How to buy down your mortgage interest rate (2024)

One way borrowers can get a lower interest rate on their home loan is by putting more money down upfront.This strategy, called a mortgage buydown or rate buydown, involves buying mortgage points that lower the rate by a certain percentage for the life of the loan.

Alternately, in a temporary buydown, the interest rate is lowered the first year of the mortgage, after which the discount decreases until, eventually, you're paying the initial rate again. Lenders and sellers typically pay for a temporary buydown to entice a buyer, especially in a high-rate environment.

"These kinds of products typically only get utilized when lenders are desperate to create a need for a consumer," says Gordon Miller, president of North Carolina-based Miller Lending Group.

Below, CNBC Select outlines how you can buy down your mortgage rate, the types of buydowns available and what kind of borrower would benefit from a mortgage rate buydown.

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Mortgage points

Mortgage points, also called discount points, lower your interest rate for the life of the mortgage. A lender may allow borrowers to purchase as little as a fraction of a point up to four points.

One mortgage point typically costs 1% of your loan and permanently lowers your interest rate by about 0.25%. If you took out a $150,000 mortgage, for example, one point would cost $1,500 and get you a 0.25% discount. Two mortgage points would cost $3,000 and lower your interest rate by 0.50%.

While that formula is common, the specific cost and discount can vary.

"What you get with one point from one lender could be worlds different than with another," said Jennifer Beeston, senior vice president at Chicago-based mortgage company Guaranteed Rate.

The largest mortgage provider in the U.S., Rocket Mortgage offers 30-year fixed, jumbo, VA and FHA loans with two or more discount points available, though borrowers may need to make a larger down payment and have very good credit to qualify.

Temporary buydowns

Another type of rate buydown is a temporary buydown, which lowers the interest rate for a set period. The rate then increases each year until it returns to the original.It is typically paid for by the lender, seller or homebuilder to incentivize a buyer.

1-0 buydown

In this situation, the interest rate would drop 1% for the first year of the loan, then revert to the original rate in the second year.

2-1 buydown

3-2-1 buydown

A 3-2-1 buydown would see your interest drop 3% in the first year, 2% in the second year and 1% in the third year, before returning to the original mortgage rate. This would offer the most significant reduction, so you need to be sure you can afford payments when the buydown period ends.

With any sort of buydown, a borrower still needs to qualify for the home loan based on the full interest rate. Compare offers from multiple mortgage lenders to ensure you're getting the most attractive terms.

An online-only lender, SoFi offers fixed-rate conventional loans with 10-year, 15-year, 20-year and 30-year terms, ARMs with 5-year, 7-year and 10-year terms, as well as government-backed FHA and VA loans and jumbo loans up to $3 million.

A rate buydown may appear appealing, but ask yourself these questions first.

What kind of mortgage do you have?

Adjustable-rate mortgages are typically only eligible for buydowns if the initial interest rate period is at least three years. There are also restrictions when it comes to FHA loans and other government-backed mortgages.

How long will you live in your home?

A buydown could save you a lot in the long term, but it'll take time to make back that initial investment: If you took out a $300,000 mortgage with a 7% interest rate and bought four points, your interest would drop to 6% but it would cost you $12,000.

While you'd save $1,000 a year in interest payments, you would have to stay in your house for more than 12 years to reach your break-even point.

The Mortgage Research Center'sonline calculatorcan show you how many months it will take for the points to pay for themselves, as well as what your monthly mortgage payment will be and the net interest you'll save.

Have you looked at other incentives?

A buydown could come at the expense of other seller concessions, like a discount on the purchase price or getting the seller to pay for closing costs (which can equal more than 5% of your mortgage).

Could you get the same rate by refinancing?

When you can consider refinancing depends on the kind of mortgage you took out and how much home equity you have. For conventional loans, you typically get the best rates if you have 20% equity.

Did you shop around?

Before you look at any buydowns, make sure the starting rate is a good deal by comparing loan offers from multiple lenders.

"Never get one quote because the industry can operate like a bad flea market," Miller said, adding that buyers should be wary of any lender willing to price match.

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It can be tempting to do everything in your power to get a lower mortgage rate. But your interest rate is only one portion of your mortgage — and of the home-buying process in general. Pay attention to closing costs, because the fees you pay can wipe out any savings from a rate buydown.

If you are considering a buydown, be sure you fully understand what you're getting, what it costs and what you may have to give up to get it.

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Everymortgagearticle is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge ofmortgageproducts.While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics.

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