{"id":24392,"date":"2023-06-15T03:00:14","date_gmt":"2023-06-15T10:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=24392"},"modified":"2025-11-14T05:50:16","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T13:50:16","slug":"buyer-how-to-pay-off-a-mortgage-in-5-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-pay-off-a-mortgage-in-5-years\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Pay Off a Mortgage in 5 Years and Own Your House Outright"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are you at that point in life where homeownership makes sense \u2014 but the idea of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-does-a-mortgage-work\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">paying a mortgage<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for the next 30 years feels terrifying? You\u2019re not alone. The world feels more unpredictable than ever, and while homeownership may still make sense, being weighed down with <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-10-over-30-mortgage\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mortgage payments for 30 years<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> isn\u2019t always an attractive option.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Experts agree that housing is your biggest expense, but it doesn\u2019t have to hold you back. In fact, buying your own home builds up <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/what-is-home-equity\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">equity<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that you can use in the future, and properties generally increase in value over time, which makes homeownership a smart long-term investment.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Financial independence <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> owning your dream home are two achievable goals, but it\u2019s going to take some smart planning, and maybe a few short-term sacrifices, to make it happen. We\u2019ve queried the experts \u2014 from real estate agents to financial advisors \u2014 to put together a list of the best ways for you to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/should-i-pay-off-mortgage\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">make your homeownership dreams happen<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8230; without sacrificing the next 30 years of your life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choose one or a few ways from the list below to make your dreams of eliminating house debt in five years come true. Imagine the light and free feeling you\u2019ll have when you send off that last payment and own your home outright!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"geo-cta widget-cta widget-cta--content     widget-cta--dark widget-cta--dark-blue-gradient\">\n    <div class=\"widget-element--content\">\n        <div class=\"widget-element--content-header\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"homelight logo\" class=\"widget-element--logo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/ccprototypev5\/images\/logo-small-cta.png\" width=\"106\" height=\"25\" \/>\n        <\/div>\n        \n                <h3 class=\"cta-headline widget--bold\">Save thousands when buying a home<\/h3>\n                        <p>HomeLight-recommended real estate agents are top-tier negotiators who understand the market data that helps you save as much as possible when buying your dream home.<\/p>\n        \n                <div class=\"widget-element--buttons\">\n            <a data-type=\"In Content CTA\" href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/find-agent\/quiz\/buyer?#\/qaas=0\/\" class=\"cta-click-track widget-element--button\">Find a top buyer's agent<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div id=\"section--1\" data-toc-header=\"Set a clear goal\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>1. Set a clear goal<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cI want to pay my loan off in five years\u201d is good, but setting a specific date is even better; it gives you something tangible to aim toward and look forward to.<\/p>\n<p>Giving yourself a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lucidchart.com\/blog\/the-ultimate-goal-setting-process-in-7-steps\">very clear goal<\/a> and having a timeline for it will help keep you on track. If you\u2019re like many people and enjoy incremental achievements, having a breakdown of your repayment goals along the way (20% paid off, 50% paid off, or specific dollar targets to hit each year) can help you enjoy the feeling of achievement sooner than the five-year mark and may help keep you motivated and on track.<\/p>\n<div id=\"section--2\" data-toc-header=\"Stay well below DTI limits\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>2. Stay well below DTI limits<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Debt-to-income (DTI) is one way lenders assess your ability to repay. Your total monthly debt payments (including your house payment) should be below a certain threshold, according to lender requirements. Your DTI ratio does not impact your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-credit-score-for-home-loan\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">credit score<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or your ability to get credit cards, but it does play a key role when you\u2019re <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-get-pre-approved-for-a-mortgage\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">applying for a mortgage<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re carrying a lot of other debt, then your DTI can impact your ability to get a mortgage as a first-time homebuyer as you\u2019re considered to be at higher risk for default. This applies even if you have otherwise strong credit and earn a good income.