ARMs Still Have Some Merits

Looking to get the best possible interest rate on a home mortgage or mortgage refinance? You might consider an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM). Although ARMs are somewhat out of favor these days, for many borrowers they can still be a sensible, and even the best, choice for their particular circumstances.

ARMs acquired a bad reputation in the collapse of the subprime mortgage market, when they were a major share of the mortgages that defaulted and led to the crisis. As a result, many borrowers now regard them as risky, exotic-type loans full of potential pitfalls to snag the unwary.

The truth is, ARMs are a fairly standard and well-established type of mortgage loan. Unfortunately, many lenders used them as a way to offer credit to marginally qualified borrowers, often coupled with “exotic” variations like interest-only payments, resulting in loans that could not be sustained unless housing prices continued to rise. When prices fell, the loans began to default.

But for well-qualified borrowers with a realistic view of their finances, an adjustable rate mortgage can be a sound decision. Initial rates on ARMs often run about half a percentage point less than comparable 30-year fixed-rate loans – a savings of roughly $75 a month on a $250,000 loan – so the savings can be significant.

You’re not likely to qualify for an ARM or any other mortgage these days if you’re a bad credit risk, and exotic wrinkles such as interest-only or negative amortization payments have all but disappeared. Instead, if you get an adjustable rate mortgage these days it’s likely to be a standard ARM that starts out at a fixed interest rate for a number of years (often 3, 5 or 7 years), then periodically resets to a different rate based on predetermined index, such as Treasury securities or the Cost of Funds Index (COFI).

A sensible choice for some borrowers

For certain groups of borrowers, a standard-type ARM can actually be a better option than a “plain vanilla” fixed-rate mortgage. For example, suppose you only plan to remain in the home for 5-7 years. A 7-year ARM (which is fixed at the initial rate for seven years before resetting) locks you into a lower interest rate for at least seven years, and you can sell the house and pay off the rest before it ever resets.

Another candidate for an ARM is a new home buyer who’s just beginning to establish their credit or suffered a credit setback recently. Such a buyer will have to pay a higher interest rate than a borrower with pristine credit; getting an ARM allows them to minimize their rate for several years while building or rebuilding their credit. Then, when they’re built up their credit, they can refinance at the low rates that are available to prime borrowers.

ARMs are also a good strategy during times when market interest rates are running relatively high and the borrower expects they will fall back down in a few years, when the loan can be refinanced at a lower rate. However, given that rates are relatively low currently, that is not likely to be a strategy one would pursue at this time.

Take the long view

The key thing when taking out an ARM, either for a home purchase or refinance, is to be confident you’ll be able to refinance the loan a few years down the road when it’s time for the rate to reset. Because rates can gradually drift much higher once the initial fixed-rate period is over, you don’t want to stay in the same loan for 30 years or however long the full term is. You want to be confident that both your income and housing prices will remain relatively stable, so that you’ll have equity in the home and be able to qualify for a new loan when the time comes.