To subsidize the borrower's reduced monthly payments, it typically costs a percentage of the total loan amount to reduce the interest rate. For example, on a $500,000 loan with a 6% contracted interest rate, the total cost of the buydown for the first and second year would be about 2.2% of the loan amount.
Either a homebuyer or a home seller can pay for a buydown. That payment may be in the form of mortgage points or a lump sum deposited in an escrow account with the lender and used to subsidize the borrower's reduced monthly payments.
While those three years of smaller payments with a 3-2-1 buydown look pretty nice, don't forget that you're paying for them in advance. Again, it's just like a $20 discount you paid $20 to earn. And if you do go down that road, you'll be missing out on saving thousands in the long run.
Rates could come down.
This is perhaps the biggest drawback of 2-1 buydown mortgages when you utilize them when interest rates are high. If rates come down, your locked rate could be much higher than the new current market rate, meaning an ARM would have been a better choice.
Interest rates constantly change based on the economy. If rates have dropped since you took out your 2-1 buydown mortgage, refinancing could allow you to lock in a lower rate. Even a small decrease in the interest rate can significantly reduce your monthly payments and save you money over the life of your loan.
A borrower may purchase points, which lower the interest rate by a certain percentage. In other cases, the lender or seller will pay for a temporary buydown to help close the deal.
Consider the following example for a 30-year loan: On a $100,000 mortgage with an interest rate of 3%, your monthly payment for principal and interest would be $421 per month. If you purchase three discount points, your interest rate might be 2.25%, which puts your monthly payment at $382 per month.
Each mortgage discount point usually costs one percent of your total loan amount, and lowers the interest rate on your monthly payments by 0.25 percent. For example, if your mortgage is $300,000 and your interest rate is 3.5 percent, one point costs $3,000 and lowers your monthly interest to 3.25 percent.
The buydown interest percentage is the total of the interest for both years. That is, the buydown is 2% in the first year and 1% in the second year, for a total of 3%. The formula for calculating buydown points is: buydown points = (loan amount x percentage) / 100.
Does a 2-1 Buydown Require Extra Funds at Closing? Yes, you will need to provide extra funds at closing to cover the cost of the buydown. This is an upfront fee that pays for the reduced interest rates in the first two years.
While 2-1 buydowns are common, not all lenders offer them. It's important to understand the availability of this loan buydown option and how all of the terms work before a decision.
Qualified borrowers could see a monthly mortgage payment of principal and interest between $3,043.80 and $4,029.80 for a $600,000 mortgage loan right now.
What is the Process of Getting a 2-1 Buydown? Once you know how much the 2-1 buydown will cost for your purchase, you will then ask for that amount as a credit from the home seller or builder. Depending on what loan program the buyer qualifies for, a seller can offer a certain amount in credits or concessions.
And here is even better news: The money for the temporary buydown goes into an escrow account and is applied to your loan every month during the buydown period. If you refinance or sell during that period, the unused portion gets applied to your home loan, reducing the balance of your loan.
The borrower is required to pay 2 points on a $50,000 loan. A point is a fee equal to 1% of the loan amount. Therefore, 2 points on a $50,000 loan would be 2% of $50,000. Therefore, the borrower has to pay the lender $1,000 in points.
An amount paid to the lender, typically at closing, in order to lower the interest rate. Also known as “mortgage points” or “discount points.” One point equals 1% of the loan amount (for example, 2 points on a $100,000 mortgage would equal $2,000).
Permanent buydowns
Each discount point is equal to 1 percent of your total loan amount. You can typically pay up to three points, depending on how much you want to lower your rates. Because they don't expire and permanently reduce your interest rate, they're known as a permanent buydown.
How does a seller-paid rate buydown benefit the seller? Raised interest rates can cause price reductions on a seller's home. A buydown is one way sellers can avoid this. It might be cheaper for them to help pay for mortgage or discount points instead of cutting the asking price of their home.
Interest savings: Choosing a buydown could save you money on interest costs during the first two years (with a 2-1 buydown) or three years (with a 3-2-1 buydown) of the mortgage. Price reduction: If a seller is offering to pay something toward the buydown, then this could reduce the cost of buying the home.
During the first year, you pay a rate 2% lower than the actual P&I payments (hence the “2”). During the second year, you pay a rate 1% lower than the real P&I payments (the “1” in “2-1). After two years, you pay the actual monthly principal and interest payments.
A 2-1 buydown is a program in which a home buyer, seller and/or builder pays to reduce the buyer's mortgage rate temporarily, making the first two years of homeownership more affordable.
Buydown funds are not refundable unless the mortgage is paid off before all the funds have been applied. Buydown funds cannot be used to pay past-due payments. Buydown funds cannot be used to reduce the mortgage amount for purposes of determining the LTV ratio.