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To calculate your DTI, lenders tally up your monthly debt payments \u2014 such as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-buying-a-home-with-student-loans\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">student loans<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, car payments, and credit card payments \u2014 and add in your new mortgage payment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That total is then divided by your monthly gross income (what you earn before taxes and deductions), which gives them your DTI.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expenses such as your utilities, cell phone bill, and groceries are not included when calculating your DTI.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mortgage loan studies have suggested that borrowers with higher DTIs are more likely to default on their loans, so banks and other lenders take your DTI number seriously when considering you for a mortgage loan.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since July 2017, lenders have considered a DTI of up to 50% to be acceptable for certain qualified buyers using conventional loans \u2014 but that doesn\u2019t mean you should necessarily take advantage of the full 50%. This is especially true if you\u2019re planning to pay off your mortgage earlier than your loan term. Paying your mortgage off ahead of schedule will be harder to do if you\u2019re already spending 50% of your income on various debts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"section--3\" data-toc-header=\"Increase your income\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>3. Increase your income<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You don\u2019t need to get another full-time job to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-how-to-save-to-buy-a-house\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">increase your income<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the gig economy booming, you have lots of options for ways to earn a bit of extra money in your free time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You could drive for Lyft or deliver for GrubHub. You could pick up some freelance writing or social media work online. The options are abundant and flexible, and spending just a few hours each week could result in a few hundred extra dollars each month to put towards your mortgage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You could also consider asking your boss for a raise. Depending on when your last raise was and your job performance since then, a raise could be a viable way to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-money-saving-tips-for-buying-a-house\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">increase your income<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"section--4\" data-toc-header=\"Consider your repayment goals when shopping for a house\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>4. Consider your repayment goals when shopping for a house<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s going to be much easier to pay off a house that isn\u2019t at the very top of your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-mortgage-payment-calculator\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">budget or price range<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The more money you spend on a house, the more money you\u2019ll need to come up with on a monthly basis in order to pay it off. This makes speeding up the repayment process trickier. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>Giving up an extra bedroom or a bit of yard square footage might be worth it in order to repay your mortgage loan faster.<\/p>\n<p>If you don\u2019t want to compromise on the space, consider some DIY improvements. A home that needs a little TLC will cost less on the open market and also gives you the ability to customize your home to be even more perfectly suited to your wants and needs.<\/p>\n<div id=\"section--5\" data-toc-header=\"Put down as much as you can\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>5. Put down as much as you can when you buy \u2026<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The higher your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-minimum-down-payment-for-a-house\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">down payment<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is, the lower your monthly mortgage payments will be, and thus the easier it will be to repay your loan quickly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re able to put down 25% or 40% (or more!) of the home\u2019s sticker price upfront, the smaller your <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-down-payment-calculator\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">anticipated monthly payments<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will be, and the easier it will be to make them all, as well as any extra payments you can afford.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, it\u2019s better to save up in advance than to deplete your emergency savings, especially if your five-year repayment plan means you won\u2019t be able to rebuild your savings until your mortgage is paid off.