Understanding the 30 Year Fixed Mortgage Rate

Many younger people just starting out buying a new home will take out a mortgage with a 30 year fixed mortgage rate. The rate of interest stays the same for the term of the loan, and the payment stays the same. The 30 year fixed mortgage rate is locked in at the time the papers are signed. Often borrowers want to get out from under their 30 year mortgages and opt to pay extra payments into the principal of their loan. The 30 year fixed mortgage rate does not change, but as the principal goes down the amount of dollars in interest paid will decrease.

On a $100,000 mortgage loan with a 30 year fixed mortgage rate at 6.25 percent interest will yield payments around $615 a month for 30 years, while a 15 year loan with a 6 percent interest rate will yield payments of about $840 a month for 15 years. Though the payments of the 15 year loan are higher the amount of interest paid over the term of the loan is cut about in half. The 30 year fixed mortgage rate is generally a fraction of a percent higher than the 15 year fixed mortgage rate.

Homeowners with a 30 year fixed mortgage rate loan often have lower payments than their neighbors who are renting. If you are renting and you have a good credit rating you can afford to buy a home. There is a 30 year fixed mortgage rate loan that will fit into your budget.

While it is good to have a sizable down payment to purchase a home with a mortgage loan, it isn’t always necessary. There are loan packages available with some lenders that require little or no down payment; however, your payments may be higher and the amount of over all interest paid might be more by taking out a mortgage without a down payment. Generally when borrowers ask for a loan they offer a 10 or 20 percent down payment, which is the percentage of the amount of the house you want to buy. By offering a large down payment your lender may be able to offer you the very lowest 30 year fixed mortgage rate.

If you are in the market to buy a home, but you are not quite ready to sign the papers, you can use the time to look around at homes and plug the numbers into a mortgage calculator. Once you enter the data that the calculator asks for you can see just how much your payment may be. The number displayed may not be the exact number your lender may say, but the number will be in the ball park. You will be able to narrow down your search for a home and for the amount of money you need to borrow. Using a mortgage calculator is especially helpful if you are already paying rent and want to buy a home instead.