Mortgage-Refinance Treachery: Avoid Mortgage Bankers and Brokers Biggest Trick -- The Sales PitchWhat the average homeowner or home buyer fails to realize is that bankers, loan officers, mortgage brokers, or whatever your lenders call themselves, are salesmen. Certainly, if you purchased your home from a realtor and used her lender, you most likely got a feeling of trust in that person, because the realtor referred him. Beware of this potentially dangerous water. "This guy will help you complete your loan," the realtor will tell a prospective buyer. "He'll help us close quickly, and you'll be in your new home in less than a month." Suddenly, the banker is a guy who will help you. Now, he's your friend. The intention here is not to scare you into thinking that everyone in the mortgage business is a bad person, looking to rip you off, but don't trust this guy, just because a realtor sends you to him. Remember, they work together. The realtor needs the sale, and the banker needs to make loans. They are both salesmen, and salesmen are people who make commissions, based on a particular price. This goes for loan officers, just the same as it goes for a realtor or a car salesman. That used car salesman makes more if you pay more, and the mortgage banker makes more, based on how high your interest rate is. When I worked in the mortgage business as a full-time loan officer and sales manager, the average customer was far more concerned with the costs of completing the loan and the final monthly payment than with the interest rate on the money they were borrowing. This is one of the biggest mistakes home buyers and people refinancing make in completing a home loan. Unfortunately, most Americans live from one payday to the next, barely paying the bills, so all they're concerned with is what the monthly payment will be and if it will fit their budget. Bankers feed off of this, as it becomes easy to simply fit a loan into a payment schedule, ignoring interest rate, altogether. In fact, most people make it easy on the mortgage broker, asking more questions about payments than about interest rates. The unsuspecting borrower will say, "I can't pay more than $1,000 per month." The cunning loan officer will feast on this person, like a starving man at a Thanksgiving dinner. Remember, bankers and mortgage brokers keep secrets, advising in ways that appear to save you money but really cost you thousands in the long run. Let's assume the previously-mentioned person needs $100,000 to purchase a home. An unscrupulous mortgage broker, looking to make as much money as possible on the borrower will find out how much the taxes and insurance will be on the property. Let's assume they are $230, which will be added to the person's monthly mortgage payment. Let's also assume that the market bears an interest rate of 6% for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage (more on terms later). Now, the mortgage broker says to the borrower who can only afford $1,000 monthly, "What if I get you into your house for less than $900, including taxes and insurance? Can we do the loan today?" This person, dying for his chance at the American Dream, is going to jump at this, thinking the mortgage broker is his new best friend and ignoring the interest rate on the loan, altogether. What the broker, trying to steal every possible cent from this one deal, has done is sold the borrower a $100,000 loan at an interest rate of 7%, which creates a principal and interest payment of $665.30 monthly. Combine this with $230 in tax and insurance escrows for a monthly mortgage payment of $895.30, almost $105 less than what the borrower said he could afford - a pretty nice savings, the borrower will think. Think about it; if you said you could afford no more than $1,000 per month, and the person, in whom you placed your trust, told you your payment would be $895, you'd probably be pretty excited, huh? What has really happened, though, is the mortgage broker has done the borrower, his valued customer, a great disservice. Why, you may wonder. Because the market for this model bears an interest rate of 6%, and we're assuming the borrower has good credit. The loan officer could have offered the far better 6% rate, which would create a payment of $829. This is $66 less than the borrower's payment at 7%. Also, the 7% rate will cost the borrower an extra $792 each year ($66 times 12 months). That is nearly $4,000 over five years! All this, just so the mortgage broker could pocket a few hundred dollars more on this one deal. If the loan amount was much higher, you could lose tens of thousands of dollars in just a few years. So, what is the big secret? Simply put: bankers and mortgage brokers do not always offer the best possible interest rate, because they make money, when you get a higher interest rate than the market bears! So, be careful of this old trick. Tell your mortgage professional that you want the Par rate. This is the best rate the lender is willing to offer on a given day, without charging a premium. In other words, you could get a better rate, but you'd have to pay to get it. Now, if you are caught off guard and sold a rate that is greater than Par, your payment will be bigger and the loan officer will make extra money. Don't let it happen. Mark Barnes is the author of the new novel, The League, the first work of fiction, based on fantasy football. He is also an investment real estate and home loan finance expert. Learn more about his suspense thriller at http://www.sportsnovels.com. Get his free mortgage finance course at http://www.winningthemortgagegame.com
