Newsletter | PrimeLending

Article 1

Article 2

Article 3

Article 4

Lower Your Payment for the First Year of Your Loan

Buying a home is exciting. It also tends to come with a lot of expenses all at once.

There’s the move itself, the furniture you suddenly realize you need, the repairs you didn’t expect and all the little purchases that add up once you have the keys. A temporary buydown can give you some extra room in your budget while you’re getting settled.

Here’s the basic idea: your interest rate is temporarily reduced at the beginning of the loan, which makes your mortgage payment more manageable up front.

For PrimeLending’s 40th birthday, we’re paying for a limited-time 1-0 temporary buydown for eligible new purchase loans.* Your effective interest rate is reduced by 1% during the first year, giving you more flexibility at a time when your budget may already feel tight.

How the First Year Works

PrimeLending’s 40th Birthday Buydown is a limited-time 1-0 temporary buydown available for eligible new purchase FHA, VA, and USDA loans locked by August 21, 2026.

PrimeLending covers the cost of the buydown and places the money into an escrow account. During the first year, those funds make up the difference between your temporarily reduced payment and the full payment.

After the first year, you begin making the standard payment based on the fixed interest rate you agreed to when you closed on the loan. That fixed rate stays in place for the rest of the loan term.

Eligible VA borrowers may also be able to combine the Birthday Buydown with PrimeLending’s VA no lender fees** promotion, creating another opportunity to save.

Benefits of a Temporary Buydown

Temporary buydowns are often paid for by a seller or homebuilder. With this promotion, PrimeLending is picking up the cost, so you don’t have to negotiate for that contribution.

That extra room in your budget can help in a few practical ways:

• Make the move easier on your cash flow — You can keep more money available for moving costs, repairs, furniture or whatever your new home needs first.

• Give yourself time to adjust — Your first year as a homeowner can come with plenty of new expenses. A more manageable payment can make that transition feel less overwhelming.

• Get the benefit without adding to your loan amount — Because PrimeLending is funding the buydown, the cost isn’t rolled into your mortgage.

The first year in a home usually comes with a few surprises. Having more flexibility in your budget can make it easier to handle them and enjoy settling into your new space.

*Buydown 1-0 Option will be paid by PrimeLending. Rate discount applies only to first year. Must apply for and lock loan through PrimeLending between 7/13/26 and 8/21/26. Savings will reflect on the Closing Disclosure. Offer only available for FHA, VA, and USDA purchase loans. Excludes bond, broker, conventional products, high balance, jumbo products, portfolio products, construction loans, and refinances. Offer can be paired with PrimeLending VA No Lender Fees promotion, all other promotions are excluded. Availability subject to investor guidelines. Additional restrictions may apply, contact a PrimeLending loan officer for details. Subject to credit approval.

**All lender closing costs such as origination, processing, underwriting, and closing will be waived, borrower is still responsible for third party fees such as VA funding fee, title, and appraisal etc. Down payment waiver is based on VA eligibility. Must apply for loan by 12/31/26. Savings only applies to direct originations made by PrimeLending for first mortgage purchase or refinance transactions, and is not available on brokered loans. Only one offer per loan transaction is available, and savings cannot be combined with any other offer, discount, or bond program. Savings will reflect on Closing Disclosure at closing. Subject to credit approval.

Read More See Less

SAVE ON YEAR ONE. Reach out today to see if you qualify for our buydown promotion and see what your first year of payment savings could look like.

Check My Eligibility

You Don't Have to Leave Your Mortgage Rate Up to the Fed

The question I get asked the most often from customers is, “How can I get a lower rate?” And, after the Fed’s latest rate decision, more and more people are looking for new solutions.

Mortgage rates are always moving, which means your rate options today will look different than your options tomorrow. So, when waiting out the market isn’t working, it’s time to find the financing options that give you the flexibility you’re looking for.

Get a Lower Payment from the Start

I’ve seen it happen before—someone finds the perfect house for a price in their budget, but once they see the full payment, they start to second guess themselves.

A temporary buydown can lower your effective rate and payment during the first one to three years, giving your budget a little more room while you get settled. It’s paid for through seller concessions or builder contributions, so it may be possible to negotiate the cost as part of the purchase.

The payment will eventually rise to the full amount, but the lower starting payment can make the transition into homeownership feel much more manageable.

Lower Your Rate Long Term

If you’re less concerned about the first few years, and more focused on what the loan will cost over time, discount points may be the better fit.

Discount points let you pay more upfront at closing in exchange for a permanently lower rate. That can lower your monthly payment and reduce the amount of interest you pay over the life of the loan. The real question is how long you expect to keep the mortgage. The longer you stay in the loan, the more time you have to recoup the upfront cost through monthly savings.

