Are you puzzled why Conventional mortgage rates vary so much, day to day and from bank to bank? Or do you wonder why advertised rates are different when you call a mortgage lender? Many times rates are not all that different, they are just very complicated for a bank or mortgage broker to accurately publish due to numerous variables.

Most people are not aware that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have a whole chart of pricing “add-ons”. Add-ons are an amount (expressed in points or rates) that are added on to the “base rate” in certain situations. Some examples of add-ons are for:

condos
investment properties
multi-family properties (a 2 unit, for example)
credit score
extended lock-ins beyond the standard 30-60 days
loan-to-value Read the rest of this entry »