{"id":18624,"date":"2023-06-14T05:16:57","date_gmt":"2023-06-14T12:16:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=18624"},"modified":"2024-08-08T14:25:06","modified_gmt":"2024-08-08T21:25:06","slug":"buyer-what-are-points-on-a-mortgage-loan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-what-are-points-on-a-mortgage-loan\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Mortgage Points a Good Deal for Buyers? What You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

As if mortgage rates aren\u2019t confusing enough<\/a>, lenders had to throw discount points into the mix. What are points on a mortgage loan, anyway?<\/p>\n

Many lenders now give you the option to buy down your mortgage interest rate through discount points, saving you money over the life of your home loan. But are discount points really a good deal for buyers? Like many things in the mortgage world, the answers tend to be case-by-case.<\/p>\n

Before you hand over a hefty chunk of change to your lender for discount points, it\u2019s best to do your research. We spoke with John Boyles, Vice President of Mortgage Operations at HomeLight, to walk us through the finer points of mortgage points. Here\u2019s what you need to know.<\/p>\n

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Step one: Talk to a few buyer's agents!<\/h3>\n

Tell us a little bit about your plans (where you’re looking to buy and when you want to make a purchase) and we’ll connect you with top-rated buyer’s agents in your area. It takes only a few minutes, and it’s free.<\/p>\n \n

\n Get Started<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/span><\/p>\n

What are discount points?<\/h2>\n

\u201cThere’s an option where you can, in effect, prepay your interest rate,\u201d Boyles explains. \u201cYou can pay points to get a discounted mortgage rate<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is, in a nutshell, the concept of discount points. You pay your lender more money upfront to \u201cbuy down\u201d your rate (in other words, you\u2019ll get a lower rate than you would have).<\/p>\n

Understand that with discount points, there\u2019s always a tradeoff. You\u2019re paying more for the home upfront, in exchange for paying less for your home over the lifetime of your loan.<\/p>\n

Of course, that means you need to be in your home long enough for the purchase of discount points to work out in your favor (more on that later).<\/p>\n

How discount points work<\/h3>\n

Typically, one discount point costs 1% of the loan amount (not to be confused with the price of the home) and tends to knock roughly 0.25% off your interest rate. Sometimes, though, the rate reduction can be a bit less.<\/p>\n

According to Boyles, you can usually buy up to three mortgage points from your lender and get up to 0.75% off your rate, though some lenders may offer more.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s say you\u2019re buying a home for $200,000. Your down payment is $40,000, or 20%. You\u2019re taking out a mortgage for the remaining $160,000, and your lender offers you a rate of 4.5%.<\/p>\n

If you bought one discount point, you\u2019d pay your lender $1,600 \u2014 1% of the loan amount \u2014 and you\u2019d get a 4.25% rate instead.<\/p>\n

How much can you save with discount points?<\/h3>\n

Using the example above, here\u2019s an illustration of what you\u2019d pay \u2014 and what you\u2019d save \u2014 if you used discount points on your mortgage.<\/p>\n

Loan amount: $160,000, 30-year fixed<\/h4>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nNo points<\/td>\n1 point<\/td>\n2 points<\/td>\n3 points<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Upfront cost to buyer<\/td>\n$0<\/td>\n$1,600<\/td>\n$3,200<\/td>\n$4,800<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mortgage rate<\/a><\/td>\n4.5%<\/td>\n4.25%<\/td>\n4%<\/td>\n3.75%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Monthly mortgage payment<\/td>\n$811<\/td>\n$787<\/td>\n$764<\/td>\n$741<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Monthly savings<\/td>\nN\/A<\/td>\n$24\/month<\/td>\n$47\/month<\/td>\n$70\/month<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Total cost of mortgage over time<\/td>\n$291,851<\/td>\n$283,357<\/td>\n$274,991<\/td>\n$266,755<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Total saved over 30-year mortgage<\/td>\nN\/A<\/td>\n$8,494<\/td>\n$16,860<\/td>\n$25,096<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Know your break-even point<\/h3>\n

