The main drawback to a 15-year mortgage is that monthly payments are much higher since you have to pay off the same amount in half the time. As a result, many homeowners simply can't swing the monthly payments. It's up to you and your loan officer to compare the costs — and potential savings — of a 15 vs.
A 15-year mortgage is designed to be paid off over 15 years. A 30-year mortgage is structured to be paid in full in 30 years. The interest rate is lower on a 15-year mortgage, and because the term is half as long, you'll pay a lot less interest over the life of the loan.
Borrowers with a 15-year term pay more per month than those with a 30-year term. In return, they receive a lower interest rate, pay their mortgage debt in half the time and can save tens of thousands of dollars over the life of their mortgage.
If your aim is to pay off the mortgage sooner and you can afford higher monthly payments, a 15-year loan might be a better choice. The lower monthly payment of a 30-year loan, on the other hand, may allow you to buy more house or free up funds for other financial goals.
A 15-year, fixed-rate mortgage is a great tool for borrowers who can afford the higher payments while still saving and investing for retirement. Paying off a mortgage gives many people a feeling of independence, safety and accomplishment. But if your income is uncertain or variable, avoid the 15-year mortgage.
A 15-year mortgage might be a better fit if you have more monthly cash on hand and want to pay off your home faster, for example. Alternatively, a 30-year mortgage might be better for someone who has a more limited budget or wants to save cash by paying less toward their mortgage but for a longer period of time.
The shorter your mortgage term is, the less interest you'll be charged for your loan. That's because lenders take on less risk with shorter-term loans than longer-term ones. If you take out a 30-year mortgage, you could end up spending quite a bit of money on interest by the time your home is fully paid off.
Because a 30-year mortgage has a longer term, your monthly payments will be lower and your interest rate on the loan will be higher. So, over a 30-year term you'll pay less money each month, but you'll also make payments for twice as long and give the bank thousands more in interest.
Long-term loans have longer repayment periods — which means they may be helpful in getting your debt under control with smaller monthly payments. The big downside is that it can keep you in debt that much longer. You might want to steer clear of a long-term loan if you can afford shorter-term alternatives.
Refinancing from a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage into a 15-year fixed loan can help you pay down your loan sooner and save lots of dollars otherwise spent on interest. You'll own your home outright and be free of mortgage debt much sooner than normal. Plus, mortgages with shorter terms often charge lower interest rates.
Yes! Make sure you tell your lender that you want your payment to go toward your principal if you do make advance payments on your mortgage. Some mortgage lenders apply any extra payment you make toward your next monthly minimum. This won't help you reduce the amount of interest you owe.
Making additional principal payments will shorten the length of your mortgage term and allow you to build equity faster. Because your balance is being paid down faster, you'll have fewer total payments to make, in-turn leading to more savings.
Pros of refinancing back to a 30-year loan
Lower monthly payments: When you spread your new loan over 30 years, you get the lowest, most affordable monthly payments. If you choose a shorter term, such as 25 years, the monthly principal and interest payments will be higher.
Is It Harder to Qualify for a 15-Year Mortgage Loan? If you have a higher income that proves you can afford the higher payments associated with a short term mortgage loan, then it's easy to qualify. You may also find interest rates that are between . 5 and 1% lower than they are for a 30-year mortgage.
Okay, you probably already know that every dollar you add to your mortgage payment puts a bigger dent in your principal balance. And that means if you add just one extra payment per year, you'll knock years off the term of your mortgage—not to mention interest savings!
Paying off your mortgage early is a good way to free up monthly cashflow and pay less in interest. But you'll lose your mortgage interest tax deduction, and you'd probably earn more by investing instead. Before making your decision, consider how you would use the extra money each month.
Regardless of the amount of funds applied towards the principal, paying extra installments towards your loan makes an enormous difference in the amount of interest paid over the life of the loan. Additionally, the term of the mortgage can be drastically reduced by making extra payments or a lump sum.
The truth is, if you can scrape together the equivalent of one extra payment to put toward your mortgage each year, you'll take, on average, four to six years off your loan. You'll also save tens of thousands of dollars in interest payments.
A longer term is riskier for the lender because there's more of a chance interest rates will change dramatically during that time. There's also more of a chance something will go wrong and you won't pay the loan back. Because it's a riskier loan to make, lenders charge a higher interest rate.
The short and long-term effects
Applying for any type of loan has a negative impact on the 10% of your credit score that comes from new credit applications. However, the impact is small and only temporary.