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Get the 411 on Mortgage Lingo | Credit Union | Needham | MA 10/17/2019
Congratulations, you’ve made the big decision to become a homeowner!
Before you start looking at houses, here are a few key mortgage terms you need to understand before you look into financing the home of your dreams.
Principal
This the original total amount borrowed from your lender, before interest.
Interest
Interest is the cost of borrowing money. You repay the principal amount of the loan, plus interest.
Interest rate
This is the rate you are charged for borrowing the principal. The percentage rate, whether high or low, depends a variety of factors that include your credit score, the size of your downpayment, the length of your loan and the current economy. Interest rate is very important because the higher your interest rate, the higher your monthly mortgage payment will be. Plus, a high interest rate means you’ll end up paying more over the lifetime of the loan.
Private Mortgage Insurance
This extra fee is designed to protect your lender if you aren’t able to make your mortgage payment. Most lenders require PMI if you your down payment is less than 20% of the value of the home.
Down Payment
You’ll probably be required to pay a certain percentage of your home’s total sale price upfront – this is called a down payment. In general, the larger the down payment, the lower your monthly payments. Traditionally, lenders have asked for a 20% down payment. So for a $350,000 house, you are looking at a 20% down payment of $70,000 upfront. Depending on your credit score and the economy, lenders may let you buy the home with as little as 5% down. However, if you don’t have enough saved to make a 20% down payment, you’ll need to pay PMI.
Term
The term of your loan means how long your lender will give you to pay back your loan. Most mortgages have 30-year or 15-year terms. The longer the term, the lower the monthly payments, but you’ll pay more over the lifetime of the loan because of interest.
Monthly payment:Your monthly payment will be the same every month, and it will include of a portion of the loan principal, interest, mortgage insurance (if you put less than 20% down) and a portion of your annual cost of property taxes and homeowners’ insurance – both are mandatory.
