Saturday, March 15, 2008

How mortgage brokers get paid

I am a mortgage broker. And I am not afraid of telling you how we get paid. Banks and lenders want to sell loans. The more they buy, the more they can sell to bulk mortgage investors. Whether banks sell loans in house or get mortgage brokers to sell them for the bank, the bank pays it's employees or mortgage broker a commission.

I once did a Michigan mortgage for a client. He asked which bank it was going through. I didn't think anything of it. He called me the next day and asked me how I could get a mortgage interest rate cheaper than the bank itself was giving out. He couldn't believe it!

Here is the secret. Banks and lenders sell mortgages to investors. They have to set mortgage interest rates according to what the bulk investors will pay that day for the mortgage. So what the bank and the lender do is send out rate sheets by email and fax to mortgage brokers.

For example a bank or lender may 1% of the loan amount for a 6.0% mortgage. Then they may pay 1.45% for a 6.125% mortgage. They may pay 2.5% for a 6.5% mortgage.

So the mortgage broker decides what he is willing to make on a loan. Some mortgage brokers like me work on volume and are willing to give a lower rate. Where other mortgage brokers may charge a little more. We as mortgage brokers represent 20 -30 banks. We see what they want to charge and we can shop your Michigan loan around.

Remember mortgage brokers and banks are getting a paid a percentage of the loan amount. So usually they like loan amounts over $150,000. Small loan amounts under $80,000 they do not make much money on and can be more trouble than they are worth. Think about it. 1/2% of $60,000 is $300 whereas 1/2% of $200,000 is $1000.

So know you know how banks, lenders, mortgage brokers make their money. That is why different places have different rates and closing costs. Sometimes mortgage brokers pay some of the fees out of their commission. Which is good for you the consumer. You can get a good rate and good closing costs. For more on Michigan mortgages go to my website www.RussRavary.com For Michigan things to do, Holiday trivia, Michigan facts, real estate tips, mortgage information. Or email me at OurMortgageGuy@yahoo.com for Michigan Mortgage rates

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