Compare The Best Mortgage Rates in Ridgeway, IA

How to Compare Ridgeway, IA Mortgage Rates

Whether a mortgage is needed to finance a new home purchase or refinance a previous home loan, it's crucial that the borrower secures a favorable interest rate. MyRatePlan can help any borrower locate the lowest mortgage rates in Ridgeway, IA and compare all their available options, as it has all the tools and information necessary to get a clear picture of the home loan marketplace. When the borrower does their homework by researching mortgage options and comparing rates from different lenders, they can feel confident that they're paying too much interest, and having the lowest possible interest rate will save them a considerable sum over the long haul.

What Types of Mortgages Borrowers Can Get in Ridgeway, IA

The home loan marketplace includes a variety of loan products to appeal to the needs of different buyers, including fixed-rate home loans and variable home loans. As it's important to know how those two types of loans work, they're explained below.

A fixed-rate mortgage in Ridgeway, IA gets its name because the interest rate stays fixed at one percentage for the full term length of the loan, regardless of whether the loan lasts five years, 10 years or 30 years. With the interest rate staying the same, the monthly payment also stays the same, which makes it easy for the borrower to set their budget and know how much their home payment is going to be.

An adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) in Ridgeway, IA has an interest rate that changes on a set time frequency. For example, the interest rate could adjust with the market every year. There are also hybrid ARMs which start out as fixed-rate home loans for a predetermined period of time, and then transition to ARMs for the remainder of the loan term. For example, a 7/2 ARM would have a fixed interest rate for the first seven years, and after that, the interest rate would adjust every two years. The difficulty with ARMs and hybrid ARMs is that the interest rate can go up and leave the borrower with a larger home payment, potentially stretching their budget to its limit.

FHA Home Mortgages in Ridgeway, IA

Buyers must decide on whether to get a fixed-rate home loan or an ARM, but that isn't the only decision. They also need to figure out if they will go with a mortgage backed by the government or a more traditional home loan. Those traditional home loans don't have any insurance provided by the federal government. There are three types of mortgages that have government backing, which are FHA loans, USDA loans and VA loans.

An FHA loan is backed by the Federal Housing Administration, which is the Department of Housing and Urban Development's program for insuring home loans. One great aspect of FHA mortgages in Ridgeway, IA is that it's not just first-time homebuyers who can get them, but any buyer. FHA mortgages have benefits for both the borrower and the lender. The borrower can get their home loan while making a significantly lower down payment, sometimes as little as 3.5 percent of what the home costs. The lender is protected from any losses due to a borrower defaulting by the government insurance. The drawback for borrowers is that they're required to cover the cost of mortgage insurance, which means larger home payments every month.

Refinancing Home Loans In Ridgeway, IA

When you choose to refinance your mortgage in Ridgeway, IA, it is imperative that you fully comprehend that you are actually applying for a whole new mortgage. This could mean that you might have to pay closing costs and various other fees once your application gets approved. If you are trying to refinance in order to get a lower interest rate on your mortgage, you should take into consideration if the extra fees and the closing costs are going to offset any savings you might see from refinancing to a lower interest rate. The only exception to this rule is if you're trying to refinance from an adjustable-rate loan to a fixed-rate loan.

With adjustable-rate loans, it is very likely that at some point in the near future your rates will go up instead of down. When you're trying to look for a new rate on your next home loan, you want potential lenders to view you as low risk. You can do this by maintaining your credit score above 700 and keeping the ratio of your debt-to-income as low as possible. Doing this will ensure that you can get the best rate possible when applying for a fixed-rate loan. Keep in mind that even if you don't have the best credit, you may still be able to get approved for a home loan in the Ridgeway, IA area for a low interest rate by using MyRatePlan.