A mortgage is usually the most significant monthly expenditure that people have. The 28 percent rule is that a mortgage makes up about 28 percent of a monthly income. That makes keeping that monthly payment down a priority.
Buydown Reduces Interest
Often called a “buydown,” a mortgage rate buydown reduces the mortgage’s interest rate. It requires the homebuyer to pay money upfront to secure this. The buyer also must pay “discount points,” which are an additional closing cost.What Does a Buydown Cost?
The cost of a buydown depends on the amount you borrow. Every point the borrower pays is equivalent to 1 percent of the loan amount.For example, a lender may offer to reduce the borrower’s rate by 0.25 percent in exchange for one point. So, if the borrower is offered an interest rate of 4 percent and is borrowing $400,000, they will pay $4,000 to lower their interest rate to 3.75 percent.
How Buydown Mortgage Works
Buydowns are negotiated, so they can be structured in a few ways. There are buydowns for the life of the loan, but the most common structures are a 1-0 buydown and a 2-1 buydown. The less common buydown is 3-2-1 buydown.A 1-0 buydown lowers the interest rate for the loan’s first year. But a 2-1 discounted rate is available for the first two years. After that, the interest rate will increase over the two years until the loan reaches its total percentage rate.
Who Pays the Buydown Costs?
The borrower could pay the buydown, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes lenders will run promotions that will offer to incur the buydown cost.When to Use a Buydown
A buydown, however, isn’t for everyone. Before using one, future financial plans should be analyzed. For example, a buydown works well if you anticipate increasing your income.It also works if you can afford the higher future payment but want to save money in the short term.
Mortgage Rate Buydown Breakeven Point
It’s most beneficial to do a buydown if a seller, builder, or lender offers to pay the discount points for the borrower.But if the borrower is paying for the buydown, then it’s worthwhile to calculate the breakeven point. This is the amount of time it takes to recoup the cost. The calculation is:
Breakeven point = (the cost of points) / (monthly savings)
Limits on Buydown Mortgages
Buydowns have some limits. They are only available for purchasing or refinancing a primary residence and second homes.Mortgage Buydown Pros
A mortgage rate buydown temporarily reduces your interest rate. So, it can save you money in the short term. But it only saves you interest during the first one to three years, depending on if you go with a 1-0 buydown, 2-1 buydown, or 3-2-1 buydown. Your mortgage will go up to its actual interest rate after this time has passed.If a seller or builder is willing to pay all or something toward the buydown, you may be able to pay less for a home than the selling price.
Mortgage Rate Buydown Cons
After the initial loan period, the mortgage payment increases. This may be difficult if your economic situation has changed and you’re now making less income.If you can’t pay the increased mortgage payments, you risk foreclosure.