The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, act as legal, financial or credit advice; instead, it is for general informational purposes only. Information on this website may not be current. This website may contain links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader, user or browser; we do not recommend or endorse the contents of any third-party sites. Readers of this website should contact their attorney, accountant or credit counselor to obtain advice with respect to their particular situation. No reader, user, or browser of this site should act or not act on the basis of information on this site. Always seek personal legal, financial or credit advice for your relevant jurisdiction. Only your individual attorney or advisor can provide assurances that the information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation. Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client or fiduciary relationship between the reader, user, or browser and website owner, authors, contributors, contributing firms, or their respective employers.
Credit.com receives compensation for the financial products and services advertised on this site if our users apply for and sign up for any of them. Compensation is not a factor in the substantive evaluation of any product.
When shopping for a mortgage, it’s critical to have a general understanding of how points affect your mortgage rate and payments, and ultimately connect to your bottom line. Below are some guides to help you identify your net tangible benefit on a home loan.
When you pay points, you are paying a premium to buy the interest-rate down, thus lowering your monthly mortgage payment. In most mortgage scenarios, you have the choice to pay this point based on the interest rate, and other times you might not due to factors like loan-to-value, loan size, loan program, loan purpose, property occupancy or credit score.
A point is essentially1% of the loan amount. Also referred to as mortgage pricing, points can change daily until you lock in your loan rate. Some lenders allow you to lock your rate up front while others require your loan to be underwritten or have the home appraisal ordered prior.
This is the most common scenario for buyers, but your financial goals should dictate your decision. If lower interest rates over the life of the loan are better for your situation, paying points might be worth considering.
When a particular interest rate generates an overage, a premium is paid back to you and applied toward closing costs. Here’s how it works:
Let’s say you’re looking at that 30 year fixed rate at 3.75%, but you want no points. The next day mortgage pricing deteriorates by 25 basis points making the rate 3.75% at .25% charge. If the 3.75% rate improves by .25% then that would be a credit as a function of your loan amount to pay the closing costs .
Mortgage Tip: Anytime you’re seeing a mortgage rate with any form of credit, it is based on the rate chosen for specific day in real time. Always review APR as the benchmark cost measure.
Ask yourself:
If you are uncertain about your short- and long-term financials goals, taking a conservative, low-cost, low-payment loan is usually a sound bet. An experienced mortgage professional can help you weigh costs versus benefits to determine which rate and pricing scenario best suits you.
This story is an Op/Ed contribution to Credit.com and does not necessarily represent the views of the company or its partners.
Image: iStock
December 13, 2023
Mortgages
June 7, 2021
Mortgages