What is a PITI? Learn The New Secret of How The Loan Payment You Can Afford is Quickly Calculated Here And Now

If you’ve looked at even a few houses online, you’ve seen the mortgage payment calculators that are on every home sales website. Are these mortgage payment estimates accurate, and can they help to tell you whether you can afford to buy the house or not? It turns out there’s a lot more to buying a house and making monthly house payments than some of the simple mortgage calculators can indicate. One of the mortgage business insider terms you could hear is “PITI.” Understanding what PITI means can help you to understand what you really can afford, and how much your monthly house payment is likely to be — or what could be potential changes or exceptions.

What does “PITI” stand for in the home loan and mortgage business? PITI is an acronym that stands for “Principal, Interest, Taxes, and Insurance.”

So, how do these payments work?

First, the principal represents a portion of the amount you’re borrowing to pay for the house you want to buy. Interest represents the portion of your house payment that pays the interest the lender is charging on your loan.

For a 30-year fixed rate mortgage or a 15-year fixed rate home loan, the monthly payment stays the same over the course of the loan. But when the loan starts out, you pay primarily interest. Over time, you will pay higher amounts of principal, and lower amounts of interest. That is how people who have had mortgages for a long time pay down the mortgage, and build equity in their home.

Taxes and insurance will vary depending upon your home’s purchase price, and the mortgage insurance (MI) you will be asked to pay. This amount varies depending on the type of loan you have and its requirements. FHA loans, for example, will always include a mortgage insurance payment. If you are able to put 20% or more as a down payment, you may be able to find mortgage loan programs that don’t require mortgage insurance.

Property taxes will vary and they are calculated based on the purchase price of your home. You may also have Mello-Roos taxes in California, which are taxes related to bond initiatives in specific areas that are paid off over time. You lender will collect these funds and remit them on a schedule to the proper government authorities.

So, your monthly house payment will really be made up of four different payments: mortgage principal, mortgage interest, mortgage insurance, and property taxes. Those are the elements of “PITI.”

Sources

https://www.lendingtree.com/home/mortgage/piti/

Plus personal knowledge

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Wield Your Homebuying Power This Moment: California Platinum Loans Will Provide You With All the Tools You Need To Achieve Your Home Goals

It can be exciting to see mortgage calculators with much more affordable payments than you could be paying in rent. With the average rent in California estimated at $2,800 by Zillow, home mortgage calculators that show you could buy a townhouse or condo for half this price look appealing. But not all mortgage calculators calculate your true monthly house payment.

Don’t forget property taxes and Mello-Roos

Taxes and fees are often left out of online mortgage calculators. In California, many homes can be eligible for special tax assessment districts called Mello-Roos taxes. These taxes pay for specific improvements to a neighborhood or community.

Some home mortgage loan calculators also leave property taxes off their totals. California’s Proposition 13 sets the base property tax rate at 1%, which means your property tax for the first year you buy and live in your home will be 1% of the purchase price. Local counties can increase their assessment by up to 2% a year. If you make improvements to your property, your property can be reassessed and you’ll receive a new bill from the county assessor.

Homeowners Association Fees

If you’re buying a condo or a single-family home in a planned or gated community, you will have homeowners’ association fees. You’ll also have something called “CC & Rs,” which stands for covenants, conditions, and restrictions. While CC & Rs don’t always add money to your house payment, homeowners’ association dues will be an additional monthly cost for you to add to your monthly payment.

Mortgage insurance and home insurance

Some home loan programs automatically include mortgage insurance in your monthly payment, but online mortgage calculators can miss this amount. Mortgage insurance also doesn’t insure your home and belongings. It is exactly what it says: insurance that will pay the lender in case something happens to you and you can’t make your payments. Homeowners’ insurance is the policy that will pay for damage to your home in case of fire, theft, or storms. In California, some home policies have become very expensive due to the risk of fires. Earthquake policies are always “extra” and may be costly depending on your home’s location.

With rents rising in nearly every California community, buying your home is an attractive financial choice. Just be sure to include all costs when you’re calculating the home you can afford. A qualified mortgage and real estate professional can let you know exactly what your payment will be as you go on your mortgage loan and home buying journey.

Sources

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/12/10/when-225-how-mortgage-calculators-are-misleading.html

https://www.homesnacks.com/cities/average-rent-in-california/

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/property-taxes-calculated-california-57530.html

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California Platinum Loan Advice: How Can We Quickly Determine If It Is Financially Prudent for Us to Refinance Our 30-Year Mortgage?

Refinancing a mortgage is a lot of work. But if you’re thinking about it, there are a few situations where your financial results will be well worth the effort. If you’re wondering if it makes financial sense for you to refinance your 30-year fixed rate mortgage, we’ve put together some factors to consider that will influence your decision.

Can you lower your mortgage interest rate?

Even if you lower your mortgage interest rate by less than 1%, you could benefit financially by refinancing your 30-year mortgage. If you’ve got a substantial mortgage, a rate reduction of .25% could save you money. You could be surprised to learn that your closing costs will be modest. The money you could save over the life of your mortgage will add up to more than just pocket change. If you have less than 20% equity in your home, you’ll also need to include mortgage insurance in your calculations.

You may also be able to locate refinancing options with low to minimal closing costs, including a VA Streamline or IRRRL refinance loan for Veterans and an FHA Streamline refinance loan.

Should you refinance an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) to a low fixed-rate mortgage?

As this article is written, home loan interest rates are low, and few people are opting for adjustable rate mortgages (ARMS). But if you have an older ARM, it could make financial sense for you to refinance it to a low fixed-rate 30-year mortgage. There’s no guarantee that mortgage interest rates will remain low. Locking in your interest rate at a low APR could make excellent financial sense.

Can we refinance our mortgage to reduce our debt burden?

If you have significant equity built up in your home, you may be able to use a cash-out refinance to use the funds to pay down high interest-rate debt. If you’re paying off high-balance, high-interest rate credit cards, you could save thousands of dollars by using a cash-out refinance. This option makes sense only if you have enough equity in your home and can continue to keep your monthly mortgage payments affordable.

Finally, you may be able to refinance your mortgage by shortening the term of your loan. If you plan to stay in your home and can afford the monthly payments on a 15-year mortgage instead of a 30-year mortgage, you will save thousands of dollars by cutting the loan term in half. Contact us here at California Platinum Loans to find out if a refinance makes financial sense for your particular situation.

Sources

https://www.investopedia.com/mortgage/refinance/when-and-when-not-to-refinance-mortgage/

California Platinum Loans

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