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You’re working on your new home loan, and you’ve been offered something called “discount points”. What are they, how do they work, and are they a good option? Find out how and when to buy discount points and the difference between different types of mortgage discount points that might be charged when you take out a home loan.
Buying a house can be the most expensive purchase of your life, and reducing the costs of your mortgage is a big part of balancing your budget. How can mortgage “points” help, and when is it a good idea to buy discount points?
In most cases, mortgage discount points are fees you pay your mortgage lender to reduce the interest rate on the loan. If you are “buying down the rate,” each point that you buy typically costs one percent of the mortgage amount. Each point is worth around a quarter of a percent of interest for the life of your loan (the worth of the point will vary by lender.)
You’ll be informed of your option to buy mortgage points well before closing, and if you decide to buy discount points, they will be listed on your closing disclosure, which you receive and sign at least three days before your closing date.
The main reason to buy discount points when buying a home is that you can save a lot in interest over the life of your loan.
Mortgage discount points are basically prepaid interest. As such, they are tax-deductible on up to $750,000 of mortgage debt. You simply have to file itemized taxes and then list the deduction on Schedule A of Form 1040. You’ll claim it a little at a time, year after year.
The advantages of discount points only apply if you stay in your home long enough to recoup the payout at closing. If you refinance or sell the house within a few years, the mortgage points don’t help you.
In the example above, the savings accumulate monthly to the tune of a $56 lower mortgage payment. To recoup the $4,000 you paid at closing, you’d need to stay in the house at least 71 months. If you sold or tried for a refinance in less than 70 months (almost six years) you lose your advantage.
Another type of mortgage points is called “origination” points. Unlike discount points, these are charged by lenders who originate, review, and process your loan. They also usually cost one percent of the total mortgage.
If your lender charges 1.5 origination points on a $200,000 mortgage, you’d have to pay an extra $3,000 at closing. You can try to negotiate these down, or you can look for a mortgage company and lender that doesn’t charge origination points.
Origination points are not tax-deductible, since they are considered a service fee and not prepaid interest.
If you can afford to buy discount points when buying a home, and plan to stay in the home long term, you can save a lot of money. If you’re short on your down payment, or can bump yourself over a lower interest threshold by increasing your down payment, it might be better to use your extra money that way instead.
Consider your future, how long it would take you to break even, and the advantages and disadvantages of buying discount points carefully before you make your decision. Your Sammamish loan officer can help you if you have any questions.
At Sammamish, we believe in finding every possible advantage for our home buyers. We’ll let you know if your chosen home loan product allows you to buy discount points when buying a home, and calculate what your lender approves as the value of your points.
If you already are securing a very low loan rate, and may not stay in the house long enough to recoup your prepaid interest, we’ll make sure to let you know.
Sammamish Mortgage has been in business since 1992, and has assisted many home buyers in the Pacific Northwest. If you are looking for mortgage financing in Washington State, we can help. Sammamish Mortgage offers mortgage programs in Colorado, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
Contact us if you have any mortgage-related questions or concerns. If you are ready to move forward, you can view rates, obtain a customized instant rate quote, or apply instantly directly from our website.
Whether you’re buying a home or ready to refinance, our professionals can help.
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No Obligation and transparency 24/7. Instantly compare live rates and costs from our network of lenders across the country. Real-time accurate rates and closing costs for a variety of loan programs custom to your specific situation.