Temporary Buydown
Definition of "Temporary Buydown"
A reduction in the mortgage payment made by a homebuyer in the early years of the loan in exchange for an upfront cash deposit provided by the buyer, the seller, or both. How Temporary Buydowns Work: Temporary buydowns are a tool for borrowers purchasing a home who don't have enough income, relative to their monthly mortgage payment and other expenses, to meet lender requirements. To use a temporary buydown, the borrower must have access to extra cash. The cash can be the borrower's or it can be contributed by a home seller anxious to complete a sale. The cash funds an escrow account from which the payments that supplement the borrower's payments are drawn. While the borrower's payments are reduced in the early years, the payments received by the lender are the same as they would have been without the buydown. The shortfalls from the borrower are offset by withdrawals from the escrow account. Temporary buydowns are not a type of mortgage. They are an option that can be attached to any type. Most temporary buydowns, however, are attached to fixed-rate mortgages. Temporary Versus Permanent Buydowns: Another way in which borrowers with excess cash can reduce their mortgage payment is by paying additional points in order to reduce the interest rate. This is sometimes called a 'permanent buydown' because the reduced payment holds for the life of the loan. For the same number of dollars invested, however, temporary buydowns reduce the monthly payment in the first year, which is the payment used to qualify the borrower, by a larger amount than a permanent buydown. This reflects the concentration of the payment reduction in the early years of the loan.
Popular Mortgage Terms
A mortgage on which the interest rate is adjustable based on an interest rate index, and the monthly payment adjusts based on a wage and salary index. Dual index mortgages are not written ...
The period over which the interest due the lender is calculated. The interest accrual period may or may not correspond to the payment period. On the annual accrual mortgages in the UK, ...
A second mortgage offered at preferential (subsidized) terms to those who qualify. For example, a labor union may offer members who are first-time home buyers a silent second to finance ...
A mortgage broker who sets a fee for services, in writing, at the outset of the transaction and acts as the borrower's agent in shopping for the best deal. Customers of UMBs pay the ...
The form that lists the settlement charges the borrower must pay at closing, which the lender is obliged to provide the borrower within three business days of receiving the loan application. ...
A clause in the note that allows the lender to demand repayment of the balance in full. A demand clause is even better (for the lender) than an acceleration clause. An acceleration clause ...
A multi-lender Web site that offered borrowers the capacity to shop among multiple competing lenders. ...
The frequency of rate adjustments on an ARM after the initial rate period is over. The rate adjustment period is sometimes but not always the same as the initial rate period. As an example, ...
A term that small lenders sometimes use to distinguish themselves from mortgage brokers. ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.