Rising oil prices continue to fuel a selloff in the bond market and mortgage rates are significantly higher this week. However, five are still offering sub-6% APRs, according to our latest analysis. The Yahoo Finance survey ranks lenders by the lowest annual percentage rate (APR), which includes lender fees. Read on to see the 10 lenders with the lowest rates this week.
Here are the 10 mortgage lenders with the best interest rates this week, as determined by our survey of the lowest mortgage rates on 30-year, fixed-rate conventional loans. The following numbers are each lender’s annual percentage rate (APR).
Rising bond market yields are pressuring mortgage rates, and sub-6% loans may slip away soon — at least until oil prices subside. Of the 16 national lenders surveyed this week, only the top five maintain advertised rates with APRs in the 5% range.
When shopping lenders for your best offer, it’s always smart to compare the fees embedded into the .
Of the 16 national lenders surveyed on March 2, Citizens Bank, PNC, Flagstar Bank, Third Federal, Rocket Mortgage, and Bank of America (which did not report rates on Monday) failed to make the top 10, based on annual percentage rates. An APR difference of 1.279 percentage points separated the top lender, Navy Federal, from the bottom-ranked lender, Rocket Mortgage.
Read more: Is it a good time to refinance?
These are all sample mortgage rates found on lender websites and are based on generic assumptions. Lenders advertise 30-year mortgage rates based on varying credit scores, down payments, and other credit qualifications. Even where you live affects your mortgage rate.
Your rate will be based on your particular credit profile.
If a mortgage lender required additional borrower information to provide a sample rate, we supplied a median home value and credit score, with a 20% down payment based on a home located in the Midwest.
Read more: See the average mortgage rate in your state
The key to securing the lowest mortgage rate is shopping around, which could save borrowers up to an average of $44,000 over the life of a 30-year loan, according to analysis by Realtor.com.
We’re also looking for details that you will want to consider. Often, borrowers focus on the offered interest rate, as that’s what lenders typically highlight. However, the mortgage annual percentage rate, or APR, is the most important number.
APR includes both the interest rate and lender fees (for example, the mortgage origination fee), so it is the most accurate measure of your annual borrowing costs.
Lenders often include mortgage discount points to lower their offered interest rate. That’s where things can get confusing.
First off, discount points are prepaid interest — an up-front fee paid at closing that reduces your interest rate. Although lenders often include discount points in their advertised rates online, buying points is optional.
Each point represents 1% of your loan amount and generally lowers your interest rate by about 0.25%. For example, one point on a $400,000 mortgage would cost $4,000 and reduce a 6.25% home loan to 6%.
Just remember, no matter what the lender puts in an advertised rate or in a loan offer, when you get a Loan Estimate, and you see discount points under the lender fees section, you can say “no” and have them removed. But your rate will be higher.
Learn more: How mortgage rates are determined
Look for special rate offers and fee discounts
One thing we’re seeing more often: Lenders offering special discounts off their interest rates and fees. For example, Chase Home Loans just completed a . That’s something previously unheard of, and reflects the growing lender competition in what has been a tight housing market.
If a lender you are interested in is not currently promoting a discount, ask for any concessions they can offer and let them know you are shopping with multiple lenders.
That’s a lot of moving parts, we know.
If possible, when shopping with three or more lenders, have each of them provide a quote for a mortgage rate with zero discount points. Then, focus on the APR for an accurate side-by-side comparison of rates and fees.
See the table below to understand the Yahoo Finance methodology for determining which mortgage lenders have the best rates this week. Remember, we are sorting by APR, which includes both the interest rates and mortgage lender fees, including points.
Casey Bond edited this article.