Compare The Best Mortgage Rates in Yakima, WA

Compare Yakima, WA Mortgage and Home Loan Rates

When you are on the search for a new home or are considering buying a new one, finding the best mortgage rates possible in Yakima, WA will be an important part of the decision. Using MyRatePlan will help your search go smoother by giving you the tools and information that is needed right at your fingertips. You don't want to end up paying a higher interest rate than you need to when you are buying a home, and by comparing different mortgage rates, we can help make sure that you won't!

How to Find the Best Mortgage Rate in Yakima, WA

When people are interested in purchasing a home in Yakima, WA, they almost always need a loan to cover the bulk of the cost. Even the most inexpensive homes still tend to start at about $50,000, making it near impossible for the typical buyer to pay cash for a home. That makes a mortgage necessary, and the lower the interest rate, the less the buyer will pay over the term of the loan. There are several steps any homebuyer needs to take to get the lowest interest rate possible during their home loan application process. Although real estate agents usually provide home buyers with information on preferred lenders that the agents have worked with in the past, it's best to avoid putting too much stock in these recommendations. The agent's main goal is typically to get the deal closed as soon as possible, whereas the buyer's goal is to score a low interest rate. It's also a complicated process to obtain a mortgage, especially for first-time buyers. It's essential for buyers to be patient and check out interest rates for mortgages online to get a full picture of what's available. The MyRatePlan mortgage rate tool is perfect for seeing the top mortgage rates in Yakima, WA. Buyers also need to get their credit scores as high as they can, because that has a major impact on what mortgage rates they'll qualify for.

Different Types of Mortgages on the Market in Yakima, WA

Since different types of buyers have different mortgage needs, there are many different home loan products out there. Two important mortgage types every borrower needs to understand are fixed-rate mortgages and variable mortgages.

When a home loan has one interest rate throughout its entire term, no matter the length, then it's a fixed-rate mortgage, which got that name because the interest rate is fixed in place. Since the interest rate never changes, the monthly payment amount doesn't either, and the borrower will always know what their monthly payment is going to be. This is true even if they have a 30-day mortgage. Fixed-rate mortgages tend to be a smart, low-risk option, because the borrower doesn't need to worry about their interest rate increasing and suddenly having a higher home payment every month as a result.

The other option is an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) in Yakima, WA. As the name suggests, this is a mortgage where the interest rate adjusts on occasion. A popular variation on this is a hybrid ARM, which essentially combines the fixed-rate mortgage with the ARM. For a predetermined initial period of time, the hybrid ARM operates as a fixed-rate mortgage with one interest rate. After that initial period ends, it switches to an ARM with an interest rate that changes on a specific schedule. An example would be a 5/1 ARM home loan. That five indicates that the home loan has one interest rate for the first five years, and then it switches to an adjustable rate. That one indicates that the interest rate adjusts every one year after the initial period. The obvious drawback with ARMs and hybrid ARMs is that the borrower could end up paying more if interest rates go up.

FHA Mortgage Loans in Yakima, WA

Apart from the fixed-rate and adjustable rate mortgages, there are also other loan products for home buying. One has the liberty of deciding whether to use a government-insured mortgage loan, or a normal type of loan. A normal or conventional loan is a type of loan that is not at all guaranteed by the government. This is its main distinguishing feature from government-backed home loans. This government-insured home loans include FHA and USDA loans.

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Mortgage insurance program is run by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This is one of the many departments of the government of the United States. FHA loans are also available in Yakima, WA, and are available for all categories of borrowers. Basically, with this type of loan, the government insures the lender against all losses that may arise as a result of the borrower's default. The program allows a borrower to make a down payment of as low as 3.5% of the buying price. The disadvantage of this arrangement is that one has to pay for mortgage insurance, effectively increasing the monthly payments.

Mortgage Refinancing in Yakima, WA

Even though mortgage refinancing in Yakima, WA 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 Yakima, WA with low interest.