There are many types of mortgages. One type that potential home owners will hear a lot about is a fixed rate mortgage. When looking for a mortgage it helps to understand the differences in each mortgage and what certain terms, like fixed rate, mean. This can help a home buyer choose the mortgage best suited for them. It can help them to make an informed decision. As the home buyer will find out fixed rate mortgages have some benefits over other mortgages.
First of all, there fixed rate refers to the interest rate. In the mortgage world there are two types of interest rates. There are fixed rate and flexible rates. Fixed rates stay the same for the life of the loan. The home buyer locks into the current interest rate that id offered when they sign the loan agreement. A flexible rate mortgage has a mortgage rate that changes.
With a fixed rate mortgage the home buyer has the benefit of having a mortgage payment that will be the same every month for the life of the loan. They will also know exactly the amount they are going to pay.
With a flexible rate mortgage the home buyer will have different payments each month as the interest rate goes up and down. They will not know the total amount of their loan overall nor will they know ho w much they owe each month beforehand.
Now the term fixed rate can apply to different types of loans. A first time home buyer loan, for example, can be a fixed rate loan. Any loan except a flexible rate loan can be a fixed rate loan. This is important for a home buyer to understand so they do not get confused or otherwise tricked by a lender.
Additionally, a fixed rate loan can be a bad choice if the market is currently in a trend where interest rates are dropping. If a home buyer is buying a home during a market like this their better choice would be to get a flexible rate loan and then lock in once interest rate bottom out.
A flexible rate loan can often be changed to a fixed rate, but it is very hard to switch a fixed rate to a flexible rate. The reason for this is that with a fixed rate the bank knows what they are earning and they like it when the interest rate of the fixed loan is higher then the current rate because they are making more money off it. To change a fixed rate loan to get a different interest rate would require a refinancing of the mortgage.
A fixed rate remortgage can be a good idea, but it can also be a bad choice. It is up the home buyer to know what to watch out for and to make sure they are making the best decision possible. The home buyer is going to be the one paying for their decision in the end. The lender may be willing to explain the options, but they are not likely to push a buyer into choosing the cheaper option. They simply sit back and let the home buyer decide.
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