Mortgages 101: Understanding APR - CBS 5 - KPHO

Mortgages 101: Understanding APR - CBS 5 - KPHO

By Kirk Haverkamp
Provided by 

One of the most important terms you'll come across when shopping for a mortgage is APR, or annual percentage rate. But what exactly does it mean?

Simply put, APR is a way of indicating the real cost of a mortgage, expressed as an interest rate. While the regular interest rate is the first thing most people look at when pricing a mortgage, the APR also takes into account the closing costs and other fees that are built into a loan.

When you take out a home loan of any sort, whether you're buying a home, refinancing a mortgage or taking out a home equity loan, the interest rate is not necessarily a good indication of what you're paying for the loan. Many lenders will offer low "teaser" rates to draw borrowers' attention, but add in so many additional fees that it ends up costing more than a loan with a higher interest rate but fewer fees.

How APR works

The APR is an effort to level the playing field by rolling those fees into the cost of the loan. In essence, the APR is the interest rate that would produce the same monthly payment on a mortgage with zero fees as a mortgage at the stated rate with the fees included in the loan.

For example: Suppose you take out a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage for $200,000 at 4 percent interest with $6,000 in closing fees (the size of the down payment doesn't matter). Including the $6,000 in fees in the loan, that means you would borrow a total of $206,000 at 4 percent interest, giving you a monthly mortgage payment of $983.48, not counting homeowner's insurance, taxes or other expenses typically billed along with the mortgage itself.

On that mortgage, your APR would be 4.2168 percent. That's the interest rate that would produce a monthly payment of $983.48 on a $200,000 mortgage with no fees. Basically, it's what it would cost you to borrow your closing fees at the same rate as the rest of the mortgage.

By law, a lender has to disclose the APR when you apply for a mortgage. It will appear on the Truth in Lending Act form you receive when applying.

Using APR to compare loan offers

An additional 0.2168 percentage points isn't too bad in terms of closing costs. But suppose that same mortgage features $12,000 in closing costs? That would give you an APR of 4.4716 percent -- your closing costs are equal to nearly an additional half a percent in interest. That's a pretty significant increase.

The APR is designed to let you make an "apples-to-apples" comparison between two different mortgages with different interest rates and fees. So a mortgage with an interest rate of 4.125 percent and an APR of 4.391 percent would appear to be a better deal than another loan with an interest rate of 4.0 percent but an APR of 4.462 percent.

APR Shortcomings

While the APR is a useful guide to comparing the cost of different mortgage options, it's not completely fail-safe. For one thing, it's based on paying off the mortgage over the full amortization term -- but most people either sell their home or refinance their mortgage at least once before their mortgage is paid off. So that can throw off the calculation.

Discount points are a way of buying a lower interest rate by pre-paying some interest at the time of closing. Buying points can make financial sense if you have the mortgage for a long time, but aren't such a good deal if you sell the home or refinance within a few years.

In general, a mortgage with higher fees but a lower interest rate becomes more attractive the longer you have the loan, because you have more time for the savings from the lower rate to accumulate.  

Mortgage Rates at MortgageLoan.com

View the original story here: http://www.mortgageloan.com/understanding-apr-9094

Is comparing APR's the best way to decide which lender has the lowest rates and fees?

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The Federal Truth in Lending law requires that all financial institutions disclose the APR when they advertise a rate. The APR is designed to present the actual cost of obtaining financing, by requiring that some, but not all, closing fees are included in the APR calculation. These fees in addition to the interest rate determine the estimated cost of financing over the full term of the loan. Since most people do not keep the mortgage for the entire loan term, it may be misleading to spread the effect of some of these up front costs over the entire loan term. Also, unfortunately, the APR doesn't include all the closing fees and lenders are allowed to interpret which fees they include. Fees for things like appraisals, title work, and document preparation are not included even though you'll probably have to pay them. For adjustable rate mortgages, the APR can be even more confusing. Since no one knows exactly what market conditions will be in the future, assumptions must be made regarding future rate adjustments. You can use the APR as a guideline to shop for loans but you should not depend solely on the APR in choosing the loan program that's best for you. Look at total fees, possible rate adjustments in the future if you're comparing adjustable rate mortgages, and consider the length of time that you plan on having the mortgage. Don't forget that the APR is an effective interest rate--not the actual interest rate. Your monthly payments will be based on the actual interest rate, the amount you borrow, and the term of your loan.

Interest Rate vs. APR

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If you're looking to buy a home or already own, you're probably familiar with the terms "Interest Rate" and "APR." They're both used when referring to mortgage rates, but why are both quoted and what makes them different?

Knowing the difference is very important and could save you thousands of dollars on your mortgage.

At the highest level:

• The interest rate is the cost of borrowing the principal loan amount.
• The APR — or Annual Percentage Rate — is a broader measure of borrowing and includes not only the interest rate but also any other costs to get a loan such as discount points, insurance and closing costs.

Quoting the APR became industry practice as part of the Truth in Lending Act, a federal law passed in 1968 to protect consumers by requiring the full disclosure of the terms and conditions of finance charges in credit transactions.

Given the same interest rate, higher APRs indicate more costs associated with obtaining a loan, including fees and points. Because of this, it's important to shop around and get APRs from several lenders, allowing you to compare all fees, apples–to–apples, and determine which lender is right for you.

If you're focused on getting the lowest monthly payment, the interest rate is likely the top priority for you. If your focus, however, is the total cost of the loan over time, the APR may be your most valuable tool.

While looking at interest rates and the APR are important, take some time to learn more about other important costs that factor in.

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