When it comes to mortgages, many people tend to look at points and interest rates as to separate issues. In fact, they can almost always be used as leverage against each other.

Points and Interest Rates

Two critical components of a home loan are the interest rate and points charged at the outset. The interest rate is simply the cost of borrowing the money and applies to the total amount borrowed, to wit, six percent for example. The points on a home loan are an up-front fee that equates to a percentage of the loan. For instance, one point equates to an up-front fee equal to one percent of the total loan value. Paying one point on a $300,000 loan would equate to a fee of $3,000.

Many people jump to the conclusion that points are bad and should be avoided at all costs. While this may seem like common sense, it is not true in all situations. From the lender