Finding the Lowest Interest Rates
So, you’ve got your new home picked out and you’re ready to embark upon the process of securing a home loan and taking ownership of your dream home. Armed with that excitement, you take to the Internet in hopes of uncovering a hidden interest rate nugget, that low rate that other 
people have overlooked and that you have found through persistence and effort. Well, as you embark on that trip, there are some things to keep in mind during the pursuit of the lowest interest rate possible for your home.
Start Your Search Online
There are thousands of websites offering financial data that can be pertinent to your search, so it is important to quickly cut through them all and pick one that is at least reputable and has easy-to-access information. You’ll want to focus your search on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage.
There are many sites out there that will go into detail on interest rate fluctuation but finding one with graphs that can show you the trend of that rate over time will provide you with a great piece of ammunition when trying to determine what the short-term market might do and what kind of interest rate would, in the end, be a good one for the time frame you’re looking at.
In addition, there are scores of financial articles written every day about the state of the real estate market, and doing some reading on the current state of the market will help you greatly in your pursuit of a low-interest rate. Sites like the Wall Street Journal online and other respected newspapers usually publish their full financial sections online. Google News and other outlets can additionally offer a slew of recent financial articles with a search or two that will help you with the purchase of your home.
Compare Loan Types
Each loan has its own special set of financial aspects, so comparing them can be difficult at first glance. Thankfully, there are sites out there that will do it for you, and doing a search for financial loan comparisons will give you a few good results. By putting in some information about you and your financial status, you can get some loan offers back that are tailored to your situation and can be compared against each other. This is a great step to help save time that might otherwise be spent deciphering the many loan options available through a multitude of lending agencies.
Be Thorough
Finally, be thorough in your search. If you are truly looking to get a full picture of the loans available to you, contacting your local institutions (banks and credit unions) is a great step in the process and sometimes the added benefit of supporting local businesses or having a nearby branch office can make up for an interest rate shortcoming. It is up to you to assign priority to something like that.
Interest rates are important but while you’ve set out to pursue the lowest rate possible, you might find that there are other benefits you haven’t considered that are important as well as you pursue your dream home. These aspects should also make their way into your loan comparison as things like convenience, reliability and other factors differ from lender to lender. Decide what is important to you and what concessions you would make to accommodate one of those other desires.
Finding the lowest interest rate possible is a noble goal and with the avalanche of online information at the fingertips of anyone with an Internet connection, finding that rate is easier now that in the past. However, as you go through your search, keep in mind that a mortgage is more than just an interest rate, and remain open to other benefits that might offset a bit of a higher rate.