Blog - Doctor Loans for Physicians & Residents

The Doctor Mortgage Loan Calculator – How Much Can I Borrow As A Resident?

February 5, 2016 by Ricardo Leave a Comment

Thinking about getting a doctor mortgage loan?

You’re probably wondering how much you can borrow and what type of home you can purchase. This is a difficult question to answer without knowing your individual situation. As a new resident, you’ll probably earn around $45,000 per year in most markets, so you won’t be able to afford a luxury home just yet unless you have a large down payment you are willing to part with.

Factors such as the amount of consumer debt you hold, your credit score and if you’ll have a co-borrower will impact the amount you can borrow with a doctor mortgage loan.

The good news is since physician loan lenders don’t include your student loans in the debt-to-income ratio, you’re more likely to actually be able to qualify for a mortgage. Keep in mind that banks who don’t offer the doctor loan will not extend credit to you in the majority of cases because your substantive student loan debts will be considered a risk.

You can use this calculator from Zillow for a rough guideline on monthly payments and what you might be able to afford. The calculator below is designed for conventional mortgages, but it can be used as a doctor mortgage loan calculator just as well. Most online calculators are fairly accurate, although you should always talk to your lending officer to get the facts.

When you use the calculator, make sure you click on the advanced tab and uncheck PMI, as doctor loans do not require you to pay for mortgage insurance.

You’ll also want to input the other fields with local data. For example, how much is the property tax in the area you’ll be purchasing in?

You can find out property tax rates here.

What is Mortgage Amortization?

January 22, 2016 by Ricardo Leave a Comment

The road to financial freedom can be a long one. Purchasing a home early in your life is one surefire way to get there just a bit faster. In this post, we’ll explore a necessary concept in mortgage finance: amortization.

Although the word “amortization” may be a little intimidating, it is a straightforward concept.
Amortization is the process of paying down a loan over a set period of time, usually with an interest payment included.

Once you close on your home and move in, you’ll enjoy one month of your home without paying the mortgage. This is because mortgages are paid in arrears, which means you pay for it after the fact.

When you get your first mortgage bill (or it’s deducted from your banking account), the total sum will be comprised of two parts:

Principal, which is money that directly pays down your loan balance.
Interest, which directly pays down the interest you owe on the loan.

If you look at the mortgage amortization chart below, you’ll see how these two components work together over time. For the majority of doctor loan—and conventional mortgages—you’ll start out paying more interest. The amount you pay for interest will gradually decrease over time. The amortization schedule determines the percentage of funds that pay down interest versus principal.

Sample Amortization Schedule

Let’s say you borrowed $325,000 through a doctor loan lender at 4.30% over 30 years. Take a look at the first row above, highlighted in yellow. Your first payment would be $1,608.33. Of that amount, a whopping $1,164.58 would go towards paying down the interest portion of the loan. The principal would be paid down by a mere $443.75.

Will I always pay more interest?

As the loan matures, you’ll start paying more towards your principal than interest. In this example, things don’t tip over until payment 168, when you’ll pay $801.91 towards interest and $806.42 towards the principal.

What can I do about this?

For this reason, we recommend paying one extra (one month) payment per year. This can save you a significant amount of money over the life of the loan and help you navigate a more comfortable ride down the road to financial freedom.

Read more about how to get a physician loan here.

Doctor Loan Mortgage – What is a Jumbo Loan?

January 19, 2016 by Ricardo Leave a Comment

Jumbo loans are large, non-conforming loans that cannot be purchased or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. These loans are used for buying property costing more than $417,000. This limit was established for most areas in the United States, however there are 39 counties that have higher limits. Click this link for the PDF detailing limits on those counties, as provided by the Federal Housing Finance Agency

Jumbo loan conforming limits are set and updated every year.

A jumbo physician loan mortgage is no different, except that they don’t require the same debt to income ratios or PMI. If your income is high enough and you have saved a decent sized nest egg, you may want to consider a jumbo loan. Our advice is always conservative when it comes to home purchases:

Don’t buy more than you can afford
Buy in a quality, established neighborhood
Pay off your loan early by submitting one additional payment per year

Physician Mortgage – Should I Buy Down the Rate?

January 11, 2016 by Ricardo Leave a Comment

Physician mortgage loans have many benefits, including a low down payment requirement, simple income verification process, and no PMI. Unfortunately, doctors and residents may pay slightly higher interest rates in order to take advantage of them.

As a borrower, you have the option to buy down your interest rate and lower the total cost of your physician mortgage. However, you will be required to pay for the rate reduction at closing. If you are considering a buydown, you will have to choose between reducing your closing costs and lowering your monthly mortgage payment.

What is a physician mortgage buydown?

A mortgage buydown occurs when a borrower makes an upfront payment to lower their interest rate. The interest rate reduction is quoted in points, and each point costs 1% of the total loan amount. The number of points you pay for at closing determines how far your rate will drop.

By buying down your interest rate you could save thousands of dollars over the life of your loan.

A doctor who qualifies for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage of $500,000 at 4.750% will pay $938,966 back to the lender over the full term.
If that doctor decides to buy down his interest rate by four points (a 1% rate decrease) he will have to pay $20,000 at closing.
However, he will save over $100,000 in interest over the next thirty years.

A buydown would also decrease your monthly payments. The doctor from the example above will go from a monthly payment of $2,609 to a payment $2,316 (principal and interest only).

Is it worth it?

For many borrowers, a buydown is cost prohibitive. The amount of your physician mortgage determines how much your points cost and, ultimately, how much you will have to spend on a buydown. Established doctors with cash reserves have more freedom to buy down their interest rates than residents or new doctors.

If you are able to buy down your interest rate it is also important to consider how long you will stay in your home. You can calculate your break even point by dividing the savings on your monthly mortgage payment by the total cost of your buydown.

The doctor from the example above will have to make 69 payments for 5 years and 9 months in order to break even on his investment ($20,000/$293).

You may benefit from a buydown if you are an established doctor with a long term assignment. Your job and your ties to the community will most likely keep you from moving within the next few years. By buying down your interest rate you will lower the cost of your monthly payment and save money for other expenses.

You might want to avoid an interest rate buydown if you are a medical resident. After you complete your residency, you will apply for a permanent position and potentially relocate to begin working. Doctors with short term assignments should also be cautious, especially if they are unsure of how long their work will last.

A buydown will not benefit you if you do not stay in the home past the break even point of your mortgage.

Conclusion

Physician mortgage loans may have slightly higher rates of interest than most conventional mortgages. By buying down your interest rate at closing you can save money over the course of your loan.

Established doctors will most likely benefit from a buy down, while residents and doctors with temporary assignments might want to refrain from buying down their interest rates. Purchase points only if you have the funds available and if you plan to stay in your home past the break even point of your mortgage.

A buydown is designed to maximize the benefits of your mortgage, and physician mortgage loans are no exception. Thoroughly consider a buydown, then choose the best option for you and your home.