based on what they think you’ll pay. Imagine a used car salesman pricing a car based on how naive they think the buyer is…mortgage brokers work in much the same.

Your mortgage broker marks up your rate because the lender pays a bonus of one percent of your loan amount for every quarter percent they overcharge you. This kickback from your lender is the Yield Spread Premium and will often double or even triple your mortgage broker’s compensation for originating your loan, at your expense of course.

How Can You Avoid P.O.C. Mortgage Charges?

Fortunately homeowners who do their homework can avoid POC charges and refinance their home loans with wholesale mortgage rates while avoiding unnecessary garbage fees. Refinancing with a wholesale rate can save you thousands of dollars and RefiAdvisor’s free DVD will show you how to do just that. Register for your free refinancing DVD today, the videos are yours with no obligation.

If you’re in the process of refinancing your mortgage you might be losing sleep over your rate lock. Last week mortgage rates rose from 5.6% to 5.8% almost overnight. If you didn’t lock your rate in writing you’re looking at higher mortgage rates this week. Here are the basics you need to know about locking in your mortgage rate when refinancing.

Locking in Your Mortgage Rate

The purpose of a mortgage rate lock is to hold the interest rate you agreed long enough to give you time for closing. You must have written confirmation of your rate lock or you do not have an agreement with the lender. Even when you get your mortgage rate locked in writing, rate lock agreements guarantee very little and are usually structured so that the lender can change the agreement at will. Despite this lack of confidence in your lenders written word it is still better to lock in writing than not at all.

What Documents Lock in Your Mortgage Rate?

Once you notify your broker that you want to lock a specific mortgage rate you should receive a written rate lock confirmation from the lender. This document will be faxed, emailed, or created online for your broker confirming the lock. Your rate lock outlines the terms of your mortgage including rate, points, Yield Spread Premium and the expiration date of the lock.

Make sure that this document comes from the lender, not your mortgage broker. Your broker can never guarantee a rate that isn’t locked by the wholesale lender. A common bait and switch tactic used by many brokers is providing bogus or doctored rate lock confirmation and then switching you to a higher priced loan offer when the deal falls through. When this happens a dishonest mortgage broker will often blame you and say the rate lock expired because of something you did.

Your mortgage broker may also give you a doctored rate lock confirmation because their markup of your mortgage rate will be clearly displayed on this document. This commission based markup of your mortgage rate is not only completely unnecessary but is completely dishonest in most cases. You can learn more about protecting yourself from shady mortgage brokers with a free mortgage refinancing DVD.