ERATE REVIEW: CenturyPointMortgage.com

July 22, 2009 - With a clear website focused on borrowers’ needs, CenturyPointMortgage.com is an essential stop for seeking home loan information and products.

Century Point Mortgage announces their intention from the beginning on their home page:

We Make it Easy to Find the Right Loan. CenturyPoint takes the guesswork out of mortgage shopping with our clear, direct pricing. Try our easy 3-step process to find the loan that fits you best:

Search - Find the rate you want and view your closing costs and payment details online.
Apply - Complete your application using our simple, secure online mortgage application.
Lock - Request a rate lock online, anytime, or lock by phone at 877-998-9900.

Each of these steps is easy to do, with a quick link on the homepage and more in-depth pages within. Today’s rates for 30- and 15-year fixed-rate mortgages are clearly noted, along with the 30-year FHA loan rates, and are comparable to the weekly average rates posted by Freddie Mac.

Visitors can obtain an instant rate quote for purchase or refinance right away from this homepage, and can then apply or lock their rates with easy clicks. But borrowers are not restricted to these two options. Through the “Loans” pages, potential homebuyers or loan applicants can seek information and quotes on home purchases, refinances, reverse mortgages, and home equity products.

Century Point touts their low, “clear fee” model as a borrower-friendly option:

Our years of experience in the mortgage industry have enabled us to develop a highly efficient, low-cost business model. We can close your loan quickly with friendly, personal service. And we pass our savings along to you, so you get the best deal possible on your mortgage loan.

As a result, Century Point quotes do not include discount points, origination fees, underwriting, application fees, and other junk fees. Any additional third-party fees that are included are clearly noted on quotes to prepare borrowers for closing costs, all before you lock the loan.

Loans and rates make up only a part of Century Point’s comprehensive website. They offer tools in the form of mortgage calculators and home appraisal models. But the most impressive offering is their educational materials.

In this rapidly changing market, educated borrowers are the ones who end up with the best rates and the most satisfying mortgage experience. CenturyPoint encourages all our borrowers to take some time to understand the current mortgage market, whether you a buying your first home, or refinancing a property you bought a few years ago.

With this idea in mind, Century Point offers the tools to do just that. Education sections include:

The information is clear and complete, with multiple, easy options to ask further questions and get a response through FAQs, calling, or online chat.

Overall Century Point Mortgage makes a commitment to friendliness, education and easy contact with their website. They tell you what to expect from the company, setting a high, consumer-focused standard for their performance and your experience. It is a highly useful and enjoyable website for your mortgage research.

For further reading:
Century Point Mortgage Homepage: http://www.centurypointmortgage.com/index.jsp
Century Point Mortgage Blog (“Right…to the Point”): http://centurypoint.typepad.com/

ERATE REVIEW: Amerisave.com

Featuring an extensive website with a wide array of mortgage and investment products, Amerisave.com is a useful and interesting resource for homeowners and other borrowers seeking the inside scoop.

Amerisave, one of the largest retail mortgage lenders in the country with over 1500 employees serving customers across the country, designed their website for a simple purpose:

Amerisave.com was designed to make shopping for mortgages easy and straight forward. You can shop, apply and lock in your rate in minutes. Our technology shops your mortgage requirements to most of the large mortgage banks in seconds.

To do this, the website’s homepage has today’s mortgage rates for standard, jumbo, fixed-rate, ARM and FHA mortgages clearly noted, as well as a quick and easy input box for a personalized mortgage rate quote within 10 seconds. To stop anxiety and make the mortgage process even easier, the homepage also features an article on “How to Get the Best Mortgage Rates,” instructing borrowers on comparing rates and things to watch out for.

The product range offered by Amerisave.com features all mortgage products, including VA, USDA, Non Conforming, Alt A, Reverse Mortgage, and Full Eagle Direct Endorsement with FHA. But they also go further, offering refinancing, home equity loans, and even CDs, insurance and credit cards. Amerisave offers in-house processing, underwriting, closing, and funding.

The website dedicates pages to each product, featuring current rates, access to instant quotes, and most importantly, educational articles and links. The information is helpful, easily accessed, and given perspective by an interesting feature – the live customer satisfaction survey. Real customers and their opinions on the Amerisave.com experience are featured on each page and can lend confidence and clarity to the process for new borrowers.

The Amerisave.com website also dives in-depth to the features that differentiate Amerisave from other lenders, including the Upfront Mortgage Lender (UML) designation, which assures customers fair treatment in all dealings as well as a fair and accurate interest rate and closing cost quote.

Overall the Amerisave.com website is easily navigable, logical, and helpful for borrowers. Amerisave makes good on its promises for fairness and simplicity with their website, detailing their products nicely and offering educational background to ensure a more knowledgeable, pleasant experience for borrowers. Amerisave.com is a powerful tool for those researching for the future, and those looking to buy now.

For further reading:
Amerisave.com Homepage: http://www.amerisave.com/

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