We tend to take the Internet for granted. At a push of a button we can literally get almost every piece of information anywhere in the world on a subject matter that you are interested in. Available to us is information in all sorts of forms including, video, music, text, charts and pictures. It has made the world more connected in a gigantic forum of communication and information that has never been seen before.
With this huge advancement in technology, certain industries have literally been revolutionized. In fact, businesses in industries where technology became the primary existence for survival that did not adapt and change with the new technology have literally been put out of business. However, those businesses that have survived and are working with the new technology are creating an environment where the consumer has control.
This is especially true in the industry of mortgages. It was common to go to your local bank and do you're financing through the options that they had available. Or you could go to specific mortgage companies that were provided to you by referrals or your own shopping.
You could spend hours on the phone or going to office to office getting quotes on a deal that may not even be in process yet, or so close that you are desperate to find money. Or, you could trust the broker to find a good mortgage quote, but who knows if that was the best deal you could have gotten.
In fact, unless it was a broker that you completely trusted, you don't know if there could be extra money involved for the broker for going to that lender because they had a prior agreement. It was literally impossible to know if you were getting the best deal and terms specific to your situation.
That is another point that inexperienced home buyers miss when they are starting out- there is more than just a mortgage rate to consider when shopping for a mortgage. Besides the interest rate there are points, fees, other closing costs, type of interest rate which may be fixed, adjustable, balloon, split, and then there is the length of the life of the loan. You may think you are getting a good interest rate, but these other terms can greatly affect the total amount of money you are paying for the mortgage.
This is where the Internet has solved many of consumers' problems. Consumers can get mortgage quotes and terms quickly from many different companies or other sources. In fact, there are many sites that have agreements with hundreds of lenders. You can input your specific situation in an online form and get 10 quotes from 10 different competing lenders.
You can choose to buy at this point, get more details, or simply move on and get another 10, 20, 30 quotes from a numerous amount of sources.
Online mortgages have become very popular and can be handled with almost little to no human involvement. This had done many great things for the consumer. Besides making the shopping time very little, and being able to shop literally hundreds more sources, getting an online mortgage have made the industry far more competitive, driving the rates lower and terms better.
Brokers and lenders themselves can access the consumer more easily through mortgage leads online, giving you a better chance of being approached by a broker or lender willing to give you the best deal possible just to have your business. The consumer has the control.
Besides the large banks and mortgage companies that have made a presence online in addition to their offline branches, there are more private lenders getting in the game offering comparable services. There are also sites that are responsible for simply finding a consumer a lender or vice versa. You can input your information, tell them what you are looking for, and you will be presented with option s from several different lenders that you get to choose from.
It is great that a consumer can get all the information they need online, at home, without having to make a ton of phone calls and getting a small amount of information. In addition to finding online mortgages, there are articles, informative sites, and financial advisors that will help you with any questions you might have. This is especially great for first time home buyers.
It is important for the consumer to be careful with his or her information online, because unfortunately how great the Internet is, there are security issues to address. Make sure the company is a reputable company and are qualified to be doing business.
Many times you can look at the site and find certain licenses, referrals, testimonials, and other information establishing validity. Never give too personal information for just a quote. You can also call and talk to someone if it makes you more comfortable.
Looking at companies that rack high in the search engines and those who have ads are usually good choices. You know people are going to these sites.
If you are buying a home, entertain the idea of getting an online mortgage. It can be simple, fast, and you can get exactly what you need. You can also use it as a great shopping device to get comparable quotes then call a company directly to make the deal go through.
Ask for references and qualifications and be cautious of predatory lenders. Online mortgages are a great way to go! Check it out and you'll be happily surprised.
John R Blakefield is a mortgage and real estate specialist. For more information, articles, news, tools and valuable resources on home mortgages or investment loans, refinancing, debt solutions, visit this site: http://www.scourtheweb.com/mortgage/.
