First of all there are several disadvantages to a fixed rate home loan which may make you re-think any plans you have for a fixed rate home loan. The main feature of a fixed rate home loan is that the interest rate never changes throughout the life of the loan.

This means that if national interest rates drop you must refinance. With refinancingcomes all the other home buying fees like appraisals, and closing fees.

These fees could total well over 5 thousand dollars and tons of time spent collecting paperwork. The fixed rate home loan is not the cheaper option especially if interest rates are high. Fixed rate loans are basically the same with whatever company you go with which means there is no competitive market. There are also several advantages.

Fixed rate loans do have several advantages. Fixed rate loans are great if you are working on a budget because the payment is always the same. If you have the luxury of locking into a low rate, your payment does not change when national interest rates go up. Fixed rate loans are extremely easy to understand which is really great for first time buyers. A couple of questions to ask yourself if you are trying to figure out if a fixed rate home loan is right for you: How long are you playing to stay in your new home? If the answer is not long, do not go with a fixed rate loan. It would be better to go with an adjustable rate loan. Is the economy stable? If it is then ask yourself what is the current interest rate? If the national interest rate is low it is a great time to lock into a fixed rate loan. This means that the payment is quite low. This allows first time home buyers to save money for their next upgraded house. Especially if you are planning on staying in the house for a few years.