What Are Par Mortgage Rates?

You might hear people talking about Par mortgage rates from time to time but what does Par mean? Par simply means a mortgage rate with no discount points or Yield Spread Premium attached. This is the rate you want when refinancing or taking out a new loan to purchase your home. Here are the basics you need to know about Par rates and how you can get one.

Discount Points And Yield Spread Premium

When retail mortgage rates are quoted you may see them based on a certain number of “points.” Points, also called “Discount Points” are a fee you would be required to pay in order to qualify for a specific mortgage rate. One “point” is the equivalent of one percent of your loan amount and paying this fee is typically something you want to avoid; especially if you are trying to refinance with a wholesale rate. Points are easy enough to recognize because the lender tells you about them upfront; however, no one talks about Yield Spread Premium.

Yield Spread Premium is the markup your mortgage broker adds to get a commission from your lender. Lenders pay this “broker rebate” for closing loans with above market interest rates. They do this because the lender makes the majority of their profit by selling loans to investors on the secondary market…loans with above market mortgage rates bring the most profit.

If you want wholesale mortgage rates when refinancing your home loan you’ll need to find a mortgage broker willing to work for you without marking up your mortgage interest rate. You’ll have to pay a reasonable origination fee for their services; however, there are honest mortgage brokers out there who are willing to do this for you.