Keep in mind that discount points are a long game. The longer you stay in your home, the more you\u2019ll save. In fact, if you don\u2019t plan to stay in your home very long, you could actually lose<\/i> money on discount points. That\u2019s why it\u2019s a good idea to calculate your break-even point before deciding whether to pay discount points.<\/p>\n

A break-even point is the point at which the money you\u2019ve saved each month adds up to what you paid for the discount points in the first place. After you\u2019ve saved what you spent, you\u2019ve broken even!<\/p>\n

Using our example above, let\u2019s say you buy one discount point for $1,600. This reduces your monthly mortgage payment by $24 per month. In this scenario, you\u2019d need to stay in your home for at least 67 months ($1,600 \/ $24) \u2014 or five and a half years \u2014 before you\u2019d break even on your discount points. After that, you\u2019d start saving money each month.<\/p>\n

The bottom line:<\/strong> If you don\u2019t plan to stay in your home long enough to see your break-even point, discount points are probably not right for you.<\/p>\n

The pros of buying points<\/h2>\n

Discount points can have their pros, especially if you plan to stay in your new home for a long time.<\/p>\n

1. You\u2019ll spend less over the lifetime of the loan<\/h3>\n

Discount points can save you significant money over the life of your home loan. And the more you pay down your rate, the more you\u2019ll save over time.<\/p>\n

Using our example above, buying three points will cost you $4,800 upfront, yet will save you more than $25,000 over your 30-year mortgage. That\u2019s nothing to sniff at!<\/p>\n

However, that scenario also requires you to be in your home for 30 years while you pay off your mortgage. Plus, it assumes you\u2019ll never refinance, which many homeowners eventually do.<\/p>\n

2. You\u2019ll save more the longer you\u2019re in the house<\/h3>\n

If you plan to stay in your home for a long time, discount points could work out nicely for you. The longer you stay in your home, the more you\u2019ll save on your mortgage payments over time. But again, this always needs to be balanced with what you could save by, say, refinancing your mortgage at a lower rate, or investing that extra money in improving your home.<\/p>\n

3. Your monthly payments will be lower<\/h3>\n

One major perk of discount points? Your mortgage payments will be lower each month. And with that, it may seem like discount points are a no-brainer … but not so fast.<\/p>\n

Remember that you have to pay discount points upfront at the time your mortgage closes. So if bringing that additional amount of cash to the table means cutting into your down payment, you may be wiping out any monthly savings by adding mortgage insurance to your loan.<\/p>\n

If you put down less than 20% on the home, you will be required to pay mortgage insurance (MI)<\/a>. That extra MI cost could override any savings you\u2019d see from discount points \u2014 at least until you hit 20% equity on your home, and get rid of your MI payments. And if you\u2019re able to use that cash to put 20% or more down, you\u2019re likely to be able to get a lower rate and avoid MI without having to pay the discount points.<\/p>\n

Best advice: <\/strong>Ask your loan officer to walk you through your options and how they\u2019ll affect your bottom line over time.<\/p>\n

4. You could get a tax break<\/h3>\n

Another upside of discount points is that they can give you a nice tax break, provided you meet certain requirements.<\/p>\n

Any interest you prepay on your mortgage is tax deductible<\/a> on the year you pay it, at least for the first $750,000 you borrow. However, there are some terms and conditions for that tax break<\/a>. Make sure you read the fine print and speak with a trusted financial adviser before buying points in the hopes of getting a tax break.<\/p>\n

The cons of buying points<\/h2>\n

Discount points have their fair share of downsides, depending on the specifics of your home purchase.<\/p>\n

1. If you aren\u2019t in the house for long enough, you might not break even<\/h3>\n

Again, discount points are a long game. If you\u2019re uncertain how long you\u2019ll be in your home, it may be too risky to prepay interest. It\u2019s helpful to look at your break-even point to guide your decision.<\/p>\n

