<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=1955936548054264&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">
 

How Interest Rates Are Determined

< Back to Articles | Time to Read: 5 minutes

Buying a home is a big step and you always want to get the best deal—from negotiating on the home price to finding the best home loan for your situation. But it can get confusing when you look online for the lowest interest rate.

You’ll usually see a wide swing of numbers so you might be wondering how your mortgage interest rate is determined. Being knowledgeable about how this works can provide you with confidence to have a meaningful conversation with your Home Loan Specialist.

On any given day, there are a variety of factors that can impact your interest rate:

  • Home price and loan amount: Your home price minus your down payment will determine how much you’ll borrow which helps determine how much the interest rate will be.
  • Down payment: Generally, a higher percentage down payment equals a lower interest rate. The more money you put down, the more stake you have in the property.
  • Loan term: Shorter terms (like a 15-year or a 20-year) generally have smaller interest rates than a 30-year term.
  • Interest rate type: Interest rates come in two basic types: fixed and adjustable. Fixed rates do not change over time. Adjustable rates, on the other hand, have an initial fixed period then go up or down based on the market. For example, a 5-year ARM loan will have a fixed-rate for the first 5 years and then the rate will fluctuate from the 6th year onward.
  • Loan type: Different categories of loans (like conventional, fixed-rate, FHA, etc.) have different rates.
  • Credit score: Primarily based on credit report information usually sourced from credit bureaus. Typically, this is called your FICO score and is based on your credit history.

Quick tip:  Don’t focus solely on interest rates. Interest rates might be identical from loan to loan, but fees can vary widely. It’s important to know what’s included in calculating the Annual Percentage Rate (APR) so you can properly compare your loan options.

To put it simply, interest is the percentage of your loan that’s charged for borrowing money. APR is how the interest rate will affect your payments over the course of an entire year and includes any additional fees and potential mortgage insurance associated with the loan. Knowing the APR gives you a straightforward way to compare the cost of one loan to another. This is really the only way you’ll know the true cost of your loan.

Other variables that can affect your interest rate:

How-Interest-Rates-are-Determined-Chart-32-1

If you’re interested in testing out how different interest rates can impact your overall home loan, check out our mortgage calculators.

Are you buying a home or refinancing?

Where are you planning to buy a home?

Please Select a State

What is your full name?

Please Enter a Name
Please Enter a Last Name

What is your email address?

Please Enter a Valid Email Address
  We won't share your information.

Next, we need to verify a phone number.

Enter a Valid Phone Number
Please Select a Message Type

Enter your phone number and we'll text you a 6-digit security code to verify it's you. Standard texting and data rates may apply. For more information, read our Privacy Policy.

Enter the 6-digit code sent to your device.

 Code sent to +1234567890

Finally, how did you hear about us?

Please Select an Option

By submitting this form, I/we agree to your Privacy Policy Terms of Use and authorize Churchill Mortgage Corporation and/or their Preferred Provider for our area and/or The Churchill Agency to receive the above information to assist in obtaining a home loan.

I/we also authorize Churchill Mortgage Corporation, The Churchill Agency and/or their Preferred Provider for our area to contact us regarding but not limited to mortgage and insurance services and products via telephone, mobile phone (including through automated dialing), and/or email, even if telephone numbers or email I/we provide are on any Do Not Call/Contact Registry, such as corporate, state, or the National Do Not Call Registry. The submission of this form does not constitute in any way a formal loan application or a commitment for a loan. By communicating with us by phone, you consent to calls being recorded and monitored. By participating, you consent to receive text messages sent by an automatic telephone dialing system. Consent to these terms is not a condition of purchase.

Your answer will NOT negatively affect your mortgage application. Your answer does not mean the Lender or Other Loan Participants agree to communicate or provide documents to you in your preferred language. However, it may let them assist you or direct you to persons who can assist you. Language assistance and resources may be available through housing counseling agencies approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. To find a housing counseling agency, contact one of the following Federal government agencies. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at (800)569-4287 or www.hud.gov/counseling

Es probable que su transacción de préstamo hipotecario suceda en inglés. Por medio de esta pregunta, solicitamos información para determinar si existen comunicaciones disponibles a su servicio, en su idioma preferido. Sírvase tener en cuenta: posiblemente NO hay comunicaciones disponibles en su idioma preferido.

Thank You!

Thank you for choosing Churchill Mortgage to help you with your home loan needs!

Our team is already hard at work connecting you with your Home Loan Specialist. Rest assured that we've received your request and will be in touch with you shortly.

social proof logos

Already working with someone at Churchill?

Find Your Home Loan Specialist

Please Select a Loan Officer