The federal government requires mortgage lenders to disclose the “annual percentage rate” (APR) whenever they advertise a loan program. But what is APR, and does it really matter to you?

Here’s the thing: APR lumps all your “finance charges” into your interest rate. As you can see from Figure 1, some of your closing costs are considered “finance charges”.  APR is calculated by adding all these finance charges to the total interest that you’ll pay over the life of the mortgage, and then calculating an annual interest rate based on that total number.

Here are three little-known facts about APR:

This means that your APR will be lower if the seller is contributing funds toward your points and closing costs.

When you have an ARM, the APR is calculated by looking at your “fully indexed rate”.  This is the interest rate that you would pay if the loan adjusted today.  For example, if you have a 5 or 7 year ARM, the APR on your loan is not calculated based on the rate you pay for the first 5 or 7 years of your loan.  It’s based on what your interest rate would be in 5 or 7 years if the index remains the same as it is today.  See Figure 2 for an example of a fully indexed rate.

Most people only keep their mortgages for 5-7 years.  Chances are that you’ll refinance or sell your home at some point before the loan ends in 15 or 30 years.  Therefore, when you compare your mortgage options, it’s probably smarter for you to look at what your total costs will be over 5, 7 or even 10 years vs. focusing entirely on comparing the APR.  Remember, APR is simply one measurement of the cost of your loan… and it may not be the most accurate measurement for your purposes.

As a Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist (CMPS®) I’d be happy to review your situation and help you compare your options.  Contact me for more information!

The federal government requires mortgage lenders to disclose the “annual percentage rate” (APR) whenever they advertise a loan program. But what is APR, and does it really matter to you?

Here’s the thing: APR lumps all your “finance charges” into your interest rate. As you can see from Figure 1, some of your closing costs are considered “finance charges”.  APR is calculated by adding all these finance charges to the total interest that you’ll pay over the life of the mortgage, and then calculating an annual interest rate based on that total number.

Here are three little-known facts about APR:

This means that your APR will be lower if the seller is contributing funds toward your points and closing costs.

When you have an ARM, the APR is calculated by looking at your “fully indexed rate”.  This is the interest rate that you would pay if the loan adjusted today.  For example, if you have a 5 or 7 year ARM, the APR on your loan is not calculated based on the rate you pay for the first 5 or 7 years of your loan.  It’s based on what your interest rate would be in 5 or 7 years if the index remains the same as it is today.  See Figure 2 for an example of a fully indexed rate.

Most people only keep their mortgages for 5-7 years.  Chances are that you’ll refinance or sell your home at some point before the loan ends in 15 or 30 years.  Therefore, when you compare your mortgage options, it’s probably smarter for you to look at what your total costs will be over 5, 7 or even 10 years vs. focusing entirely on comparing the APR.  Remember, APR is simply one measurement of the cost of your loan… and it may not be the most accurate measurement for your purposes.

As a Certified Mortgage Planning Specialist (CMPS®) I’d be happy to review your situation and help you compare your options.  Contact me for more information!