Securing a Stable Mortgage in a Buyer's Market

Fixed Rate Mortgages are Stable

One of the most common American dreams is to be a home or landowner. When there is a buyer's market, as being experienced now, there are more houses and property available than there are buyers, and thus the advantage in purchasing a home shifts to the buyer.
 Houses are staying on the market longer, prices are dropping and reasonable offers are being accepted, even if they are below fair market value, just to sell the house.

Because of this buyer's market, securing a stable mortgage is more important than ever. A stable mortgage typically combines a fixed interest rate and a floating interest rate, or just a fixed interest. The lower the interest rate, the better the mortgage payment because the overall cost of purchasing a home is cheaper than when the interest rate is higher. Low interest rates on stable mortgages help sell more houses when the real estate business is in a buyer's market situation, and houses are readily available, but buyers are not.

The Mortgage Bankers Association has indicated that since last year, the stability of the mortgage industry has and will likely remain the same, with interest rates low. However, when interest rates stay low, there is a chance there will be a shift into a seller's market, and when this occurs, interest rates will start to rise. This happens when the shift of supply and demand changes, and due to low stable mortgage interest rates, buyer's flock to purchase real estate, and there ends up being more buyers than sellers, letting home owners set higher prices for their homes.

Because of this, those interested in buying a home should consider purchasing when interest rates are low and secure a stable mortgage while property is at a premium. Securing a stable mortgage is essential to this task. In order to keep the mortgage stable, in a shifting market, a fixed rate or partially fixed rate mortgage, is recommended.

 
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Great article Michy! :)

Posted on 05/31/2008 at 6:05:49 PM

This is such a timely article with the mortgage crisis the way it is right now. My husband and I bought our newly constructed home a few months after moving to America at a fixed interest rate. It's just such a shame to hear of families who opted for a variable rate mortgage only to find that the fluctuation in their monthly payment meant that they could no longer afford to keep their homes. Sophie

Posted on 05/18/2008 at 9:05:39 PM

Great suggestions and important topic. One comment though, the interest rates in mortgages where credit scores are good or excellent are not affected much by the housing market (seller vs. buyer markets). They're affected by the availability of credit which is affected by the economy and specific issues in the credit markets (e.g. these days less money is available as a result of tightening of lending standards following the excessive permissiveness of lenders during the run-up to the subprime mortgage debacle). Rates are also affected by rates on 10 year treasuries, which are another aspect of the financial markets.

Posted on 05/05/2008 at 10:05:00 AM

The housing market is scary right now. So many houses in our new neighborhood are up for sale or auction because people didn't do their mortgage homework and ended up paying a higher interest rate. Great article Michy.

Posted on 05/04/2008 at 5:05:32 PM

Good info. But I'm glad we're renting right now, as I don't even want to consider the risks of investing in something this big at a time when we could well be heading to a depression. Or at best, really dire economic times.

Posted on 03/30/2008 at 8:03:40 PM

Very solid and important information in today's housing market.

Posted on 03/17/2008 at 9:03:34 PM

Good info, thanks!

Posted on 03/17/2008 at 4:03:29 PM

This is definitely the way to go. Great report.

Posted on 03/17/2008 at 1:03:21 PM

good information for those of us who know nothing about it

Posted on 03/17/2008 at 11:03:45 AM

Great infor. Passing this on to one of my kids.

Posted on 03/17/2008 at 10:03:38 AM

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