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August 6, 2008

Why Mortgage Rates Don’t Drop When the Fed Cut Key Rates

Category: Mortgage Lender Tips,Mortgage Lending Stories – admin – 3:27 pm

In a recent article, Barry Habib, CEO of the Mortgage Market Guide talks about the challenges mortgage lenders and brokers have with their clients after the Federal Reserve lowers key rates.  Mortgage lenders in every state report similar challenges after Fed meetings.  Claudio Pereida, a mortgage broker in Orange County said, “every time the Fed lowers the rates, my clients call me and expect their mortgage in process to have the rate reduced.”  He continued, “locked or unlocked borrowers really believe that if the Fed lowers interest rates that their rate showed be dropped as well.”  He tries to explain to them that it doesn’t work that way but the customers seem to feel that they aren’t being treated fairly.  Many refinancing borrowers call their loan officer and demand a rate reduction.  Many patient homeowners are perplexed as to why mortgage refinancing rates have not dropped during Fed’s last six rate cuts.

According to Bryan Dornan, a mortgage banker from California, “In most cases, the home lenders anticipate the Fed cutting the rate and actually lower the rates prior to the Federal Reserve meeting and announcing the key rate discounting.” This can be challenging to explain to borrowers who have watched a three point reduction by the Federal Reserve yet have no positive effect on mortgage rates for refinancing purposes.  How many mortgage lenders and brokers out there have lost borrowers with loans in process for similar issues?

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