I’m not going to post a rate on this page. Here’s why — and here’s what actually sets yours.
Every mortgage site posts a rate. None of them can post yours. The number in an ad is built on assumptions that probably aren’t your assumptions — a particular credit score, a particular down payment, a particular loan type, and often a point or two of cost sitting below the fold.
Rates also move daily, so anything I posted here would be wrong by the time you read it. What I can tell you is exactly what determines your rate, and what to look at when you’re comparing offers — because that part doesn’t change.
Want today’s actual number for your situation? Call or text (512) 423-4663 — or request a rate quote here.
No credit pull, no application, no obligation — just a real quote from the wholesale market.
The five things that actually set your rate
Your credit score
The single biggest factor. Lenders price in tiers, and the jumps between tiers are real money. If your score sits just under a tier boundary, a modest bump before you apply can be worth more than anything else you do. Worth knowing where you stand before you shop.
Your loan-to-value ratio
More down means less risk to the lender, and better pricing to you. At 80% LTV you also drop private mortgage insurance entirely, which lowers your monthly cost independent of the rate. Two levers, both pulled by the same decision.
Your loan type
Conventional, FHA, VA, USDA and jumbo all price differently, and they don’t rank in a fixed order. FHA often prices well but carries mandatory mortgage insurance. VA is frequently strongest for eligible veterans. Jumbo varies more between lenders than anything else — which is exactly where shopping pays.
Your loan term
A 15-year fixed prices below a 30-year. The payment is higher, the total interest dramatically lower. Some lenders offer 20- and 25-year terms as a middle ground, which almost nobody asks about and which occasionally turns out to be the right answer.
Lender fees — the one most people never check
Two lenders can quote you the identical interest rate and cost you very different amounts of money. Origination, processing and underwriting fees land in your closing costs, and they don’t show up in the rate at all.
I charge $0 in lender fees — no origination, no processing, no underwriting. My compensation comes from the wholesale lender, not from you. That’s not a promotion I’m running. I just don’t charge them.
How much is a better rate actually worth?
The point isn’t precision. It’s to tell you quickly whether the difference between two quotes is worth chasing or worth ignoring — and to make sure you’re weighing it against the fees, which is where the next part comes in.
Rate vs. APR: why the lower rate is sometimes the more expensive loan
The interest rate tells you…
What your balance accrues at. That’s all. It says nothing about what the loan costs you to obtain, and it’s the number every advertisement leads with for exactly that reason.
The APR tells you…
The rate plus the lender’s fees, rolled into one annualized number. A lender quoting a lower rate with several thousand dollars in fees can easily be the more expensive loan. The APR is designed to show you that. The advertised rate is designed not to.
Ask every lender for a Loan Estimate. It’s the standardized federal disclosure, it looks the same from every lender in the country, and it’s the only apples-to-apples comparison that exists.
Then look at Section A. That’s origination charges — where the actual difference between two lenders lives, and the section most people skip.
Five ways to get a better rate than you otherwise would
Know your credit score before you apply. Check it, and fix any errors, while there’s still time for it to matter.
Compare the APR and the Loan Estimate, not the advertised rate. See above. This is the whole game.
Lock strategically, not reflexively. Once you’re under contract we’ll talk about timing based on where the market actually is.
Don’t open new credit during the process. A new card or an auto loan between application and closing can move your score and your pricing. It happens more often than you’d think.
Work with someone who shops for you. I submit your scenario to more than 40 wholesale lenders and bring you what comes back — instead of handing you one take-it-or-leave-it quote from one rulebook.
No credit pull · No application · No pitch
Get your actual number
The only rate that matters is the one you qualify for, from a lender that can actually close your file. Tell me your situation — credit, income, loan amount, property type — and I’ll come back with real options from the wholesale market, same day in most cases.
Prefer email? rstout@texasmortgageconsultants.com
Russell Stout · Texas Mortgage Consultants, PLLC · Austin, TX · NMLS #1843758 · Russell Stout NMLS #220896 · Licensed by the Texas Department of Savings and Mortgage Lending · Equal Housing Lender. All loans subject to credit approval. Terms subject to change without notice. This is not a commitment to lend.
