When comparing mortgages there are various factors to be taken into consideration. This article covers the following mortgage specific considerations, with more to follow in part two onwards.

- Total Cost Calculation
- Overall APR
- Arrangement fees
- Portability
- Early Repayment Charge
- Term of mortgage / Age of borrower

Total Cost Calculation

For many the major consideration when taking out a mortgage is how much the monthly payment will be. This is understandable as most people know what their level of income is and how much they can reasonable afford to pay in financing a mortgage. Unfortunately, it is this assumption that can cost you dearly. All too often those applying for a mortgage look only at the interest rate and the monthly payment, making the judgement that the lower the rate and monthly payment the better the mortgage.

In most cases the opposite is true because of total overall cost. Total cost refers to the overall cost of both the monthly payment plus any combined fees for the arrangement of the mortgage, such as a lenders arrangement fee or booking fee, a valuation fee, solicitors fee etc, and based on a specific period in years.

An example based on an interest only mortgage of £100,000

A £100,000 2 year fixed rate mortgage at a mortgage rate of 4.85% with a £499 lender arrangement fee and a £300 valuation fee has a total cost of £ 10,499 over 2 years

A £100,000 2 year fixed rate mortgage at a mortgage rate of 4.59% with a £1499 lender arrangement fee and a £300 valuation fee has a total cost of £ 10,979 over 2 years

In the example above, had the lower rate been taken, then the monthly payment would have been £21.66 per month less, but the net overall total cost would have been £480 more over a 2 year period, after the addition of the higher arrangement fee. This may not seem a huge difference over two years, but if the same decision were taken every two or three years over a typical 25 year mortgage term, the cost in additional interest would come to more than £10,000 pounds. In addition, as no capital is repaid with an interest only mortgage, the outstanding balance at the end of the term would also include the lenders arrangement fees that were added to the loan bringing the balance up to around £112,000.

Overall APR

Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is the total cost of borrowing which depends on the nominal rate of interest and on whether interest is charged annually, monthly, quarterly, daily or on some other basis. Comparison of the APRs of different providers is a facility for providing a direct and fair comparison of costs since the method of calculation is laid down in the Consumer Credit Act 1974. It is possible to compare the total amount payable by the end of the mortgage term. These are important comparisons if you are concerned about the total cost of the loan as well as the monthly outlay.

A word of caution however. The APR reflects the comparison of cost over the full mortgage term. If however the mortgage is changed after say a three year fixed rate period, the APR is not a good rate to use for comparison, and you would be better to look at the ‘Total Cost Calculation’ of the mortgage product as detailed in the section above.

Arrangement fees

An arrangement fee is generally payable to the lender to reserve the mortgage funds and is common amongst all lenders. The size of an arrangement fee can vary from a couple of hundred pounds up to one percent or more of the mortgage value, which can be a sizeable sum.

Many lenders now offer lower interest rates offset by a higher arrangement fee. Don’t be misled by the attractive rate as the overall cost often works out to be more than a slightly higher interest rate with a lower arrangement fee.

You should look very carefully at any conditions associated with the arrangement fee, as in some instances the arrangement fee will be payable on or before completion, although generally the option to add the arrangement fee to the loan is available.

Some lenders expect you to pay the arrangement fee when you submit your mortgage application (and may be reluctant to refund it if you decide not to proceed with their mortgage offer). For those lenders that allow the arrangement fee to be added to the loan, you will end up paying more interest over the term of the loan.

Portability

How often do you envisage moving house in the future? Having the facility to transfer the mortgage to a new property if regular moves are predicted, may be advantageous. For example, lets say you have taken a five year fixed rate mortgage which has an early repayment charge during the five year fixed rate period, but you then have to relocate due to work commitments. Being able to ‘Port’ (transfer) the mortgage to a new property means you can transfer the mortgage without incurring the lenders early repayment penalty charge.

Early Repayment Charge

When a loan is redeemed, there may be an early repayment charge levied by the lender depending on the type of mortgage you wish to take. Fixed, discounted and tracker mortgage rates usually charge a penalty of between 3% and 5% of the original loan amount if the loan is redeemed at any time during the fixed, discounted or tracker rate term.

Nowadays, it is common practice to waive any early repayment charge when an existing loan is transferred to the borrower’s new property, especially where a fixed rate mortgage is involved. This provides continuity to the borrower, and helps retain the business and existing client for the lender.

