Everything you need to know about home loans in one place. Use our "frequently asked questions" section to learn everything about mortgages, refinancing, home equity lines of credit and more.
If you like the way interest rates are looking right now, you might want to consider a rate lock. A mortgage rate lock is a guarantee that your lender will give you a certain interest rate on your home loan, as long as your mortgage closes by an agreed-upon date. In addition to guaranteeing a specific interest rate, a rate lock can also “lock in” points, which are fees that you can pay to your lender upfront in order to obtain a reduced interest rate on your mortgage.
Read MoreWhen it comes to getting a traditional home loan, most home loans are fully amortized, meaning that each payment a borrower makes goes to paying off both the interest and the principal. At the end of the loan period, the entire loan is paid off. Some loans, like balloon loans, are not fully amortizing -- meaning that there is still money due at the end of the loan period. One kind of balloon loan, a five-year balloon loan, has a loan life of 5 years. At the end, the borrower must make a large payment (known as a balloon payment) in order to repay the mortgage.
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