Compare The Best Mortgage Rates in Lancaster, PA

How to Compare Lancaster, PA 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 Lancaster, PA 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.

Different Mortgage Types Available in Lancaster, PA

For home loans, there are many products available to appeal to a variety of buyer types. The two most common types of mortgages on the market are fixed-rate mortgages and variable mortgages, which work very differently and suit different types of borrowers.

A fixed-rate mortgage in Lancaster, PA will be fixed at one interest rate during the entire term of the loan, hence the name. The borrower will be making a monthly payment for the same amount every month, whether they have a 10-year mortgage or a 30-year mortgage. This keeps things consistent and gives the borrower some peace of mind, because they don't need to worry about any terms on their home loan suddenly changing.

True to their names, adjustable-rate mortgage loans (ARMS) in Lancaster, PA have changing interest rates that can increase or decrease depending on the market. The most common type of ARM is known as a hybrid ARM, and the reason is that it actually combines features from fixed-rate mortgages and ARMs. It starts like a fixed-rate mortgage with a set interest rate for a certain number of years, and then it switches over to an ARM. An example would be a 7/1 ARM. The seven indicates the number of years that the mortgage has a fixed rate, and the one indicates how often, in years, the interest rate adjusts after that. Therefore, a 7/1 ARM means a home loan with a fixed interest rate for the first seven years and an interest rate that adjusts every one year from that point forward.

Lancaster, PA FHA Mortgage Loans

Every borrower will need to decide whether to get a fixed-rate mortgage, an ARM or a hybrid ARM. They also need to figure out if they want to stick to a traditional type of home loan, which is only backed by the mortgage lender, or apply for a government-insured home loan, such as an FHA loan, a VA loan or a USDA loan. With these loans, the federal government is providing insurance or a guarantee on the loan to help the lender avoid heavy losses in the event of a borrower defaulting.

FHA loans in Lancaster, PA are offered by the Federal Housing Administration, a branch of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, or HUD for short. The FHA has a mortgage insurance program to cover lenders, and its FHA loans are an option for any type of borrower, meaning it's not only first-time borrowers who can get an FHA loan. That mortgage insurance covers any losses the mortgage lender would have if the borrower defaulted. One significant advantage with an FHA loan for the borrower is that they can get one with a much lower down payment, even as low as 3.5 percent of the home's total cost. The drawback with FHA loans is that the borrower must cover the cost of mortgage insurance, which adds to their monthly loan payment. They wouldn't need to pay as much if they put down a larger down payment and got another type of loan.

Refinancing a Mortgage in Lancaster, PA

It may be called refinancing, but when a borrower does that, what they're really doing is applying for a completely new home loan. If they're approved for that home loan, they can use it to pay off their previous home loan and only make payments on this new one. Since it's a new mortgage, there may be fees and closing costs involved. For this reason, it's vital that the borrower considers those extra costs and whether they will be outweighed by the savings of a lower interest rate. There is one situation where it's always smart to refinance, and that's if the borrower is getting a fixed-rate home loan to replace an ARM. That's because interest rates are trending upwards, meaning an ARM will likely cost more in the future, not less. When a borrower wants to refinance a home loan and get the best rate, they must make sure they represent as little risk as possible to mortgage lenders. They can do this by getting their credit score as high as possible, at least above 700, and maintaining a low debt-to-income ratio. Although it's good to be low risk, borrowers should also note that it is possible to get a home loan in Lancaster, PA with a low interest rate even without hitting all the strictest standards.