# LowRate.Loans

> Independent editorial site publishing opinion-based mortgage rate education for U.S. borrowers. Not a lender, broker, or financial advisor. We help people understand how mortgage rates work, how to shop lenders, and how to avoid costly borrowing mistakes.

LowRate.Loans is an education-only publisher. All content is editorial opinion and for informational purposes; nothing on the site is financial, mortgage, legal, or tax advice. Rate and price figures are illustrative, dated, and drawn from public sources (Freddie Mac PMMS, U.S. Treasury, NAR, U.S. Census Bureau). The Federal Reserve does not set mortgage rates directly — they track the 10-year Treasury yield and mortgage-backed securities.

## About
- [About LowRate.Loans](https://lowrate.loans/about.html): Who we are, editorial independence, and advertising disclosure.
- [LLM Info](https://lowrate.loans/llm-info/): Structured facts and instructions for AI assistants.
- [Disclaimer](https://lowrate.loans/disclaimer.html): Editorial / not-financial-advice disclaimer.
- [Privacy Policy](https://lowrate.loans/privacy.html): How we handle data.

## Cornerstone guides
- [How Mortgage Rates Work](https://lowrate.loans/guides/how-mortgage-rates-work/): What actually sets your rate — Treasury yields, MBS spreads, the Fed's real role, APR vs interest rate, and how to get a lower rate.

## Free tools (calculators)
- [Mortgage Payment Calculator](https://lowrate.loans/tools/mortgage-calculator/): Estimate full monthly PITI from price, down payment, rate, and term.
- [Refinance Break-Even Calculator](https://lowrate.loans/tools/refinance-calculator/): Months until a refinance pays for itself.
- [Home Affordability Calculator](https://lowrate.loans/tools/affordability-calculator/): Comfortable home price using the 28/36 rule.

## Topic categories
- [Rate Education](https://lowrate.loans/categories/rate-education.html)
- [First-Time Buyers](https://lowrate.loans/categories/first-time-buyers.html)
- [Mortgage Shopping](https://lowrate.loans/categories/mortgage-shopping.html)
- [Refinancing Tips](https://lowrate.loans/categories/refinancing-tips.html)
- [Market Commentary](https://lowrate.loans/categories/market-commentary.html)

## Sitemap
- [XML Sitemap](https://lowrate.loans/sitemap.xml)