The numbers are even more staggering if you finance $150,000. The fixed rate payment is $875.36 and the 5-year ARM payment is $716.12 – a monthly savings of $159.24 and over $9,500 for five years. If you buy or refinance a home and finance $200,000 or more, you’ll save between $13,000 and $15,000 over five years, with the 4% rate as opposed to the fixed rate of 5.75%.
Bank that money and you can buy a decent car for cash, or pay for a year of college, or take a European vacation. Pretty powerful stuff, huh? Now, if you’re one of those people who is really into cutting into the term of your mortgage, and you can afford the higher fixed-rate payment, simply apply the difference back to the principal loan amount. You’ll build equity in your home very quickly, and you’ll always have the option of paying the lower payment.