If
you're a potential homeowner, you should ask yourself if that premium
is worth paying. It may protect you if interest rates spike up suddenly.
But if they don't, you may end up paying thousands of dollars in extra
interest. That's an expensive insurance policy.
Historically,
variable-rate mortgages have proven to be cheaper than those with fixed
rates over the long term. Even if you feel that interest rates will rise
in the near future, you should take a long-term perspective. With a variable
rate mortgage, you are usually starting out at a lower rate to begin with,
and you will benefit from any decreases in interest rates that occur in
the future.
Banks
and other financial institutions offer a variety of variable-rate mortgages,
often with special incentives. For example, one local provider offers
a rate of 1.01% below its prime rate for the first nine months of its
mortgage. For the rest of the 5-year term, it gives a rate of 0.25% below
prime. Before deciding on the type of mortgage that's right for you, talk
to your financial advisor or personal banker.
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