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"section--6\" data-toc-header=\"Take advantage of down payment assistance\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>6. \u2026 But also, take advantage of down payment assistance<\/h2>\n<p>If you are a first-time homebuyer, there are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-down-payment-assistance\/\">special programs that will help you buy a house<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This help usually comes through down payment matching programs, which will match up to 10% of your down payment, bringing you to 20%, which helps you avoid paying for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-pmi-rates\/\">mortgage insurance<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If you qualify for one of those programs, it doesn\u2019t make sense to put 20% down yourself \u2014 instead, put down 10% and save the rest for an emergency fund (which lenders are going to want to see), closing costs, or plan to use it for a lump sum payment on the loan principal after you own the house.<\/p>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realtytrac.com\/news\/2016-down-payment-assistance-affordability-analysis\/\">2016 study from RealtyTrac<\/a> reported that down payment assistance programs save homebuyers who qualify for them more than $17,000 on average over the course of their loan. The average savings on the down payment itself was $5,965.<\/p>\n<div id=\"section--7\" data-toc-header=\"Ask about prepayment penalties\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>7. Ask about prepayment penalties before you commit to a loan<\/h2>\n<p>When you\u2019re shopping around for a loan, be sure to ask any potential lenders about prepayment penalties before you sign on the dotted line.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re planning to pay off your mortgage early in order to save on interest, the last thing you want to do is pay penalties as a result.<\/p>\n<p>Not all lenders have them, but if you want to pay your loan off early, it\u2019s better to not pay your lender for the privilege!<\/p>\n<div id=\"section--8\" data-toc-header=\"Consider getting a 15-year loan term\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>8. Consider getting a 15-year loan term<\/h2>\n<p>A shorter term will have a lower interest rate, and additional principal payments will be more impactful as a result.<\/p>\n<p>A 15-year loan term may feel like a far cry from your five-year payment plan but if there are no prepayment penalties, you can still pay it off in five years and benefit from the lower interest rate along the way.<\/p>\n<div id=\"section--9\" data-toc-header=\"Refinance to a shorter term\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>9. Refinance to a shorter term<\/h2>\n<p>You can also get a 30-year mortgage and then <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-mortgage-refinance\/\">refinance it into a shorter term<\/a> after you buy. This can help you save a chunk of money, especially if your current mortgage is fixed rate and rates are lower now than when you signed your original mortgage. Though understand that you\u2019ll have to pay closing costs again when you refinance, so factor that into your payoff plan.<\/p>\n<p>Michael Shea, CFP\u00ae, EA at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.appliedcapital.com\/\">Applied Capital<\/a>, elaborates: \u201cEspecially during times when interest rates have fallen, refinancing has created an opportunity for homeowners to lock in a lower interest rate and decrease their monthly payment.\u201d And he notes that if you were able to continue making the same (higher) monthly mortgage payment after refinancing, you would also be able to pay off the mortgage earlier. \u201cThis doesn\u2019t change their budget, but increases the amount they are putting towards their principal.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"section--10\" data-toc-header=\"Recast your mortgage\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>10. Recast your mortgage<\/h2>\n<p>While you can\u2019t do this with some loans (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-what-is-the-difference-between-fha-and-conventional-loan\/\">FHA<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-what-is-a-va-loan\/\">VA loans<\/a>, for example) and many lenders, some conventional loans and lenders will allow it.<\/p>\n<p>After you pay a lump sum toward your loan principal balance, your lender might <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bankrate.com\/mortgages\/what-is-mortgage-recasting-and-why-do-it\/\">readjust your payment schedule<\/a>, which could mean a shorter loan term and paying less interest overall.<\/p>\n<p>Most mortgage recasts will officially result in a lower monthly payment, but if you keep your payments at the same level as before, you\u2019ll end up paying your mortgage off sooner.<\/p>\n<div id=\"section--11\" data-toc-header=\"Avoid taking on other debts\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>11. Avoid taking on other debts<\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019re committed to aggressively paying off your mortgage, you likely won\u2019t have the financial bandwidth to take on other debts. This means making your current car last for as long as possible and not going back to school right away.<\/p>\n<p>Paying off medical debt can be financially draining, so make sure your health insurance will cover you should the need arise before you dedicate a large chunk of your disposable income to owning your house outright.<\/p>\n<div id=\"section--12\" data-toc-header=\"Pay off other debts and divert that money to your mortgage\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>12. Pay off other debts and divert that money to your mortgage<\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019re carrying other debts that can be paid off faster (especially if they\u2019re credit cards with high interest rates), pay them off and divert the money from those payments to your mortgage payment.<\/p>\n<p>Paying off those cards might hurt in the short term and mean living on a strict budget for a little bit, but the long-term benefits of being free from both credit card and mortgage debt will feel really good.