Attention to Quality: It's given - everyone who applies for mortgage approval expects a great rate with quality service. And you deserve both. After all, you are pledging your home and should require a similarly strong commitment from all lenders you consider. Only a few lenders built reputations doing that - excellent service, lowest rates, and a wide assortment of products that can be custom tailored to your personal needs.

We all enjoy a little pampering from time to time: The top lenders appreciate their customers and know they deserve the utmost quality. For these exceptional mortgage companies, home ownership and a history of reasonable payments is all that is required. You will sense it almost immediately even by telephone. A warm hello, genuine respect, and a real discussion of your expectations are the hallmark of quality.

• Connect with a full service personal representative who is assigned to accommodate your needs, answer your questions, and take responsibility for your approval.
• Call 24/7 to discuss your preferences - how, when and the amount of a pre-approved quote you want.
• If you have special needs or concerns, you have only to ask.
• Once you're approved, you will sense almost immediately that you have received the finest personal service available today.

Why are some rate quotes substantially lower? The short answer - a lender's internal quality control. A responsible homeowner should also require a responsible lender. Far too many financial companies waste untold millions on lavish offices, ineffective advertising, and lack of control over their internal expenses. Ultimately, these wasteful spending habits are passed along to their customers in form of higher rates and fees. For any given individual application, a lender that also practices reasonable internal management will easily out-pace their competition. And better yet, a lender with a low internal loan to asset ratio must loan money to maintain market leadership.

When is the Right Time to Refinance Your Mortgage? Too often, homeowners make an easy decision difficult. Considering loans and interest rates today, the best time to refinance your mortgage is the time that makes sense for you. For instance:

• Consolidating credit cards with a home equity loan pays well anytime. Cutting your monthly payment by 75% is easy.
• Unexpected expenses also make your refinance decision easy, because an equity line of credit costs nothing unless and until you decide to withdraw.
• Should you convert your ARM to a fixed rate? It depends on the expected trend of interest rates. According to Gennie Mae, the right loan is the one that saves you the most whether ARM, fixed, ong or short term. The decision is also easy today because fixed rates are near historical lows and our rising rates are expected to continue rising for years to come. They have only one way to go - up!
• If you want to refinance a fixed rate, average lenders may require points. To calculate your savings, and decide if you should refinance, use your total costs over a 5 year period. Simply add all payments under your existing loan for 60 months, and compare to all payments of the new loan for 60 months and the total of all closing costs. If the total you save justifies a few hours of your time, take the cash. It's like a gift you would otherwise throw away.