The mortgage industry today is incredibly competitive. If you are shopping for a mortgage loan you will be able to negotiate for many of the terms and conditions found on your loan contract. Mortgage lenders vary widely in their loan offers, by shopping from a variety of lenders you will be able to tell good lenders from bad ones when comparing fees, terms, and interest rates.
Interest Rates Matter
You will have to pay back the principle balance on your mortgage plus the interest to lender. The amount you pay in interest is determined by the term length of your mortgage and the interest rate you qualify for. If you choose a longer term length for your mortgage, 15 years for example, you will pay less to the lender in interest even if you only qualify for a high interest rate.
Your Credit Determines Your Interest Rate
If you have good credit you will qualify for a much better interest rate than if you have a poor credit rating. If you have bad credit there are steps you can take to improve your credit rating before applying for a mortgage; our free mortgage guidebook goes into detail on how to clean up your credit before applying for a mortgage loan. If polishing isn’t going to help your credit rating your mortgage options may be limited to a bad credit or subprime mortgage lender. If this type of lender is your only option for financing your mortgage you will need to carefully compare offers from a variety of lenders before choosing a bad credit mortgage. The reason for this is that you will pay more for nearly every aspect of your mortgage with a poor credit rating. Shopping around will help you avoid lenders that take advantage of people with poor credit.
Shop for the Best Mortgage Deal
When you shop for a mortgage you need to compare all aspects of the loan, not just the interest rate or the Annual Percentage Rate. If you can get a good faith estimate from the lender without that lender running your credit you can make an informed comparison on all aspects of the mortgage. Make sure you compare all lender fees and closing costs when comparing loan offers. Lender fees and closing costs are subject to negotiation so do not be afraid to haggle with your mortgage lender over these fees.
You can learn more about shopping for the best mortgage or refinance mortgage while avoiding common mortgage junk fees by registering for my free Underground Mortgage Videos.
My name is Rob Regehr and I’m a personal finance writer with a chip on my shoulder for banks and brokers that take advantage of my friends and neighbors.
