Are you a real estate investor or a first-time homeowner? No matter which of these two categories you fall under, there are a few industry-specific terms that you need to learn about, including mortgage rate and APR. Read on to find out exactly what these are.

Here, we will take a look at two terms which are of utmost important in the mortgage application process -the mortgage rate and the APR. Read on to find out what the differences and similarities are between the two, and the important role that they play in home loans.

An Introduction to Mortgage Rates

When you go online, you will usually see financial websites which offer free mortgage calculators. Seeing as how your home is one of the largest purchases that you will ever make in a lifetime, it is important for you to calculate what your payment will be and how much mortgage monthly premium you can actually afford.

For example, if your mortgage amount is $200,000 and you applied for a mortgage term of 30 years. With an interest rate of 7% per year, the monthly payment will be approximately $1330.

As you can see, determining the mortgage interest rate is important because it is where your monthly payments will be dependent upon. What if the interest rate is too high, and the monthly payment adds up to something that you can ill afford? Naturally, when looking for a mortgage loan, it is a must for you to get a reasonable enough interest rate to make sure that you can afford the monthly mortgage payments. It also assures that you are not being 'robbed' by your lender as a result of a too-high interest rate.

What Exactly is APR?

The aforementioned description is a general look into what mortgage interest rates are all about. However, there are several ways of looking into an interest rate. There is a real estate term called APR which stands for Annual Percentage Rate. Instead of simply looking at the number attached to the percent sign, you need to calculate how much the APR is. This way, you can determine the 'true cost' of a loan.

If you want to know the true cost of a loan, you need to calculate for the APR. Its formula combines the interest cots of a loan with other fees charged by the lender over the life of the loan. This is expressed as a yearly percentage. So instead of simply relying on the basic mortgage interest rate, you are actually taking a more realistic approach by considering all the other costs involved.

A Final Word about Mortgage Rates and APRs

In order for you to get the real costs involved when taking on a mortgage loan, it's a good idea to determine both the basic mortgage rate and the APR. Will you be taking advantage of a fixed rate loan or an adjustable mortgage loan?

What is the APR of the mortgage loan that you will obtain? Remember that APRs are more useful in determining the costs involved in a fixed-rate rather than an adjustable rate mortgage. Other factors like refinancing should also be considered.

After learning about the distinct differences between mortgage rates and APRs, you would at least have an idea as to which one will best suit your needs as a borrower. Do your homework so that you can make intelligent choices as far as your home loan is concerned.