When it comes to mortgages, a "buydown" generally refers to paying an extra fee upfront to reduce the interest rate over a specific period. There are typically two types: temporary buydowns and permanent buydowns. Permanent Buydown: With a permanent buydown, the borrower pays extra fees at the beginning of the loan to permanently reduce the interest rate over the entire life of the loan. This differs from a temporary buydown because the reduced rate remains constant for the entire loan term, … [Read more...]