What are Points?
Points are up front mortgage interest fees paid on a loan to reduce the initial interest rate. For example, a one-point loan will always have a lower interest rate than a zero-point loan. Therefore, paying points is a tradeoff between paying money now versus paying money later.

Origination vs. Discount Points
Origination points are charged by the lender as a fee to originate your loan. This is often how the loan officer is compensated. FHA loans traditionally have one origination point.

Discount points are used to reduce the rate. Generally, though not always, one discount point will reduce your interest rate by 0.25%. How long you plan to stay in your home will determine whether paying points makes sense. Your loan officer can calculate the break even time so you can better make your decision.

No Point Loans
There are many reasons for choosing a "No Points — No Closing Cost" Mortgage. The following outlines some of the most common reasons borrowers choose this option.

1. If the estimated time you will be staying in the home is less than 4 years, while paying points and closing costs will give you a lower interest rate and a lower monthly payment, it typically takes about 4-5 years of living in the property to realize the benefit of the lower payment when weighed against the total cost of the points.
2. Lack of equity in the property when refinancing. If it makes financial sense to refinance your mortgage, but you do not have enough equity in the property to add your closing costs into the new mortgage - a "No Points — No Closing Cost" mortgage could make great sense.

Tax Issues
In a refinance transaction, points must be amortized over the life of the loan. For example, on a 30 year loan, you can deduct 1/30th of the points paid each year. If you refinance for a second time, however, you may be able to deduct the remaining unamortized points in the year you refinance the loan. Consult your tax advisor for more information.