rate.Behind the numbers
THE RATE REFERENCE

Mortgage guides: mortgage-basics

Why similar borrowers get different rates

The headline rate depends on more than a credit score.

How often are mortgages denied?

Read the denominator before comparing denial rates.

The true cost of a lower rate

Points and credits move costs between closing day and later payments.

What HMDA can and cannot tell you

Public mortgage records show patterns, with important limits.

What is rate spread, exactly?

Rate spread compares a loan’s APR with the average prime offer rate for a comparable loan.