Rates are Falling - Mortgage Tip

Rates are falling, Rates are Falling, and Rates are Falling!  Rates are falling guys but this could turn on a dime and rates could shoot up. There’s a lot going on right now which is driving rates or the cost of rates down. Take a look a the summary below:

What you have are 3 columns; A proposed Current Situation, a 30 Year Fixed Option, & a 5/1 ARM Option. The two options offer quite a bit of benefit to this hypothetical borrower. In addition to showing the difference in total payments, the refinance options also show the savings over time (5 years) and the freedom point of the new mortgage if the monthly savings were applied toward the principal balance each month. 

Let’s dissect the 30 year fixed option.  The proposed rate is fixed for 30 years at 3.75% with APR of 3.845%. The total payment including taxes and insurance drops by $170/month from $1,565 down to $1,395. That $170/month is $2,040 in savings per year. The closing costs and impound account came to about $4,816. Now let’s compute the cash on cash rate of return on spending this $4800 to save $2,046/year. The way to do that is to divide your annual savings, in this case the $2,046, by the cost of the investment (2,040/4,816 = .423) which equals 42%. WOW! Read that again, an ROR of 42%! Seriously? Yes! This is a concept known to Certified Mortgage Planners as a “Cash in Refinance”. While the borrower in this example is tying their closing costs into the loan amount, they are still costs that they incur so we can calculate a cash on cash rate of return. Can you imagine what your financial planner would do if you could earn an ROR of 42%?

Now let’s look at the 2nd example. Because its an adjustable rate mortgage we can’t predict what will happen after the five year fixed period so the freedom point makes an assumption that the payment will remain constant. This will not be the case but there’s no way to calculate a freedom point with a variable payment.  Having said that, individuals that take out adjustable rate mortgages as opposed to those that took out a fixed rate mortgage, all other things being equal, will pay less in interest over the life of the loan. This is due to not only the initial fixed period being at a lower rate than what is offered on fixed rate loans but also because when the rate does go adjustable, it can actually go lower than the note rate. This is because the payment during the adjustment period is based on a fixed margin, usually 2.25, and some index such as the 1 year LIBOR. The floor on the rate is typically the margin. So the 5/1 ARM option offers savings of $337 per month. If that savings were applied to the principal balance the client would save over $25,500 in just 5 years in interest taking into account the closing costs paid. The loan would be paid off in about 22 1/2 years (assuming a constant payment). 

Either option is a fantastic way to save money and put yourself in a better financial position. Whether you would choose a fixed rate mortgage or an adjustable rate mortgage largely depends on your adversity to risk. Regardless of whether a fixed loan or ARM is right for you, saving money is right for everyone. You owe it to yourself and your family to see if you can save money every month and over time. Pick up the phone and call Chris Reese, CMPS® at 916-502-1656 for your free mortgage review or home purchase pre-approval. You can also inquire online at http://www.sacramentohomeloanspecialist.com/forms/askAnExpert.html

Rates are Falling - Mortgage Tip