There has been a lot of buzz lately regarding the difference between the published interest rate and the rate that is actually offered to borrowers. The interest rate published as the “average rate” by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is always lower than the actual interest rate offered by mortgage lenders or brokers. The reason for this discrepancy are loan level pricing adjustments “LLPA”. The published rate is the rate offered to borrowers with no negative loan level pricing adjustments. These can include credit score, loan to value, property type, and many other factors.
When you are shopping for your next home loan keep in mind that you probably will not qualify for the “average rate” published on websites.