Wednesday, July 13, 2016

These mortgage interest rates tho...

When I bought my first house in 1998, I was absolutely elated to get 7.125% interest on my 30-year fixed conventional loan. That was a super great interest rate at the time...during the 11 years I have been a Realtor in Sacramento, rates have bounced around quite a bit...I'd say during my tenure as an agent, on average they have been in the 5% range with times they have bounced up to the high 6% range, and times they sank into the 4% and high 3% range. There have been a handful of times where rates were in the mid-3% range. RIGHT NOW is one of those times where rates are in the mid-3% range. Holy crap!!

Even in January of this year, when my husband and I bought our current house, we were super excited to get 4.125% for a 30-year fixed conventional loan.

So when I say today's mortgage interest rates are amazing -- I mean it. Lower interest rates means lower mortgage payment. For example, if my husband and I could have gotten 3.625% instead of the 4.125% rate, our monthly payment would be approximately $85 lower. That's significant!

If you are in the market for a home purchase, these rates fluctuate on a daily basis...I'm not sure if this is a blip, or if global anxiety about Brexit will keep these interest rates low for a while. So talk to your lender and come up with a good strategy for locking your interest rate. FYI you can not lock your rate until you are actually in contract to purchase a home. And of course keep in mind, the rate you qualify for will largely depend on the type of loan you are getting, your downpayment, and credit score, etc.

And if you own your home already, it may be an opportune time to refinance. If you need to be connected to a great lender, I can refer you to someone...

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