Fixed rate mortgage at the name suggests is a mortgage whose interest rates cannot be altered. Fixed rate mortgages are usually a characteristic of a mainstream mortgage and thus are offered to people with good credit ratings. People who are sure of their method of repayment and people who prefer certainty usually take the fixed rate mortgage. Fixed rate mortgages usually have a high rate of interest though the borrower is sure of the overall payment at the end of the mortgage period.
Fixed rate mortgages allow the borrower to plan their payment installments and are stress free since the borrower is always aware of the installment obligation. Fixed mortgage rate is also advisable for people with good liquidity since it takes a shorter period to complete the mortgage plan. The borrower is allowed to pay the principal amount early and this is to their advantage since they reduce the level of interest payment. This characteristic tends to alter the title of the mortgage but the 'fixed' title is due to the fixed repayment period.
The interest rates of fixed rate mortgage increase with the increase in the repayment period. Fixed rate mortgage for a short period will have lower interest than that of a longer period. In the United States, people prefer fixed rate mortgages that have a period between 10 to 30 years, which is a considerable period for the loan repayment. It is advisable that the borrower pays the principal as fast as they can to ensure that that they pay lower interest rates in the subsequent years. The fixed rate mortgage is suitable for people who want to have their dream home. This is because they can take a big mortgage and fund it over a long period at a constant installment rate.
In addition to this certainty, a fixed rate mortgage is advantageous more so when one gets a salary increase since the interest rate remains the same and thus, there is an increase in one's disposable income. They are also good mortgages when the interest rates are low since there is no pressure in paying the installments. In case the market mortgage rates increase, the fixed mortgage rate interest does not increase and this is an advantage to the borrower. It is one of the best mortgage plans for people who are not risk takers since they are certain of the payments unlike the adjustable mortgages that move with the market trend.
The fixed rate mortgage is a disadvantage since as market trends change, there are better rates and custom mortgages that are coming up allow one to take full advantage of this. Moreover, people like changing with the financial times. The fixed rate mortgage interest is rigid thus even when there are better mortgage rates, its rates cannot be adjusted. The fixed rate mortgage is also a disadvantage more so when the interest rates are high since there are no adjustments that can be made.
It is advisable that before one takes up a fixed rate mortgage, they should calculate the overall cost that they would have to pay to ascertain that they are able to fund the costs.