<\/p>\n<div id=\"section--13\" data-toc-header=\"Set up a biweekly payment schedule\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>13. Set up a biweekly payment schedule<\/h2>\n<p>Some lenders will let you set up your payment schedule this way. You pay half your mortgage every other week, which adds up to one whole extra payment per year.<\/p>\n<p>This is because there are 52 weeks per year, which is 26 half-payments, or 13 full payments. That\u2019s 1 more than the 12 payments you\u2019d make on a monthly schedule \u2014 and you likely won\u2019t notice the difference in your day-to-day, especially if you get paid biweekly.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/agents\/kevin-bartlett-fl-3338354\">Kevin Bartlett<\/a>, an agent in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/estero-fl\/top-real-estate-agents\">Estero, Florida<\/a>, with more than six years of experience, has worked with several clients who paid off their mortgages early, explaining, \u201cWhen people want to pay off their mortgage early, they typically make double payments, every-two-week payments. So they have an extra payment by the end of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"section--14\" data-toc-header=\"Maximize your principal repayment efforts\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>14. Maximize your principal repayment efforts<\/h2>\n<p>If you can save money by cooking for yourself, bringing your lunch to work, staycationing \u2014 and then apply everything you save to your principal \u2014 it\u2019ll definitely help.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t give up all semblance of joy in your life, but making small sacrifices can result in a big payoff when the money is applied to your loan principal.<\/p>\n<p>Bartlett\u2019s clients who are aggressively paying off their mortgages often apply this method, as even a $100 extra payment twice a month makes a big difference.<\/p>\n<p>Many add $100 per payment to cut the principal the interest down, so they&#8217;re still gaining an extra payment, plus they&#8217;re getting an extra $100 every payment, which equals about $2,400 a year off their mortgage and interest.<\/p>\n<div id=\"section--15\" data-toc-header=\"Make an additional house payment as often as you can\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>15. Make an additional house payment as often as you can<\/h2>\n<p>If you get a bonus, birthday money, or any windfalls, consider throwing some of it at your loan principal. It might be tempting to splurge on a trip or a new toy, but reducing your loan principal will save you money and get you to full homeownership that much faster.<\/p>\n<div id=\"section--16\" data-toc-header=\"Continue to touch base with your household to adjust\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>16. Continue to touch base with your household to adjust<\/h2>\n<p>Keep each other motivated and on track, and assess how well your strategies are working.<\/p>\n<p>Your repayment process will go much more smoothly if everyone is still on board with the plan and any short-term sacrifices that may come along with it, whether that means giving up fancier vacations or kids sharing a room or bathroom instead of having their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"geo-cta widget-cta widget-cta--content     widget-cta--dark widget-cta--dark-blue-gradient\">\n    <div class=\"widget-element--content\">\n        <div class=\"widget-element--content-header\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"homelight logo\" class=\"widget-element--logo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/ccprototypev5\/images\/logo-small-cta.png\" width=\"106\" height=\"25\" \/>\n        <\/div>\n        \n                <h3 class=\"cta-headline widget--bold\">A quick (and free) way to check your home value<\/h3>\n                        <p class=\"p1\">Get a preliminary home value estimate in as little as two minutes. Our tool uses information from multiple sources to give you a range of value based on current market trends.<\/p>\n        \n                <div class=\"widget-element--buttons\">\n            <a data-type=\"In Content CTA\" href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/simple-home-value\/quiz?#\/qaas=0\/\" class=\"cta-click-track widget-element--button\">Check now<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2>Remind yourself why you\u2019re doing this<\/h2>\n<p>Are you going to throw an amazing party when it\u2019s all over? Go on a luxury vacation to some gorgeous beach? Take up an expensive hobby you\u2019ve really missed?<\/p>\n<p>Whatever your reason is, keep it top of mind by making it part of your mortgage payment process so you never forget your why.<\/p>\n<p>Put it in your budgeting app as a note for your mortgage payment or in your calendar every two weeks when the automatic payment pulls from your bank account. Make it effortless to remember the \u201cwhy\u201d behind your aggressive repayment schedule. It\u2019ll help keep you motivated.<\/p>\n<p><em>Header Image Source: (Marsha Lynn Hudson \/ Unsplash)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> For most, a mortgage is their biggest expense; these tips can help you pay off a mortgage in 5 years so you can own your home outright.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":181,"featured_media":24534,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[192,629,632],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24392","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-buyers","category-home-financing","category-mortgage-loans"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.0 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Pay Off a Mortgage in 5 Years<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"For most, a mortgage is their biggest expense; 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