Lending Peace of Mind

Interest rates are at or near all-time lows. However, when shopping for a new home loan one thing you need to be cautious of could be referred to as the “Great Misconception” or “Great Deception.” Beware of whom you speak with – they may not have your best interests in mind.

This month, YOU Magazine visited with Jim McMahan, President of McMahan Mortgage Consulting and Executive VP of Benchmark Mortgage, to ask, “What should someone be looking for when considering a mortgage professional?” McMahan, a 22-year veteran of the business offered some interesting thoughts and personal experiences as a consumer that would serve anyone well when seeking advice and direction about a home loan.

Acting now to capture a great rate is great advice for many, but as always, the person whom you choose to do business with can have a big impact on whether or not the outcome is in your best interest.

A Tale of Two Loans
McMahan, who owns two homes, both with adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs), started taking notice when the servicers of his loans began calling him, suggesting that he refinance. After first dismissing the calls, he began to respond to the callers as though he did not work in the lending industry, just to see what they had to say.

His experiences on the phone alarmed him. People that were calling to suggest that “now” was the time to refinance actually knew little about his existing loan and nothing about his personal situation. That being the case, how did they know that “now” was a great time to act?

In McMahan’s case, one of his ARMs was scheduled to adjust in the short term and the other was not scheduled to reset for years. Both were at very attractive rates and based on current interest rates, would adjust lower at the time of resetting. In each case, choosing to act upon the advice of the caller would have resulted in increases in his interest rates and payments.

Choosing to act prudently and converting an ARM to a fixed rate can be beneficial for many but in all cases, additional information needs to be reviewed to make a wise decision. And while McMahan is not suggesting that you shouldn’t take the advice of someone offering you a new loan, he does recommend you work with an advice-based mortgage professional. An advice-based individual will supply you with information to help you make the proper decision, not simply tell you what they think is best.