Cross-Posted with www.freerateupdate.com
Over the years, I have had countless conversations with home buyers about their jumbo mortgages. From 2003 to 2008, a typical a cocktail party or a BBQ invariably went something like this:
Home-Buyer: We got a great deal on our new mortgage.
Me: Did you do a 30 year fixed jumbo loan or something more exotic?
HB: 30 year fixed jumbo mortgage— at 4.5% !
Me: Sorry, but that’s not 30 year fixed — rates are 6.5% today. That’s probably a 2/28, with a reset in 200X.
HB: No, we definitely asked for a 30 year fixed.
Me: Well, that’s not what you got — its impossible to get that loan at that rate today.
HB: We’re good negotiators.
Me: Jumbo Mortgage rates are set by the bond market. Banks charge a mark up ABOVE the rates that they can borrow money. They can’t get 30 year money at 4.5%, so you can’t get 4.5%. There is only so much negotiating you can do with the bond market.
HB: Well, its definitely a 30 year fixed.
Me: Please make the pain stop . . .
And so on.
Huge swaths of people, did not understand what they were buying, what it cost them, what their other options were, whether they could afford it or not.
I am not saying this to exonerate their ignorance — it is inexcusable in my opinion. Adults must take responsibility for their decision making, regardless of how foolish it may have been. That home buyers cannot figure out a basic financing document is beyond my comprehension. However, that is the way it is. We must acknowledge the simple reality, if we wish to avoid this problem in the future. That’s why we need to insure consumers understand what they are purchasing.
We are happy to see clients take a serious look at their current loan and the pros/cons of their various jumbo loan ARM refinance options vs the certainty of a refinance into a fixed jumbo mortgage. I think this a great change from the days of simply selecting the “cheapest” option of “no-points, no fees” on a jumbo 5/1 Interest Only ARM. Home owners realize their risks and are trying to make the most informed decision possible. The prudent behavior by lenders and borrowers will result in much better jumbo loan performance and better lending standards in the future.
Now for the meat and potatos of jumbo mortgage rates this week. The trend was largely sideways action for products that aren’t deposit based. Our portfolio products dropped by .125-.25% across the product spectrum for money good credits. Here is a sampling
30Y Fixed Jumbo Mortgage 5.625% paying 1 discount point
7Y ARM Jumbo Loan 4.50% paying 1 discount point
*In order to help customers compare similar jumbo loans, we use the following parameters in conducting our rate survey: A jumbo loan amount of $1m, sales price $1.3m. Each loan is a purchase transaction, 720 credit score, 30 day rate lock, taxes and insurance being escrowed, single family primary residence with fully documented income and verified assets(savings/investments).
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