Mortgage Loan Comparison

Compare up to 3 loan offers side by side — monthly payments, total interest, closing costs, and break-even on discount points.

Loan 1
$
%

Closing Costs

$
$
$
$
Loan 2
$
%

Closing Costs

$
$
$
$

Loan A

Monthly Payment (P&I)

$2,627.72

Total Closing Costs$7,000
Total Interest$545,977
Total Cost$952,977
Best Value

Loan B

Monthly Payment (P&I)

$2,528.27

Total Closing Costs$11,000
Total Interest$510,178
Total Cost$921,178

Side-by-Side Comparison

MetricLoan ALoan B
Loan Amount$400,000$400,000
Interest Rate6.875%6.5%
Term30 years30 years
Monthly P&I$2,627.72$2,528.27
Origination Charges$1,500$1,500
Discount Points$0$4,000
Other Closing Costs$3,000$3,000
Prepaid Items$2,500$2,500
Total Closing Costs$7,000$11,000
Total Interest$545,977$510,178
Total Cost$952,977$921,178

Break-Even Analysis — Discount Points

The point in time at which paying more upfront (in closing costs / points) becomes cheaper than the lower-cost loan, due to a lower monthly payment.

Loan AvsLoan B

Loan B breaks even with Loan A after 3 yr 4 mo (month 40). If you keep the loan longer than this, Loan B saves more money.

Cumulative Total Cost Over Time

Closing costs paid on day one, plus principal and interest paid to date. Lines diverge where cost differences compound.

$0$248k$496k$743k$991kYr 1Yr 5Yr 10Yr 15Yr 20Yr 25Yr 30Loan A/Loan B break-evenLoan ALoan BCumulative CostYears
Loan ALoan BBreak-even

For illustrative/educational purposes only. Figures show principal & interest only — actual costs include taxes, insurance, and other fees. Not financial advice. Consult a qualified mortgage professional.

How to compare mortgage loan offers

When you receive Loan Estimates from multiple lenders, comparing them side by side is one of the most impactful steps you can take to save money. The monthly payment is only part of the picture. Two loans with the same interest rate can differ by thousands of dollars due to origination fees, discount points, and other closing costs. This tool helps you see the full cost of each offer over the life of the loan so you can make an apples-to-apples comparison.

Pay close attention to the APR (annual percentage rate), which rolls the interest rate and certain fees into a single number that reflects the true annual cost of borrowing. A loan with a lower interest rate but high upfront fees may actually have a higher APR than a loan with a slightly higher rate and fewer fees. Discount points are an especially important variable: each point typically costs 1% of the loan amount and lowers your rate by about 0.25%. Whether paying points makes sense depends on how long you plan to keep the loan -- the break-even analysis in this tool shows exactly when the upfront cost pays for itself through lower monthly payments.

The CFPB recommends getting quotes from at least three lenders. Research consistently shows that borrowers who compare multiple offers save an average of $1,500 over the life of the loan, and savings can be much larger on jumbo or high-balance loans. Use this tool to enter the numbers from each Loan Estimate and let the math guide your decision.

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