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How does my mortgage loan get broken down into monthly payments? What all is included in the monthly payment? This article will break things down for you.
These PITI and monthly mortgage payments questions are common among home buyers in Washington, where we are based. Today, we’ll take a look at the four “PITI” factors that make up the typical down payment in a home buying scenario.
The monthly payments for a mortgage loan can be determined by several factors. The “base loan amount” you are borrowing is the biggest part of it, but there are other ingredients as well. It’s important to understand these factors when buying a home in Washington because they add up to the actual amount you’ll be paying each month.
When you hear a bank or lender talk about the “principal,” they’re referring to the actual amount being borrowed. The principal is spread over the term or life of the loan, and it accounts for most of the monthly payment.
When you make your mortgage payment each month, a portion of the payment goes to reducing the principal. The amount that gets applied to the principal can change over time, depending on the structure of the loan.
You’re probably familiar with interest already. As consumers, we pay interest on everything from credit cards to car loans. Mortgages have interest as well, and it’s another one of the factors that will determine your monthly payment. Just like the principal amount mentioned above, the interest gets spread out over the repayment term.
On a typical home loan, a higher percentage of the monthly payment goes toward interest during the early years of the repayment term. But over time, this will change and more of the monthly payment will be applied to the principal. Because of this, the principal reduction is usually greatest in the later years of the repayment period.
Home buyers in Washington State typically have to pay property taxes as well. The amount you pay will depend on the assessed value of the home (as determined by the assessor’s office) and the property tax rate in the county where you reside.
In a typical mortgage scenario in Washington, the tax portion of the monthly mortgage payment gets held in a special escrow account set up for that very purpose. It then gets sent to the appropriate government agency when the taxes are due.
We’ve covered the first three letters of PITI — principal, interest and taxes. The second ‘I’ stands for insurance, and it can mean two different things. It can refer to homeowners insurance as well as mortgage insurance.
Most home buyers in Washington State have to pay for homeowners insurance, because it’s a requirement for most mortgage loans. (It’s also a wise investment.) Some home buyers also have to pay for mortgage insurance, due to having a relatively high loan-to-value ratio. The annual premiums for these policies are typically spread out over the monthly payments.
Are you ready to apply for a mortgage to buy a home? If so, Sammamish Mortgage can help. We are a local mortgage company from Bellevue, Washington serving the entire state, as well as Oregon, Idaho, and Colorado. We offer many mortgage programs to buyers all over the Pacific Northwest. Contact us today with any questions you have about mortgages.
Whether you’re buying a home or ready to refinance, our professionals can help.
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No Obligation and transparency 24/7. Instantly compare live rates and costs from our network of lenders across the country. Real-time accurate rates and closing costs for a variety of loan programs custom to your specific situation.