What the heck are they talking about? Many borrowers go through the closing process in a haze, nodding, smiling, and signing through a bunch of noise that sounds like Greek. Even though you may have put your trust in your …
Top Five Market Factors That Influence Mortgage Rates
Timing the market for the best possible opportunity to lock a mortgage rate on a new loan is certainly a challenge, even for the professionals. While there are several generic interest rate trend indicators online, the difference between what’s advertised …
What’s The Difference Between Interest Rate and Annual Percentage Rate (APR)?
The difference between APR and actual note rate is very confusing, especially for First-Time Home Buyers who haven’t been through the entire closing process before. When shopping for a new mortgage loan, you may notice an Annual Percentage Rate (APR) …
How Are Mortgage Rates Determined?
Many people believe that interest rates are simply set by lenders, but the reality is that mortgage rates are largely determined by what is known as the Secondary Market. The secondary market is comprised of investors who buy the loans …
What’s My Debt-to-Income (DTI) Ratio?
Debt-to-Income (DTI) is one of the many new mortgage related terms many First-Time Home Buyers will get used to hearing. DTI is a component of the mortgage approval process that measures a borrower’s Gross Monthly Income compared to their credit …
Calculating Loan-to-Value (LTV)
Understanding the definition of Loan-to-Value (LTV), and how it impacts a mortgage approval, will help you determine what type of loan amount and program you may qualify for. Since the LTV Ratio is a major component of getting approved for …
Top Mortgage Terms To Know
While most mortgage web sites offer a glossary containing hundreds of real estate and lending related terms, we wanted to highlight the top terms that most borrowers will hear several times throughout the approval and home buying process. Understanding the …