Consumer Finance

With housing prices falling and mortgage rates near historic lows, many homeowners are tempted to take advantage of this by buying or refinancing. However, due the complexity of the mortgage market, despite all the available disclosures, many consumers are still left in the dark, and by not considering all the necessary facts, they often leaves thousands of dollars on the table.

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Should a homebuyer pay upfront points in return for a lower mortgage rate? A proper answer requires comparing each alternative’s “option adjusted APR” – a refinement of the standard mortgage rate that adds the value of the option to refinance if interest rates decline.

Misgauging the likely prepayment behavior of no-cost loans (whose closing costs are wrapped into a higher interest rate) could leave banks with assets they cannot securitize, or investors with securities worth less than they bargained for.