The mortgage industry in the US is both huge and highly developed, offering numerous mortgage products with a range of repayment options.
The United States of America has the most active mortgage market in the world, and mortgage services are provided by a number of entities, including individual and organizational mortgage providers.
Other types of mortgage brokers work in both individual and as organizational capacities. With all the players involved and with intense competition spurring constant innovation, there are numerous types of mortgage products available in the US.
There are two basic types of mortgages in the United States –fixed-rate mortgages, and variable-rate mortgages.
Fixed-rate mortgages offer an interest rate that stays the same throughout the tenure of the mortgage. Variable-rate mortgages, which are also known as adjustable-rate mortgages, or floating-rate mortgages, offer rates that can be changed, adjusted or that fluctuate.
Normally, fixed-rate mortgages have terms of either 15 or 30 years, which is the length of time the mortgage borrower has to pay off the mortgage. In the case of floating-rate mortgages, terms are normally only one year in duration. It is important to note is that interest rates for fixed-rate mortgages with 30-year terms are higher than those with 15-year terms.
In the US, people can get mortgages from government sponsored entities or GSEs, including Fannie Mae, Ginni Mae and Freddie Mac. These organizations operate under federal charter and are overseen by the federal American government.
Well-reputed mortgage companies in the US include:
Capital Mac
Ameriquest Mortgage Company
Mortgage Secure Massachusetts
America's Mortgage Corporation
MCA Mortgage Division 000
ABN Amro Mortgage Group Inc
ValuMortgages
Americas Money Center
Waterfield Mortgage
Conseco Finance
Century Mortgage Corporation
Ditech
Chase Home Finance
Eastern Mortgage Services
EMC Mortgage Corporation
eHomeCredit
GMAC Mortgage
eMortgage Solution
Guaranteed Mortgage Company
Freemont Investment & Loan
Prime Mortgage Inc
Full Spectrum Lending Inc
Washington Mutual
Great Eastern Investments
Wells Fargo
Home Finance of America
Apex
America Finance Center
Approved Bad Credit Loans
Apartment Lending Corporation
Mortgage rates vary from state to state, and the chart below highlights some of these differences, as of July 2008:
State
Mortgage Rates
New York
15-year FHA loans - between 6.000-6.875%
30-year fixed-rate mortgages – between 5.685 – 6.25%
5/1 adjustable-rate mortgages - between 5.5-5.875%
20-year fixed-rate mortgages - between 5.625-6.125%
3/1 adjustable-rate mortgages - between 5.5%
15-year fixed-rate mortgages - between 5.25-6.%
1/1 adjustable-rate mortgages - 6.%
10-year fixed-rate mortgages – 5-5.875%
30-year FHA loans between 6.5-6.875%
7/1 adjustable-rate mortgages between 5.750%