Temporary Buydown vs. Discount Points

A temporary buydown gives you more relief at the beginning. Discount points are designed to provide savings for the long term. Seeing both options side by side can make the better choice much easier to spot.

Use Seller Concessions Where They Help You Most

A lower rate may be the first thing that comes to mind, but it isn’t always where you need the most help.

Depending on your loan and purchase agreement, seller concessions may be used toward certain closing costs, prepaid taxes, homeowners insurance or other eligible expenses. If bringing cash to closing is your bigger concern, using the concessions there could make more sense than putting every available dollar toward the rate.

The best use comes down to your budget. Would you rather lower the payment, reduce the amount you need at closing or keep more of your savings available after the move? Looking at those options together can help you decide where the concession will do the most for you.

Don't Let Headlines Make the Decision for You

A higher-rate environment doesn’t automatically mean you have to put your plans on hold.

The right strategy could mean a lower payment while you settle in, a lower rate for the life of the loan, or a mortgage that better matches your timeline. Send me some of the home prices you’ve been considering. We’ll look at the numbers together and find the loan that best fits your budget and goals.

Read More See Less

WHAT COULD YOUR RATE BE? Contact me today to get a custom quote to find out.

What's My Rate

Your Mortgage May Be Costing You More Than It Should

When groceries, utilities, insurance and everyday expenses all start to cost more, your monthly budget can start to feel tight. And you’re not the only one feeling the pinch.

The usual advice is to spend less. But there could be another way to save money that you haven’t looked into yet—your mortgage.

Depending on your loan and the equity you’ve built, a few adjustments could help you lower your monthly expenses. How? By lowering your payment, reducing the interest you pay or make the payment easier to manage throughout the month.

Remove a Monthly Cost You May No Longer Need

If you didn’t have 20% to put down when you bought your home, you may have used private mortgage insurance (PMI) to help you with the purchase. Fast forward to today, and you may still be paying PMI even if you don’t need it anymore.

A refinance could help you remove PMI from your mortgage depending on the loan type chosen. Without paying PMI each month, that could mean you have more money in your budget to cover your everyday expenses, without having to cut everything out.

Keep in mind, refinancing means closing costs and a new rate. So, let’s talk about your options to make sure a refinance will improve your overall budget, not just one part of your payment.

Make Your Payment Easier to Manage

Sometimes, it’s not the mortgage payment itself that gives homeowners stress. It’s that an amount that large leaving their account all at once has started to hit their wallet harder than it used to.

If that feeling sounds familiar, it may be time to consider biweekly payments. With biweekly payments, you can break your monthly mortgage payment into two smaller ones made every two weeks. This can feel easier to manage, especially if your paychecks fall on the same schedule.

An added bonus of biweekly payments is that, if you stick to it, you can make one extra full mortgage payment each year. That means you could pay down your loan faster and reduce the amount of interest you pay over time. Make sure you talk to your loan servicer about how to set up your biweekly payment schedule so that your payment is always completed on time.

Let Your Mortgage Carry More of the Load

When the cost of living gets more expensive, you may not have to immediately cut out all the little things that make life fun. First, take a look at what your mortgage could be doing better. Whether it’s removing PMI to lower your monthly payment or making biweekly payments so things feel more manageable, there’s more than one way save with your mortgage.

Read More See Less

SEE WHAT YOU COULD SAVE? Reach out today to request your complimentary mortgage review and see what you could save.

Start My Mortgage Review

Grilled Pineapple Chicken

Recipe courtesy of delish

Print PDF Of Recipe

This grilled pineapple chicken brings together smoky, savory and sweet flavors in one straightforward recipe. The pineapple-soy marinade adds plenty of flavor, while the grilled pineapple gives the finished dish a lightly caramelized bite that works just as well for a weeknight dinner as it does for a backyard cookout.

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 c. unsweetened pineapple juice
¾ c. ketchup
½ c. low-sodium soy sauce
½ c. packed light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. finely chopped peeled ginger
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp. vegetable oil, plus more for grill
1 pineapple, cored & sliced into rings, rings halved

Directions:

Whisk together garlic, pineapple juice, ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, and ginger in a large bowl until combined.
Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade from step 1. Refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.
Clean and oil grill grates. Preheat to a high heat for 5 minutes.
Grill chicken, basting with marinade and flipping occasionally until it reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°F, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
In a medium bowl, toss pineapple with oil. Grill pineapple, flipping occasionally, about 2 minutes per side.
Place grilled pineapple slices on top of the chicken to serve.

PRO TIP: No fresh pineapple? Use canned pineapple slices instead. Less prep and less mess.

Read More See Less