Annual Percentage Rate (APR) Made Easy

To fully understand and grasp Annual Percentage Rate (APR), there are terms to keep in mind. When you finally understand each mortgage term and definition, you can understand the basic concepts of APR. APR is short for Annual Percentage Rate which means true cost of borrowing. The fees below may be included in APR.

Points

Mortgage Lenders levied this charge at closing. A point represents one percent of face value of mortgage loan.

Pre-paid interest

It is the interest charged to borrowers at loan closing to pay for the cost of borrowing for a partial month. For example, if a loan closes on the first of the month and the first payment is due 10 days later, the lender will charge 10 days of prepaid interest.

Mortgage Insurance

The borrowers are usually required to pay when loan to value ratio exceeds 80%. This insurance protects the mortgage lender from default of mortgage payments.

Title or abstract, Escrow, Attorney, Closing, and Notary fee

The agent charges for their services.

Recording fee

The cost obtained in writing or entering an instrument in a book or public record

Appraisal and Credit report fee

Mortgage Lenders collect to pay the appraisal and credit-report Company.

Processing, Underwriting and Document Fees

Charges for the lender's services associated with making the loan.

Dennis Estrada is a webmaster of mortgage calculators website which calculate the monthly payment, bi-weekly payment, affordability, refinance, annual percentage rate, discount points, and more.