According to a recent Primerates.com survey of Philadelphia mortgage rates offered by the largest area banks & credit unions, four Philadelphia institutions offered rates below 4.00% on 30-year fixed-rate conforming loans in the Philadelphia area for well-qualified borrowers. Wells Fargo (www.wellsfargo.com) and Bank of America (www.bankofamerica.com) offered rates at 3.50%. the Sovereign Bank (www.sovereignbank.com) offered rates at 3.75%. Two other institutions namely the Citizens Bank (www.citizensbank.com) and Citibank (www.citibank.com) offered rates at 4.00%.
While most lenders will push one of the three products on the list below, there are other options for the borrower. The 30-year fixed rate loan is the most popular since it offers the lowest monthly payment. The trade-off is paying a higher interest rate. For those who have a better cash flow, the 15-year product may be more suitable. The 15-year fixed rate loan will allow the borrower to pay more toward principal with each payment, and since it has a lower interest rate the overall amount of money that is paid in interest will be much lower. While many people steer clear of the 5/1 ARM it is beneficial to some borrowers. For instance, a person with a smaller loan (usually due to refinancing) may have the cash flow to pay off their ARM in 5 years or less. This person could save an extra 1% in interest payments over the 15-year product and never worry about the rate adjusting later in the life of the loan.
Top Philadelphia Area Banks and Credit Unions | As of | 30 Yr-Rate | 30 Yr-APR | 15 Yr-Rate | 15 Yr-APR | 5/1 ARM-IR | 5/1 ARM-APR |
Wells Fargo | 06/16/2012 | 3.50% | 3.66% | 2.75% | 3.04% | 2.13% | 3.10% |
PNC Bank | 06/16/2012 | 3.63% | 3.64% | 2.88% | 2.88% | NA | NA |
Citizens Bank | 06/15/2012 | 4.00% | 4.04% | 3.25% | 3.31% | 2.63% | 3.15% |
Bank of America | 06/15/2012 | 3.50% | 3.61% | 2.88% | 3.06% | 2.50% | 3.19% |
Sovereign Bank | 06/15/2012 | 3.75% | 3.91% | 3.13% | 3.41% | NA | NA |
Citibank | 06/15/2012 | 4.00% | 4.20% | 3.50% | 3.80% | NA | NA |
Listed rates from banks, thrifts, and credit unions were listed on their websites on the date indicated for conforming loans with 0 points. Data is believed accurate at time of collection, can change without notice, and will vary based on an individual’s credit history. Contact a specific institution for current rates.