Mortgages may be confusing at first, but we’re here to help you understand every complexity and moving part. Whether you’re buying your first home or fifth, these commonly asked mortgage questions and answers will serve as an easy introduction or a useful refresher.
As a home buyer, your mortgage is specific to your situation and lifestyle. At TC Mortgage Advisors, we specialize in a variety of loans that can meet your unique needs and background. Your Loan Officer will explain your options, answer your questions, and deliver a mortgage with the best loan terms available to you.
Check out the following mortgage FAQs to learn more about the process and contact us when you’re ready to get started!
What is an Annual Percentage Rate (APR)?
The annual percentage rate (APR) allows you to make comparisons between loans offered by different lenders by giving you the total cost of the loan. An APR combines the base interest rate and other add-on fees, so you know how much you’re really paying on top of your loan payments. This includes points, private mortgage insurance, closing costs and other fees that are charged by the lender. APR isn’t always calculated in exactly the same way, but the loan officers at TC Mortgage Advisors can help you get to the bottom of the numbers.
What is a Credit Score?
This is a statistically derived number that is supposed to help lending agencies assess the likelihood that an individual will repay his or her debts. Your credit score is based in part on your past credit history and is expressed as a number between 300 and 850. The higher the number, the better your score is. The number is calculated using a mathematical formula that considers the numbers in your credit report compared to those of many other individuals. Your credit score is a very important number; if you plan to take out a loan, the interest rates and terms of the loan you can qualify for depend on the strength of your credit score.
What is Down Payment?
When you buy a property, the down payment is the amount you pay upfront in cash towards the total value of the home. The remainder of the property value is then financed with your mortgage. The larger your down payment is, the smaller the mortgage amount and often the interest will be. A typical down payment is 20% of the property value, so for a $300k home, this would be $60k.
What is Home Equity?
Home equity is the difference between the market value of your home and the amount you owe on it through an outstanding mortgage or any other loans on the property. For a home worth $300k, if you have an outstanding mortgage of $120k, your home equity would be $180k.
What is a Fixed-Rate Mortgage?
The fixed-rate mortgage is the most common type of mortgage. The interest rate and monthly payment will remain the same throughout the life of the loan, and these loans typically have repayment terms of 15, 20, 30 or 40 years. Fixed-rate mortgages are best for buyers who are likely to be in their home for a long time and want to know how much their payment will be every month. Interest rates for fixed-rate mortgages are higher than the starting interest rates for variable-rate mortgages.
What is an Interest Rate?
This is the rate lenders charge you to borrow their money, expressed as an annual percentage. For a $240k, fixed-rate mortgage with a loan term of 30 years and an interest rate of 5%, you would end up paying the lender a total of $240k in principal and $228k in interest.
For a fixed-rate mortgage, the interest rate remains the same throughout the term. But in a variable-rate mortgage, it fluctuates according to market interest rates. Interest makes up a part of your monthly payment on your loan.
What is the Principal?
This is the amount you actually borrow for a loan. Interest is calculated based on the principal. For a $240k mortgage, your initial principal is $240k. A portion of your monthly payment, not including interest or taxes and fees, goes towards paying off the principal you still owe on your mortgage. At the end of the first year, your principal in this example would be roughly $236k. You would have paid $16k in total, $12k in interest and $4k in reducing the principal balance from $240k to $236k.