Rate Protection
Protection for a borrower against the danger that rates will rise between the time the borrower applies for a loan and the time the loan closes. Rate protection can take the form of a lock, where the rate and points are frozen at their initial levels until the loan closes, or a float-down, where the rates and points cannot rise from their initial levels but they can decline if market rates decline. In either case, the protection only runs for a specified period. If the loan is not closed within that period, the protection expires and the borrower will have to either accept the terms quoted by the lender on new loans at that time or start the shopping process anew.
Popular Mortgage Terms
The number of days for which any lock or float-down holds. The longer the period, the higher the price to the borrower. ...
A mortgage Web site that shows mortgage prices posted by participating lenders, in some cases hundreds of them. ...
A contribution to a borrower's down payment or settlement costs made by a home seller, as an alternative to a price reduction. ...
The minimum allowable ratio of down payment to sale price on any loan program. If the minimum is 10%, for example, it means that you must make a down payment of at least $10,000 on a ...
The initial interest rate on an ARM, when it is below the fully indexed rate. ...
A mortgage on which the interest rate is adjustable based on an interest rate index, and the monthly payment adjusts based on a wage and salary index. Dual index mortgages are not written ...
A revers mortgage program administered by Fannie Mae. ...
The process of determining whether a prospective borrower has the ability to repay a loan. Qualification Versus Approval: To be approved for a loan, a prospective borrower must ...
Loan applications that are withdrawn by borrowers, because they have found a better deal or for other reasons. ...

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