What is APR - Annual Percentage Rate?

APR is an interest rate that reflects the total cost of financing a loan. It is a combination of the simple interest rate, any discount points, and the fees paid to a lender when getting a mortgage.

The APR is an important parameter when comparing loan offers from different lenders who may have widely different fees they apply to their loan offers. A lender who offers a low, simple interest rate but has a much higher APR has fees which are adding costs to your financing. Simply put, the higher the APR over the interest rate offered, the higher the fees.

APR does not affect your note rate neither your mortgage payment, it just simply shows you the cost of the loan...

Other factors that affect APR are the loan size and the term of the loan. A mortgage with a 15 year term will have a higher APR than a 30 year mortgage, even if the rate and fees are the same. Also, a $100,000 mortgage will have a higher APR than a $200,000 mortgage, with the same rate and fees. Make sure the loan term and the loan sizes on the two different offers are the same so you can more accurately assess which one is right for you.

<< FAQs
>> Next