1st American Mortgage asked:


Jumbo mortgages are not so different from standard mortgages but there are a few key things that are worth looking in to.

Jumbo Mortgage Loans

A jumbo mortgage loan is a loan taken for property that is high-priced.. In Colorado, as in most of the U.S., a jumbo mortgage loan is any mortgage that exceeds $417,000 – the limit set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for conforming loans.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two agencies that buy the majority of real estate mortgages, will not finance loans greater than $417,000 in most states; however Alaska, Hawaii, and a couple others are exceptions. Therefore, the large jumbo mortgage loans are sold to other investments, often banks and insurance companies, and so a jumbo mortgage loan falls into a different category. Rates for a jumbo mortgage are also higher than conforming loans because there is more risk involved.

What This Means for Jumbo Mortgage Interest

The size of a jumbo mortgage loan means there is more to lose. The size, coupled with other factors, results in somewhat higher jumbo mortgage rates than those carried by conforming loans. Since percentage points on jumbo mortgage rages can mean sizable payment differences, buyers should shop around for a good lender when applying for a jumbo mortgage loan in order to find the best rate. Buyers should shop around for a good lender when applying for a jumbo mortgage loan in order to find the best rate.

In truth, jumbo mortgage interest rates are only one thing to consider when shopping for a jumbo mortgage. There are additional fees and closing costs to be considered that could even out the difference in jumbo mortgage rates. Sometimes, the company with the jumbo mortgage rates is actually the cheapest, all things considered.

Also, buyers shopping for good jumbo mortgage interest rates need to consider their goals, plans, and all of their options. Like conforming mortgages, jumbo mortgages are offered in a variety product lines. Buyers have the option of taking out loans with adjustable jumbo mortgage rates with 3 or 5 year locked rates that adjust after that period, or 15 or 30 year fixed jumbo mortgage rates that never change.

Deciding which type of product (variable or fixed jumbo mortgage interest rate) is better for you depends on whether you plan to stay in the home for more than that locked 3-5 year period, or whether you will refinance the loan within 3-5 years anyway.

Buyers should not be scared off from higher jumbo mortgage rates; jumbo mortgage rates are higher only by a quarter of a point or so for well qualified buyers. What’s more, jumbo mortgages are the only option for home buyers in many parts of the country because $417,000 really isn’t that high a price in today’s housing market. As a matter of fact, jumbo mortgage loans are the only type available in many areas. The best way to find a good jumbo mortgage loan is the find a reputable and experienced lender with good rates. A great mortgage lender will take the time to understand your needs so they can help you select an appropriate product.

Steve Kyles asked:


For many Texas families looking for a first mortgage, the proposed mortgage rate can often be the one determining factor in whether or not the desired home is affordable. A low mortgage rate in this day and age is no longer a desire, it is a necessity. Low mortgage rates can make it possible for families to realize the dream of home ownership. With the cost of living increasing much faster than the standard rate of pay, a low mortgage rate means financial stability.

Finding a low mortgage rate in Texas starts with the mortgage loan officer. Low mortgage rates aren’t under every mortgage loan officer’s pillow, as some are bringing rates to the table which are nearly twice as high as other mortgage loan officers. What exactly is the difference? The higher the mortgage rate and the more the process costs you, the more business a mortgage loan officer is likely to earn if they are paid strictly on commission. Bad news for you can mean good news for the mortgage loan officer. Mortgage companies that offer their loan officers a fairer determining factor in their salary or commission are more likely to bring better offers to you.

Online loan officers seem like a really good idea. They try to make it simple for you. All you need to do is enter your information and Presto! You have mortgage offers flooding your email inbox, right? Sure, and not exactly. People with perfectly spotless credit may receive mostly fair and even a few low mortgage rates by doing it this way. But for truly low mortgage rates, the personal touch is still a requirement. Even people with nearly perfect credit don’t typically have spotless credit. Something as simple as a disputed charge or a $1 charge from a credit card company that you never knew about can ruin your chances of a low mortgage rate from an online source. Yet when dealing with credit scores, mortgage rates, and financial obligations, there is not real black and white formula which can spit out exactly what is available to you. Being able to talk face to face with mortgage loan officers makes a huge difference. For those who knowingly do not have perfect credit, which is most of us, there really is no other alternative than a real live in the flesh mortgage loan officer.

If your mortgage loan officer is truly searching for the lowest mortgage rate possible, they will gladly explain the process, how they came up with the low interest rate they are offering you, and why they can’t go any lower. Mortgage rates fluctuate nationally, and there are various low mortgage rate options available. Some people want to opt for fixed rates while others are looking for balloon payments. These things can not be adequately discussed with an online mortgage loan officer. Perhaps you believe you know exactly what you are looking for and why. A good and ethical mortgage loan officer can not only bring you a low mortgage rate, but they can help guide you in the process of deciding which type of mortgage is right for you. Often the mortgage loan officers have information that you don’t. Mortgage loan officers can often guide you in the best direction to save you money beyond a low mortgage rate.

Low mortgage rates are an imperative requirement for young families. While online mortgage loan officers find young families a high risk category, not all mortgage loan officers will. Some mortgage loan officers can find deals that simply blow the internet mortgage loan officers clear out of the water. This is exciting stuff when you think about it. Despite the fact that young families are not well established, they can still be an excellent risk for a low mortgage rate. Established families are typically a good risk as well, although some mortgage companies do not give them the credit, so to speak, which they deserve since they were renting properties for the first twenty years or so of marriage. These factors do help determine whether or not you will receive a low mortgage rate. It’s not necessarily fair, but it’s true.

When seeking low mortgage rates and the best mortgage package available for your personal circumstances with an online mortgage loan officer, there is no consideration given to your personal goals and desires for your future. Online mortgage loan officers can only determine a given set of information based on a predetermined formula, and none of it has anything to do with flexibility, probability, dreams, goals, wants, needs, or hopes. The right personal mortgage loan officer is able to sit down with individuals, couple, and families, and look at a larger picture and hear what the clients are hoping to attain for themselves and their families before making recommendations. There is more to a low mortgage rate than just a low mortgage rate.

All of the variable and all of the factors which go into finding the right mortgage package can only be well put together by finding the right mortgage loan officer. The right mortgage loan officer means different things to different people, but low mortgage rate always falls somewhere into the description. Knowing whether or not you are receiving a low mortgage rate depends on your circumstances, your credit rating, your income, your stability, and of course, the present market. You should walk into a mortgage loan officer’s office understanding what you think would be a low mortgage rate, and why. You should also remember that you may not have all of the information available to you to really determine what a low mortgage rate will mean for you.