Understanding the difference between interest rate and APR is crucial for individuals who are attempting to obtain a home loan. When someone is attempting to obtain a mortgage loan, fully understanding the mortgage interest rate and APR will prevent a person from pursuing loan terms that will not be beneficial for their needs. With this information, home buyers will better understand the two terms so they will know what to expect from the process. With the following information, individuals will be able to answer the question: What’s the difference between interest rate and APR?
What Should Buyers Know About Interest Rate?
There are a few different factors that control the interest rate on a home loan. The interest rate depends on the risk the lender will be taking if they lend the money for the home. The interest rate is determined at the time of loan approval and can vary, depending on factors such as the economy and the borrower’s credit score. The interest rate is a small percentage that is applied to the monthly payment.
The interest rate will be paid down over the life of the loan. With each payment, the home buyer is paying a portion of their interest. In simplest terms, the interest is the fee the borrower will pay the lender for allowing them to borrow the money to purchase their home.
It is important to note, the interest rate on a mortgage may be fixed or it could change over the life of the loan, depending on the terms. Fixed rate loans are generally preferred because home buyers will be able to rely on paying a consistent payment amount that will never go up.
What Should Buyers Know About APR?
Although a mortgage APR is a percentage, just like an interest rate, it is typically going to be higher than the interest rate percentage because it includes all of the costs of financing the loan and the fees that are involved. It is important to note, the APR does not in any way determine how much the borrower will pay each month.
The APR is considered one of the most important percentages to pay attention to when it comes to choosing a mortgage loan. The APR rate is more important with a fixed rate loan than it is with a variable rate. It is also crucial the borrower understands how their mortgage insurance can affect their APR rate.
With mortgage insurance, the APR is likely going to rise higher than it would without insurance and this is something that will need to be considered when deciding on a mortgage. Mortgage insurance may be required if the borrower does not have a twenty percent downpayment to put down.
Getting Started
It is imperative mortgage shoppers carry out their research and learn as much as they possibly can about their options before making a choice. Rushing the process will only lead to accepting a mortgage that does not offer favorable terms. Ideally, borrowers should check with several lenders to ensure they are getting the very ideal rate. Although it takes time, careful research can be very effective at finding the lowest rate.
Taking time in the process is essential because the mortgage rate will affect a person for many years to come. No one wants to be stuck with a high-interest, high APR mortgage that ends up leading to them being unable to afford their home payment each month.
In reality, a buyer needs to make sure their APR is affordable enough and they are able to calculate the full interest they will end up paying over the life of their mortgage loan. Those who have been wondering what to expect from the two different rates should now have a better understanding so they can get started.
