Are we really that gullible to believe the old saw that someone else can price a product or service cheaper than everyone else? Apparently so, it is a gimmick that has been working for centuries. But if you really take a hard look, the lowest price is not always the lowest price. Read the rest of this entry »
Always check with trusted sources. Always check with experienced sources. Always ask a lot of questions. Never assume the person you are talking to has your best interests in mind. And…eat all your vegetables, wear clean underwear, and look both ways before you cross the street. Now you are all set with good advice for life. So what is my point to all this? Read the rest of this entry »
Rates have dropped. Rates are great. Rates are very low. All true. But I have seen this show so many times before, I know how the script goes each time.
When interest rates drop everyone Read the rest of this entry »
I am sure many people want to know where interest rates are at all times, but especially after the recent stock market debacle where the DOW was down almost 1,000 points at one point in the day. Of course, the story line we are hearing is that the mistaken input of a fat fingered trader at Citi is solely responsible for the error. That story is meant for an entire other blog post, but if anyone believes there are not checks and balances in place to protect from those sorts of simple mistakes, then I have a bridge for sale. Read the rest of this entry »
Everybody likes to offer an opinion on where the stock market is headed next, or where interest rates are headed, among many other things. So I’ll jump into the fray and offer my opinion as well. I think Read the rest of this entry »
Interest rates remain low, and have been low, for years it seems like. Although a consumer may complain about getting 5.625% instead of 4.875%, rates have been in a very tight range for quite a long time. We have not had a rate with a ’6′ in front of it for years. And I can remember when 6% was thought to be a very low rate!
Of course, the whole discussion of rates has to incorporate the price of what one is financing. Read the rest of this entry »
Just when everyone thought rates were on a straight trend line pointing down! A few days ago, on Friday, December 4, 2009, there was a fairly bullish jobs report. Bond yields jumped up, hence, interest rates rose a bit. For a few days, I was locking-in clients interest rates at 4.75% with zero points on a 30 year fixed-rate conforming loan (which is a loan that is equal to $417,000 or less). Read the rest of this entry »
Shopping for a loan is easy, kind of like window shopping. You poke your head in the window, take a look, maybe you go in the store and ask a few questions, maybe you go to another store, who knows. You are not obligated to buy from anyone, and you are going to check every source you can TO GET THE BEST PRICE. It’s all about the best price after all (he said sarcastically).
It is all about the best price, as long as you get what you wanted in the first place. And this is the problem in shopping for goods and services, people are so focused on the price, they lose of track of making sure they are going to get what they need. You have to ask a lot of questions, and be asked a lot of questions, to ensure the process will go smoothly and to ensure you will get the price being promised. If you are not being asked a lot of questions when you ask about a mortgage, something is wrong. Read the rest of this entry »
Is there a free lunch, or isn’t there? My last post about mortgage shopping suggested that interest rates are only a slight bit different (1/8%) from lender to lender, and that the consumer needs to focus on performance, customer service and execution more than price. But no one does, do they? And we create our own customer service problems by seeking the lowest price, and expecting the best service. It happens with mortgages, movers, furniture, contractors…you name it. We have been creating our own service and product hassles since the dawn of time.
And the reason I have chosen to write about this again is a recent client who asked me to serve a piping hot free lunch. How you ask? Read on… Read the rest of this entry »
Whether a consumer is calling a bank, a mortgage banker or a mortgage broker; all mortgage providers fund their mortgages through the same sources. Because of this, mortgage rates are very close from one lender to another. I broker to over 60 banks, and have never seen rates vary by more than 1/8%.
The purpose of “advertised” rates is to get the phone to ring. I am sure no one is surprised to find out that the ad for the cheap Mercedes is not real, and that if you want all the options, powerful engine, wheels and goodies you see on the picture in the ad, the cost goes up quite a bit. Read the rest of this entry »