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Using Points To Cut Your Interest Rate
By: Dave Lewis
The general mantra in the real estate world is you want to avoid paying points
when obtaining a mortgage. As with most assumptions, this is not always true.
Using Points To Cut Your Interest Rate
When discussing mortgages, it is important to understand what points are. Points
are essentially an upfront cost you pay a lender in exchange for getting the
loan in question. The better your financial profile – credit score, wages, down
payment amount – the fewer points you have to pay, if any. That being said, you
may actually want to demand points in certain situations.
Points and interest rates have a unique relationship in mortgages. Generally,
the more points you pay, the lower your interest rate. This is not always the
case in bad credit situations, but it is a generally accepted fact for most
bowers. You can use this relationship to your advantage.
Regardless of how many points you pay on a loan, the cost will never remotely
approach the amount of interest you pay over the life of the loan. If you intend
to live in the property in question for a long time, you should make an almighty
effort to cut your interest rate as low as possible. This is where you will save
the most money. This is also where points come in.
If you are cash rich when you buy the property, you can buy down your interest
rate by agreeing to pay the lender a significant number of points. The key is to
find out from the lender how much they will reduce the interest rate per point
paid. You want this in writing! Once you have it, use a mortgage calculator to
see how much money the various lower interest rates will save you over time.
Also, see how much you monthly payment is reduced. Once you have the numbers,
compare them to the total cost of paying additional points and make your
decision.
Contrary to popular opinion and marketing ads, points do not represent the evil
side of the mortgage industry. Use them wisely and you can save hundreds of
thousands of dollars over the life of a loan.
About the Author:
Dan Lewis is with http://www.gwhomeloans.com - a San Diego mortgage brokers
providing San Diego home loans. Visit http://www.gwhomeloans.com/services.html
to learn more about options on San Diego mortgages from a San Diego mortgage
broker company. |