Fixed versus adjustable rate loans

With a fixed-rate loan, your payment never changes for the life of your loan. The longer you pay, the more of your payment goes toward principal. Your property taxes increase, or rarely, decrease, and your insurance rates might vary as well. For the most part payment amounts on your fixed-rate loan will be very stable.

During the early amortization period of a fixed-rate loan, a large percentage of your payment goes toward interest, and a significantly smaller percentage goes to principal. This proportion reverses itself as the loan ages.

You can choose a fixed-rate loan to lock in a low rate. Borrowers choose fixed-rate loans when interest rates are low and they want to lock in at the lower rate. For homeowners who have an ARM now, refinancing with a fixed-rate loan can provide more monthly payment stability. If you currently have an Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM), we can assist you in locking a fixed-rate at the best rate currently available. Call Curtis Mortgage LLC at 610-565-3600 to discuss how we can help.

There are many kinds of Adjustable Rate Mortgages. ARMs usually adjust twice a year, based on various indexes.

Most ARM programs have a cap that protects you from sudden increases in monthly payments. Some ARMs won't adjust more than 2% per year, regardless of the underlying interest rate. Sometimes an ARM features a "payment cap" which guarantees that your payment will not increase beyond a certain amount over the course of a given year. The majority of ARMs also cap your interest rate over the life of the loan period.

ARMs usually start out at a very low rate that may increase as the loan ages. You may hear people talking about "3/1 ARMs" or "5/1 ARMs". In these loans, the introductory rate is fixed for three or five years. It then adjusts every year. These loans are fixed for a number of years (3 or 5), then adjust. Loans like this are usually best for people who anticipate moving in three or five years. These types of adjustable rate loans benefit borrowers who will sell their house or refinance before the initial lock expires.

Most people who choose ARMs do so when they want to get lower introductory rates and don't plan to stay in the house longer than the initial low-rate period. ARMs are risky when property values go down and borrowers cannot sell their home or refinance.

Have questions about mortgage loans? Call us at 610-565-3600. We answer questions about different types of loans every day.