Compare The Best Mortgage Rates in Saint Clairsville, OH

Compare Saint Clairsville, OH Home Loan Mortgage Rates

Whether a prospective borrower is checking out mortgages in Saint Clairsville, OH because they want to purchase their first home or refinance the mortgage on their current home, it's vital that they get the best mortgage rate possible. That's made much easier by MyRatePlan, which has all the data and tools borrowers need to check out mortgage rates and compare what's available from different lenders. By looking at all their options first, the borrower can make sure that they pay as little interest as possible on their home loan.

Best Mortgage Rates in Saint Clairsville, OH

Tips On Getting the Best Home Loan Rates in Saint Clairsville, OH

Most people who are shopping for a new place in Saint Clairsville, OH are going to need a home loan of some sort as a way to finance their costs. The values on the low end of the market currently sit at around $50,000, so even if you're buying from that bracket it will still be nearly impossible to use cash to finance your purchase. You might wonder, then, what you need to do to secure a mortgage in the area, and the factors that contribute to the rates you'll receive. Getting the lowest home loan rate available should be your goal, and there are ways you can make this outcome more likely. Once you've found your dream house, the agent you're working with will suggest using someone from their pool of preferred lenders. And while there is nothing wrong with that, you should keep in mind that these lenders will be people with whom that agent has worked before, probably. Thus, you should always exercise just a hint of caution when considering these professional recommendations. Agents are often very helpful without a doubt, but some want to close on a deal as quickly as possible. A good home loan requires time and effort to process. If you are a first-time buyer, exercise patience and take a look around for the best bargains, regardless of whether your agent suggests otherwise. While there might be nothing you need to worry about, it pays to be prepared. MyRatePlan can help you by allowing you to compare home loan rates online, both from area businesses and national, big-name lending companies, to find a price in Saint Clairsville, OH that works for you. We should note here that keeping your credit score as high as possible prior to the buy will also have a positive impact on the mortgage rate you'll receive.

Types of Mortgages in Saint Clairsville, OH

Different Types of Mortgages Available in Saint Clairsville, OH

There are a variety of loan products on the market to appeal to all kinds of different buyers. Mortgages can be separated into the fixed-rate and variable categories.

With a fixed-rate mortgage loan in Saint Clairsville, OH, the loan's interest rate will stay the same for the whole repayment term. This also means that the buyer's monthly payment stays the same until the loan is paid off, and it remains true even if the loan is going to last decades, as is the case with 30-year fixed-rate mortgages. For the buyer, this means that they always know how much they'll be paying and they don't need to worry about interest rate fluctuations.

Adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) in Saint Clairsville, OH work much differently, because they have interest rates that can adjust with the market. There is usually an initial period of time where the interest rate is locked in, and after that time period ends, the interest rate on the loan adjusts every year. Since this effectively blends the fixed-rate mortgage and the ARM, these loans are sometimes called hybrid ARMs. One example would be a 5/1 ARM, with the numbers indicating how long the interest rate is fixed. In a 5/1 ARM, the first five years of the loan have a fixed interest rate, and from then on out, the interest rate adjusts annually.

FHA Home Mortgages in Saint Clairsville, OH

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 Saint Clairsville, OH 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 a Mortgage in Saint Clairsville, OH

Mortgage Refinancing in Saint Clairsville, OH

Even though mortgage refinancing in Saint Clairsville, OH is a common term, what is actually happening is the borrower is applying for a new home loan to pay off the old one. If the new mortgage has better terms, the borrower can save money, but they need to remember that the new mortgage could have closing costs, along with some other fees, that they must cover. To decide if refinancing a mortgage is the right move, the borrower must do the math and see if they'll save enough from the lower interest rate to outweigh any costs of the new mortgage.

There is one situation where the borrower doesn't need to double check the math, though, and that's if they're paying off an ARM with a fixed-rate mortgage. This is almost always a wise choice, because interest rates usually increase, which means fixed-rate mortgages are often cheaper in the long run. When a borrower wants to refinance a mortgage, they need to demonstrate that they're low risk. They can do so by getting to and maintaining a plus-700 credit score and having a low ratio of debt to income. Fortunately, even borrowers who can't quite reach the highest standards can still end up approved on a new mortgage in Saint Clairsville, OH with low interest.