Unless you have access to the amount of funds needed to purchase a home solely with cash, you’ll need to take out a loan. If a lender agrees to provide you with a mortgage loan, you’ll pay off the debt you owe through amortization. This financial term is a method that can be used to pay off debt in installments that remain the same throughout the life of the loan.
While the installments you pay are equal, a varying amount of these payments goes to the loan principal as well as the interest. The manner in which your loan is structured mainly depends on the type of loan you take out. The following is a complete and comprehensive guide on amortization in real estate.
What Is Amortization In Real Estate?
Amortization is a type of mathematical process designed to determine how much of a monthly mortgage payment will go towards the principal and interest of the loan. The payments that are made at the start of the loan term primarily pay off the interest on the loan. This process usually goes along a curve as opposed to a straight line.
Many borrowers prefer the amortization curve since it means that more of the principal is paid off early. This option also provides borrowers with the opportunity to repay the entire balance of their loan by providing lenders with additional payments.
Borrowers are able to use estimates such as balance sheet, amortization table, amortization calculator, or amortization schedule to effectively predict how the curve of the loan amortization curve will go.
Fully Amortized Loans
Fully amortized loans are ones where every payment in the loan term is made in accordance with the initial schedule of the term loan. The loan you take out will be paid off at the end of your term.
Positive Amortization
Most lenders require borrowers to repay a portion of the loan principal in order to lower their repayment risk. As a result, the loan balance drops with each payment, which is referred to as positive amortization.
Negative Amortization
Negative amortization is a scenario that occurs when borrowers make required payments for a loan but their loan amount rises since the minimum payment won’t cover the interest that’s owed.
How Does Amortization Work?
Amortization differs depending on the type of loan that you apply for, which can be anything from a fixed-rate mortgage to an interest-only mortgage.
Fixed-rate Mortgages
Fixed-rate mortgages are highly useful for people who expect to remain in their new home for a lengthy period of time. These loans come with fixed interest rates throughout the entire loan term, which means that you will largely pay the same amount with each monthly payment. Keep in mind that the exact amount you pay may change slightly based on insurance and tax rates. However, fixed-rate mortgages provide a more predictable monthly payment than any other type of mortgage.
At the start of your fixed-rate mortgage, the majority of your monthly payment will be applied directly to the interest that you owe. As the balance of your interest decreases, more of your monthly payments you make will be applied to the loan principal.
Along with predictable mortgage payments, there are several benefits associated with fixed-rate mortgages. For one, the interest rate will remain the same. Even if national interest rates increase, your rate will be locked in at the one you obtained when you first applied for the loan. Since you have consistent mortgage payments, creating a monthly budget should be more straightforward.
One issue with fixed-rate mortgages is that the eligibility criteria is more stringent. You’ll need to have a good credit score as well as a relatively low debt-to-income ratio. Your interest rates will also be higher than the interest rates that borrowers initially receive for an adjustable-rate mortgage.
Adjustable-rate Mortgages (ARMs)
Adjustable-rate mortgages come with an initial repayment period of anywhere from 5-7 years. During this time, the borrower is expected to pay a fixed interest rate, which is typically below the current market rate. After the introductory period has come to an end, your lender looks at national interest rates and a predetermined index to identify what your interest rate should be.
If market interest rates are higher, your interest rates could increase. When market rates are lower, your interest rate may decrease. The amortization for an adjustable-rate mortgage works almost exactly like it does for a fixed-rate mortgage. The only difference is that the amount of interest you pay in a given month depends on how your interest rate has been adjusted.
This type of mortgage may be right for you if you want to obtain a low interest rate that can be locked in for at least five years. During this time, you can increase your savings to better prepare for the future. You could also choose to put some of your savings to the loan principal.
The primary downside of this type of mortgage is that interest rates can increase considerably after the initial fixed-rate period. If this occurs, your mortgage payments will increase as well.
Interest-only Mortgage
Interest-only mortgages can be highly appealing for anyone who wants to purchase a home and maintain low monthly payments. If you select a 30-year loan, you’ll only pay the interest balance for a period of 10 years. After the introductory period, interest and principal payments will be made throughout the remaining 20 years of the term.
Just like adjustable-rate mortgages, borrowers benefit from an introductory period when monthly payments are significantly lower than they would be with a fixed-rate mortgage. With low monthly payments at the beginning, you could afford a more expensive home. You could also put these funds towards your cash flow to increase your monthly budget.
Despite the advantages of this type of loan, there are a few concerns you should be aware of. For one, you won’t be building any equity in your home, which means that you won’t benefit if your home increases in value. Equity will only start to build once your payments apply to the principal.
You could also lose any equity you gained from your initial down payment. Without this equity, refinancing your mortgage can be difficult. The interest you end up paying on this mortgage will also go up if national interest rates increase.
Balloon Mortgages
Balloon mortgages are a type of financing where lump sum payments are scheduled at some point in the loan term. These loans are able to be structured in many different ways. Throughout the introductory period of this loan, you could make interest-only payments.
Most balloon mortgages will require borrowers to pay interest and principal from the beginning of the term. However, borrowers will also be expected to pay a lump sum payment to cover the remainder of the loan. This payment is usually due at the conclusion of the loan term.
Once interest rates for your balloon loan become fixed, your monthly payments will likely be smaller than they would be with a fully amortized loan. An advantage of choosing a balloon loan is that you can purchase a home sooner. You’ll also have a quick processing time, which means that you won’t need to wait long for the closing process to end.
Balloon loans are commonly used for fix-and-flip scenarios, which is when a borrower purchases a home, renovates it, and sells it. You should expect the interest rates for a balloon mortgage to be higher than other mortgage types. However, there aren’t as many documentation requirements for you to contend with.
A notable issue with balloon mortgages is that you might lose your home. If you’re unable to repay the entire balance on the loan once the loan term comes to an end, your lender could gain ownership of your home to foreclose on it. In this situation, you might need to borrow additional money to make your balloon payment when it’s due.
When looking at balloon loan amortization, your monthly mortgage payments will mostly go towards interest, which means that most or all of the principal will be due at the end of the loan. Since you won’t be able to build equity, these loans are comparable to interest-only loans.
Keep in mind that qualifying for a balloon mortgage can also be challenging. You might be required to have a high credit score as well as a high down payment. These mortgages oftentimes come with higher interest rates as well.
Understanding How Amortization Works
The first step in the amortization process occurs when a borrower applies for and takes out a loan, which can be anything from a home loan to a car loan. There are two components of this loan, which include the total interest you owe as well as the principal balance.
The principal is the loan amount that your lender initially provided you with. Your interest payment is determined by the interest rate that’s attached to your loan. A lower interest rate means that your interest payment will also be lower. If you want to pay off the entirety of your mortgage, you’ll need to repay the loan principal and interest.
The second stage of this process occurs when the borrower starts to make periodic payments. In this situation, the borrower must make regular payments, which are usually set to occur once every month. The loan balance will be large at the start of the loan term. When your payments mostly go towards the interest on the loan, this is considered to be the early phases of amortization.
During the third stage of this process, the borrower will continue making payments. While the loan matures, your outstanding balance will shrink, which means that the interest-to-principal ratio will change until the majority of your monthly payments are applied to your principal. At this time, you are in the later phases of amortization.
The final stage of this process takes place when you pay off your loan. It’s possible for the amortization process to reset if you decide to refinance your mortgage loan. Following the refinance, you will again be tasked with having most of your monthly payment go toward interest.
Amortization is among the most important terms in real estate. Before you apply for a mortgage loan, you should know how amortization works and what it means for your monthly mortgage payments. The loan type you choose will determine how amortization works for you.