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Closing costs
Closing costs are the total expenses that the buyer pays at the time a real estate transaction is completed. closing costs generally range between 3 and 6 percent of the home purchase price. With conventional loans, the following closing costs cannot be paid by the Seller for the Buyer: Pre-paid interest, Hazard insurance impounds, or Property tax impounds. |
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First Mortgage
A real estate loan with a lien (i.e., mortgage or deed of trust) on the subject property that has priority over any subsequently lien or financial encumbrances. |
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Interest-only payments
Mortgage payments that include only interest. No loan amortization occurs and, thus, the homeowner does not accrue any equity (unless the home value increases). |
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Points
Points are also called discount points, mortgage points, loan discount points, loan origination fees, or maximum loan charges. Points are prepaid interest assessed at closing by the lender and or the broker. A point is equal to 1 percent of the loan amount. Lenders consider mortgage points as interest that you pay in advance. As a result, the more points you pay when you close the loan, the lower your interest rate. The IRS considers points to be a form of prepaid interest. Discount fees are totally tax deductible for the year the loan is closed for tax purposes, while origination points are tax deductible over two years (half for the year the loan is closed, and half in the year following). |
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