How to calculate break-even<\/h4>\n

Cost of discount points (each one costs 1% of the loan amount)\u00a0<\/i>\/\u00a0<\/i>How much money you\u2019d save each month on your mortgage payment <\/i>=\u00a0<\/i>How many months it will take you to break even<\/i><\/p>\n

So, using our example above, if you bought one discount point, you\u2019d break even in around 67 months. The calculation looks like this:<\/p>\n

$1,600 \/ $24 = 66.66 months<\/p>\n

Where do you figure out your monthly mortgage payments for each scenario? You can head to a mortgage calculator to run the numbers. This is a great way to conceptualize what using discount points might look like for you.<\/p>\n

2. Discount points are pricey<\/h3>\n

Discount points aren\u2019t exactly cheap, and you\u2019re taking on a bit of risk by using them. Sure, you might save money over time, but maybe you could use that money in a smarter way today.<\/p>\n

Could you see more of a return if you invested that money, or put it toward home improvements? Will you need it in a few months to furnish your new home? Is it possible you could save even more money if you refinanced your mortgage in a few years? Would adding it to your down payment lower your rate directly?<\/p>\n

These are smart questions to ask yourself. Once you pay discount points, you can\u2019t get that money back, even if you unexpectedly need to sell your home. Think long and hard about whether a small amount of savings each month is worth it, or whether that money could be better used elsewhere.<\/p>\n

3. You may have to make a lower down payment<\/h3>\n

Down payment and discount points aren\u2019t technically related in the world of mortgage. But, if you only have $30,000 cash to put toward your home purchase, you need to choose wisely where you\u2019ll put that money.<\/p>\n

Should you put it toward a larger down payment? Or should you pay some toward your down payment, and set some aside for points?<\/p>\n

In many cases, making a larger down payment pays off in the long haul, especially if you can avoid MI payments. Have your loan officer walk you through your options, and lay out what it would look like to use your cash on a down payment versus points.<\/p>\n

Are discount points right for you?<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s no one-size-fits-all approach for buyers when it comes to discount points. According to Boyles, the best thing you can do is talk to your loan officer.<\/p>\n

\u201cA buyer needs to work with their licensed loan officer and make a very educated decision,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need to ask yourself, how long are you going to be in the home? What would you do with that money otherwise? Do you want to spend $5,000 on your mortgage, cause you\u2019re going to be in that home for the rest of your life? Or would you rather spend that money on a new couch when you actually move into your home?\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Perhaps that money could be better spent elsewhere. Another option is to ask the seller to pay points for you.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I personally was buying real estate, I would ask the seller for a credit. If you can get free money from somebody, it\u2019s worth paying the points,\u201d Boyles divulges. It\u2019s a tactic that\u2019s paid off for him in the past. \u201cI\u2019ve gotten a credit on every deal I\u2019ve ever done. I\u2019ve never purchased a home without the seller paying at least 3%,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

In fact, Boyles says it\u2019s common for builders to offer points for new constructions as a way to incentivize buyers. A seller concession may be the best of both worlds for the savvy homebuyer. Plus, it rarely hurts to ask!<\/p>\n

Where can you learn about points in your loan?<\/h2>\n

Your lender must disclose points in both your loan estimate and your closing disclosure. You can find information about points on Page 2, Section A (under \u201cLoan Costs\u201d) of both your loan estimate and your closing disclosure.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
<\/a> Source: (Closing Disclosure example, Consumerfinance.gov<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Always check your loan estimate and closing disclosure carefully, and go over all the provided numbers with a fine toothed comb. Ask your lender to clarify any points of confusion, and walk you through your payment schedule over time. That way, you can make sure discount points are right for you before you buy.<\/p>\n

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Header Image Source: (Kyle Gregory Devaras \/ Unsplash)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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