Mortgage rates change on a daily basis. Sometimes more often. That’s true for FHA or conventional options. Some of the state-sponsored programs are much slower to react. What this means is that when rates are falling, mortgage rates are sometimes “too high” on the state programs because they don’t update as often. When rates are rising, this means that sometimes the state sponsored programs are “too low” compared to FHA and conventional programs.
A really good example of that now is the Illinois Home Start program. This loan is a 30 Year Fixed at 4.75%. This was where rates were for conventional and FHA loans were back in Thanksgiving, but now those “normal” rates are almost .50% higher. What this means is that the Illinois first time home buyer program is .5% “too low.” Can a mortgage rate really ever be “too low?”
On a $200,000 loan, this difference is just over $60 per month for a loan at 4.75% versus 5.25%. When rates are rising, these loans for first time home buyers via the state can be a great deal. The payments are $1043 or $1104. For a home buyer who is getting a loan with otherwise similar terms, this is a 6% per month difference just in loan selection.
Currently, the Illinois first time home buyer program has a 5.25% interest rate option on a down payment assistance program. The HOME START Down Payment Assistance Loan. The second loan under the Home Start program is the Home Start Down Payment Assistance (DPA) Loan which allows Illinois first time home buyers to access additional funds upfront to help with the down payment. The DPA Loan is a 10 year, 0 percent, non-amortizing, forgivable loan in the amount of 3 percent of the purchase price up to $6,000.
Stay current on the best loans for first time home buyers.













