Par rate or points
A point is an upfront fee that, by convention, is equal to 1 percent of the loan amount. For example, one point on a $150,000 loan would be $1,500, while two points on a $300,000 loan would be $6,000.
The interest rate associated with zero points is referred to as the lender's "par" rate, says Peter Thompson, a senior loan officer at Prospect Mortgage in Naperville, Ill. Borrowers who pay points at closing or who finance points as part of their loan amount should get an interest rate that's lower than par. Borrowers who take "negative" points, in the form of a credit toward their closing costs, agree to accept an interest rate that's higher than par.
"The par rate is the best rate (the borrower) can have without paying points," Thompson says. "If they want a lower rate, they would pay a point, and if they want some of their closing costs paid, we can do that by giving them a slightly higher rate."
Points also can be deducted for federal income tax purposes in some circumstances.
Closing costs
So should borrowers pay points? The answer depends largely on the borrower's individual situation, but these days most people are inclined to save their money upfront.
"Most people aren't paying any points," Miller says. "With interest rates as low as they are, it's more beneficial for someone to take the slightly higher rate to offset the closing costs."
Jay Dacey, a mortgage broker at Metropolitan Financial Mortgage Co. in Minneapolis, concurs.
"Given the opportunity to compare the three (options), people typically take the option with the negative points where they have their closing costs paid for them by the bank with a slightly higher interest rate," he says. "They like not having (to pay) the closing costs."
No points
Another reason paying points might not make sense is that points aren't worth what they used to be. Not long ago, one point usually bought an interest rate reduction of a quarter of a percentage point. Now, however, a point might buy down the rate only an eighth of a percentage point, experts say.
"When we look at the reduction in the payment between paying a point versus not paying a point, the difference is minimal," Miller says. "The immediate benefit of holding onto cash is much more important."