Mortgage interest rates are a reflection of how much risk a borrower and their new home can possibly carry. The less risk your lender feels, the likelihood of you receiving a positive interest rate will increase.
But hey, no worries, you’re more in control than you think. Beyond external forces like the housing market and general inflation, listed below are the ingredients of a mortgage interest rate that you have complete control over.
Credit Scores
The best-known detail of a mortgage rate is your FICO credit score. Before you start any mortgage shopping, check it out and review your credit reports for errors. Certain slip-ups can lead to a lower score, preventing you from qualifying for better loan rates and terms. Make sure to check this early on in the process. Lenders are looking to offer mortgages to those with high credit scores, and the higher your score, the lower the rate you might qualify for.
Below is a recap of what affects your score:
- Late payments: If you don’t pay things on time, had an account sent to collection or declared bankruptcy, these all can negatively impact your credit score.
- Length of time on open trade lines: Sometimes a short history can have a negative impact, but if you’re making payments on time and have low balances, you can offset that negative impact
- Number of inquiries in a short period of time: It might sound ruthless, but too much uncertainty about the state of your score can affect it negatively.
- Sprawling debt: If you’re spending too close to the limits, this could be negatively affecting your score as well. A healthy expenditure means you should use less than 20-30% of your available credit, keep good-standing accounts open for long periods of time and avoid opening too many new accounts.
Total Loan Amount
The size of a mortgage loan and, to a degree, the price of a home, is another influencer. Loans too large or small are perceived as bigger risks.
- Danger zone: If your loan exists in the sweet spot between $100,000 and $417,000, then you’ll have fewer chances of a spike in your interest rate. Living outside those lines might cost an extra nickel.
Home Location
One of the more overlooked factors is the health of the housing market within a state or county. If a lender is less worried about the area’s risk of default, you’ll likely see a lower rate. The surrounding house prices can also make an impact. Living near water (more expensive) or in a rural area (less expensive) could change the amount of your mortgage and put you into the zone where lenders are encouraged to charge a higher rate.
Loan Term & Type
Or, in other words, promptness and assistance.
Your loan’s term is how long you have to pay back the loan. Usually you'll find that short-term loans have lower interest rates but do have higher monthly payments.
Regarding the types of loans, there are several broad categories of assistance, such as conventional, FHA, USDA and VA loans. Rates significantly differ based on which type you choose. Conventional loans require anything between a 3-20% down payment, while FHA needs as little as 3.5%, and it can offer more attractive interest rates. A similarity between the two is that conventional loans and FHA loans require homeowners to purchase private mortgage insurance (PMI), but with conventional loans, you have to get PMI only if you don’t pay the full 20% down payment. PMI helps protect the lender against default should a buyer not make a payment. Different loans can yield different rates and results.
For both terms and types, be sure to ask your lender to compare the options for you.
Finally...
When shopping mortgage rates, be aware that the one you get over the phone could be completely different in a matter of minutes. Lenders can’t always guarantee a locked-in rate until they have a contract signed and sealed on the home you’re purchasing.
It’s not just one ingredient over the other — each factor contributes to the overall recipe that’s personally refined by you. All you need to do is keep these five major components under your scrutiny and your long-term wealth will rest much easier.
