Mortgage Rates

Shop Rates

Shop Rates

Explore Live

Use this page to explore real mortgage pricing based on your mortgage loan scenario. You’ll see live rate, estimated payments, not assumptions. See how different loan scenarios affect rate, payment and cash needed at closing. If something looks good, confusing, or worth pressure-testing, that’s where one of our Loan Experts step in and review it with you.

F. A. Q's

Common Questions

Common Questions

Good decisions start with good questions. Here are answers to the ones we hear most often. 

 

After you request a mortgage pro-quote, we schedule a consultation to determine the right loan program, down payment strategy, and long-term goals before preparing personalized pricing options.

If you choose to apply, you’ll upload documents securely so income, assets, and credit can be verified and your file can move toward a true pre-approval.

Both paths are designed to move you from estimates to accurate mortgage guidance that holds up.

For more detail, visit our common questions page.

Online tools are great for planning — but when you want numbers that truly hold up, there are three next steps.

You can talk it through to clarify goals and timing, request a pro-quote for expert guidance on loan structure and options, or choose apply now to upload documents and move toward a verified pre-approval.

Each step builds on the last — from exploration to strategy to qualification.

For more detail, visit our Commonly Asked Questions.

The mortgage rates shown on our website are live and based on real lender pricing, but they’re designed as a starting point.

Online tools use standard assumptions and can’t capture every detail that affects your final loan terms. A reviewed pro-quote allows us to evaluate your full scenario, compare lender options, and provide pricing that’s structured specifically for you.

Website rates are best used for orientation — when accuracy needs to hold up, a pro-quote provides verified options.

For more detail, visit our Commonly Asked Questions.

Online rate tools use simplified assumptions to give you a clear starting point, but they can’t display every loan program or lender-specific pricing option.

A reviewed mortgage pro-quote allows us to evaluate additional structures, lender variations, and rate-and-cost combinations that automated tools may not show. That’s where better-fit options often appear.

For more detail, visit our Commonly Asked Questions.

Lenders look at your total monthly housing payment, not just the interest rate.

Property taxes, insurance, and HOA dues affect that payment and your qualification. In the pricing tool, you can click “Show Total Payment” to include estimated taxes and insurance, or edit those figures directly to match a specific property.

For more detail, visit our Commonly Asked Questions.

To get the most accurate results, select “Yes” for First-Time Buyer and enter your actual gross monthly income, even if you’ve owned a home before. This allows the tool to check income-based programs that may offer better pricing.

For best accuracy, type in your income instead of choosing a range, and use the correct ZIP code so location-based limits are applied properly.

For more detail, visit our Commonly Asked Questions.

You may occasionally see numbers change while typing in the rate or calculator tools. On some devices, entering figures can temporarily add an extra zero or shift percentages, and sliders can also make precise inputs harder.

Typing values directly, double-checking your entries, and using a desktop or laptop when possible usually prevents these formatting issues.

If results still seem off, a mortgage pro-quote lets us review your scenario and provide accurate, personalized pricing.

For more detail, visit our Commonly Asked Questions.

If no rates appear, it’s usually due to missing details, conflicting inputs, or a scenario that falls outside automated pricing guidelines — not because options don’t exist.

Some loan types and unique borrower situations can’t be priced by online tools even though financing may be available. A mortgage pro-quote allows us to review your scenario and provide personalized options.

For more detail, visit our Commonly Asked Questions.

You can see estimated closing costs and download a detailed mortgage fee worksheet directly from the Shop Rates tool after selecting a rate option. The worksheet shows payment details, lender fees, and estimated closing costs.

If you’re on a mobile device, use “More Filters” to enter full details, and open the page in your phone’s browser (not inside social media apps) to download the PDF.

For more detail, visit our Commonly Asked Questions.

Mortgage rates aren’t set up as a starting point for negotiation. We structure pricing with lean margins upfront to keep rates competitive and consistent.

What often matters more than negotiating is timing your rate lock, since market movement can impact pricing more than small margin changes. We focus on transparent pricing, clear tradeoffs, and guidance on when locking makes sense for your situation.

For more detail, visit our Commonly Asked Questions.

Mortgage rates should be compared in context — not in isolation.

The most important differences between lenders are the interest rate, discount points or credits, origination fees, and lender fees. Many other closing costs are third-party expenses that are similar regardless of lender. APR can be misleading early on, so focusing on how the loan is structured often leads to a more meaningful comparison.

For more detail, visit our Commonly Asked Questions.

The interest rate determines your monthly principal and interest payment. APR (Annual Percentage Rate) includes the interest rate plus certain upfront finance charges, expressed as a single rate to help compare loan costs.

APR can be useful on an official Loan Estimate, but early quotes may calculate it differently. That’s why comparing rate, lender fees, and points often gives a clearer picture.

For more detail, visit our Commonly Asked Questions.

The note rate is the interest rate written into your mortgage and used to calculate your required monthly payment.

The effective rate reflects the true cost of borrowing based on how the loan is actually paid over time. Making extra principal payments or paying the loan off early can lower the total interest paid, reducing your effective borrowing cost below the original note rate.

For more detail, visit our Commonly Asked Questions.

Rates can’t be locked until you’re under contract because the property, timing, and loan structure all affect pricing. What you see online reflects live market conditions for planning purposes — but a reviewed quote and properly timed rate lock are what make pricing final.

For more detail, visit our Commonly Asked Questions.