MORE RESOURCES updated Sat. December / 21 / 2024 Mortgage and refinance rates today, December 20, 2024: Rates are higher than last December Yahoo Finance Today's Mortgage Rates | Rates Jumped Following This Week's Fed Cut Business Insider Today's Refinance Rates by State – Dec. 18, 2024 Investopedia Mortgage servicers pressure homeowners to refinance after divorce, loss – CFPB Mortgage Professional Should I Refinance My Mortgage Now or Wait Until 2025? Norada Real Estate Investments Today's Refinance Rates by State – Dec. 20, 2024 Investopedia Refinance Rates Tick up to 3-Week High Investopedia Is now a good time to refinance your mortgage? Yahoo Finance 5 strategies to get the lowest mortgage rates in 2025 Yahoo Finance Mortgage and refinance rates today, December 13, 2024: 30-year rate drops 18 basis points in a month Yahoo Finance Best mortgage refinance lenders of January 2025 Yahoo Finance How The Fed's Rate Decisions Move Mortgage Rates Bankrate.com Mortgage and refinance rates today, December 16, 2024: Better time to buy than refinance Yahoo Finance Mortgage Rate History: 1970s To 2024 Bankrate.com Mortgage Refinance Rates Today: December 17, 2024 Update Norada Real Estate Investments 15-Year Mortgage Refinance Rates: Compare Current Rates Business Insider Best cash-out refinance mortgage lenders of January 2025 Yahoo Finance Today's Mortgage Rates | Rates Steady Ahead of Fed Announcement Business Insider Refinance Rates Today: Compare Mortgage Refinance Offers Business Insider Mortgage and refinance rates today, December 15, 2024: Month-over-month rates decrease Yahoo Finance New VA Mortgage Rates for Residents with Military Service in December 2024: Know Eligibility & More Details Parimal Mitra Smriti Mahavidyalaya Best Mortgage Refinance Lenders of December 2024 Business Insider Mortgage and refinance rates today, December 14, 2024: Economic factors drive rates back up Yahoo Finance CFPB Report Finds Significant Drop in Annual Mortgage Applications and Originations in 2023 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Today’s Mortgage Rates Rise to 6.7% – December 20, 2024 Update Norada Real Estate Investments Current Mortgage Trends: Are Mortgage Rates Going Down? Business Insider Today's Mortgage Rates | Rates Remain in the Mid-6% Range Business Insider Mortgage and refinance rates today, December 11, 2024: Rates up in anticipation of CPI Yahoo Finance Current Mortgage Rates: See How Today's Rates Compare Business Insider MBA: Mortgage Applications Decreased in Weekly Survey Calculated Risk Mortgage and refinance rates today, December 12, 2024: 30-year rates drop for 3rd consecutive week Yahoo Finance Mortgage refinance demand surges 27%, as interest rates drop for the third straight week. NBC New York How to get the best refinance rate on your mortgage Bankrate.com Today's Refinance Rates by State – Dec. 13, 2024 Investopedia Current VA Refinance Rates: See if Refinancing Is Worth It Right Now Business Insider Today's Refinance Rates by State – Dec. 10, 2024 Investopedia Today's Refinance Rates by State – Dec. 9, 2024 Investopedia How to Decide If a Mortgage Refinance Is Right for You U.S News & World Report Money Best Mortgage Refinance Lenders of October 2024 The Motley Fool Today's Mortgage Rates | Rates Rise as Investors Gear Up for Fed Cut Business Insider Mortgage Refinance Rates Drop Back - Sep 24, 2024 Investopedia Here's How to Figure Out If It's Worth Refinancing to a 15-Year Mortgage U.S News & World Report Money Will Mortgage Rates Go Down In December? Bankrate.com Mortgage Refinance Rates Are Down, But Should You Refi to a 30-Year, 20-Year, or 15-Year Mortgage? Investopedia Mortgage Refinance Rates Drop for a Third Day Investopedia Today's Refinance Rates by State – Oct. 7, 2024 Investopedia Mortgage Refinance Rates Drop Again Investopedia Today's Refinance Rates by State – Dec. 6, 2024 Investopedia Today's Refinance Rates by State – Dec. 5, 2024 Investopedia Mortgage Rate History | Chart & Trends Over Time 2024 The Mortgage Reports Mortgage Refinance Rates Dip Lower - Sep 30, 2024 Investopedia Mortgage Refinance Rates Climb to Two-Month High Investopedia
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