Term of mortgage / Age of borrower

Whichever method of repayment is selected for your mortgage, the shorter the term, the more expensive will be the monthly cost. If total peace of mind is required then a standard capital repayment mortgage should be selected. This is the only type of mortgage that guarantees that the mortgage will be paid in full if all mortgage payments are made.

When choosing either a Pension, ISA backed mortgage, contributions look more attractive over longer terms as the tax incentives have a compounding effect on the investment returns in the fund and will, therefore, generally become more competitive. There are no guarantees however, and fund values can go down as well as up. When considering a pension mortgages your age and the term of the mortgage are particularly important considerations as pensions are unable to provide any capital to repay the loan until at least age 50. For instance a first time buyer aged 22 would end up with a term of at least 28 years if the pension option was chosen.

One of the biggest loans that most people in the United States take on during their lifetime is a mortgage for their house. Our system generally calls for a down payment of some type followed by a loan to cover the remainder of the house cost. Private mortgage insurance is usually required by the lender when the buyer puts down less than 20% of the sale price of the home he or she may wish to buy.

This insurance protects the lender in the event that the buyer is not able to finish paying off the loan. Once the mortgage is paid down to at least 80% of the home’s value, or possibly when the home’s value appreciates, the Private Mortgage insurance is usually no longer needed.

The sales price of the home is determined by the market value of the home, the area in which the home is located, and the size of the home. These dynamics are factored in when the home’s value is set by the appraiser.

There are several different ways that the Private Mortgage Insurance might be paid. The first option would be for the insurance policy to be paid as escrow is closed on the purchase of the house. This insurance would be for a fixed amount of time. This time frame is determined by when the 80% value will be reached according to the mortgage amortization schedule.

A second option might be that the private mortgage insurance policy payment amount would be combined with the mortgage payment itself, much like property taxes are included with some mortgage payments. Again, this payment would stop at the time when the 80% value is reached and would no longer be part of the mortgage payment.

A third option exists, as well, and many times the buyer may not even know that mortgage insurance exists in their mortgage. Some of the higher interest rates might specify that no mortgage insurance is needed. in actuality, however, the insurance payment has been added to the interest rate quoted on the prepared mortgage payment.

The private mortgage insurance premium is determined by several factors. One important issue is whether or not the home is investment property or whether it is a primary or secondary residence for the borrower. Another item that would be considered is the loan amount against the current appraisal value of the home. Of primary importance would be the borrower’s credit score.

Until 2007, private mortgage insurance premiums were not deductible on the home buyer’s income taxes. It was for this reason that many people who did not have the full 20% down payment would consider a second mortgage. The second mortgage would provide the money for 10 or 15% of the down payment, depending on the need of the borrower.

Now, however, a borrower may deduct premiums for the private mortgage insurance for up to three years on their tax returns. In many cases, this deduction has made it more cost effective to purchase the insurance than to obtain a second mortgage.

According to the Homeowners Protection Act passed in 1998, most private mortgage insurance policies automatically cancel when the 78% loan-to-value is reached. Defaulting on the payments or making late payments will, however, allow the lender to continue to require this insurance. This requires less of the home buyer because of the automatic percentage built into the policy. The savvy home buyer will, of course, want to mark this date on a calendar and check to make sure this is taken care of promptly.

Legally, the lender can hold the borrower liable for the premium on the private mortgage insurance policy until the value of the home reaches 78% of the loan-to-ratio value. Once that obligation has been met, the lender will probably require that the home be appraised again to make sure the insurance is no longer needed.

However, if the home buyer’s credit score is good and all the payments are current, there is another option. He or she may be able to petition to have the private mortgage insurance removed when 20% of the home’s value has been paid by the borrower.

Exceptions to these two allowances for termination of the private mortgage insurance may not be allowed on loans that are considered to be high risk by the lender. Another situation which may influence whether the lender allows for termination of the policy may be the presence of other liens on the land and/or the home.

Many considerations go into the buying of a home. If the home buyer has less than 20% down payment, he or she needs to be prepared for this to be one of those considerations. Just as property taxes and home owner’s insurance are part of the home owner’s future, so private mortgage insurance is part of the home buyer’s assortment of tasks to be dealt with as they look into the details of their new purchase.