What is APR (Annual Percentage Rate) Mortgage FAQ - $0.00

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Mortgage FAQ

What is APR (Annual Percentage Rate)

The Calculation of APR (Annual Percentage Rate)
The annual percentage rate is a method developed under federal law to disclose to loan applicants the actual amount of interest that will be paid on a given loan, over the life of that loan. It makes it easy to compare one mortgage to another by making it an apples-to-apples comparison. You should, however, use the APR as just one tool in evaluating a loan, not as the sole factor in making your decision.

To understand APR, you must first understand the concept of points. A point is 1% of the loan amount. If the loan is for $100,000, one point is $1,000.

There are two types of points: origination and discount. Origination points are the fees normally charged by a lender, and sometimes by a mortgage broker, for originating, or starting up, your loan. Discount points are charged to lower your interest rate, and this lowers your payments. In other words, if you pay some more money up front, the bank will let you pay less over time.

Both types of points should be considered interest that you pay up front. Therefore, you must figure points into the cost of your loan repayment. If you take out a loan for $120,000 at 9% interest for 30 years, and you pay one origination point and one discount point, you're paying a total of two points, or $2,400. Your payment will be $965.55 per month.

To get the proper APR on your loan, then, you have to add that $2,400 to your starting balance, since (remember?) it is interest, albeit prepaid interest. This makes your total loan $122,400. Figure the new payment on that balance, which works out to $984.00. Now return to the original loan amount and (ready, mathematicians?) compute the polynomial backwards to reach the interest rate it would take to equal the payment on the total loan. It works out to roughly 9.23%.

In paying points to lower your rate, a good rule of thumb is that it will take you about five years to make up the additional point(s) paid; then you will begin saving money over the remaining term of the loan.

By federal law, lenders are required to send you a TIL (no, that's not something you get your hand caught in when you're stealing -- it stands for Truth in Lending) statement within three days of applying for a loan.