When you are promised a "rate lock" from the lender, it means that you are guaranteed to get a specific interest rate for a certain number of days for the application process. This protects you from going through your entire application process and discovering at the end that your interest rate has gone up.
While there may be a choice of rate lock periods (from 15 to 60 days), the extended ones are typically more expensive. The lending institution will agree to lock in an interest rate and points for a longer period, such as 60 days, but in exchange, the rate (and sometimes points) will be higher than that of a rate lock of fewer days.
In addition to choosing the shorter rate lock period, there are other ways you can attain the best rate. The more the down payment, the smaller the rate will be, because you will be entering the loan with more equity. You can pay points to improve your rate for the life of the loan, meaning you pay more initially. To many people, this makes financial sense..
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