The principal is the amount of money borrowed on a loan. The interest is the charge paid for borrowing money. Principal and interest account for the majority of your mortgage payment, which may also include escrow payments for property taxes, homeowners insurance, mortgage insurance and any other costs that are paid monthly, or fees that may come due.

Typically, a fixed percentage based on the appraised value of your home that you pay to the county, the school district and the municipality where your property is located. The taxes may be assessed annually or semiannually, and you may pay them as part of your monthly mortgage payments. Depending on when you close your loan, some of this property tax may be due at the time of closing. Each local tax assessor’s office can give you the tax rate. Also known as property tax.

A contract that provides compensation for specific losses in exchange for a periodic payment. An individual contract is known as an insurance policy, and the periodic payment is known as an insurance premium.

Private Mortgage Insurance is a special type of insurance policy, provided by private insurers, to protect the lender if you default on your loan. If your down payment is less than 20%, most lenders will require you to pay mortgage insurance. You’ll typically pay PMI until the mortgage’s LTV drops to 78% - meaning your down payment, plus the loan principal you’ve paid off, equals 22% of the home’s purchase price.

Cost for the use of a loan, usually expressed as a percentage of the loan, paid over a specific period of time. The interest rate does not include fees charged for the loan. See also: annual percentage rate (APR).

The annual cost of a loan to a borrower. Like an interest rate, the APR is expressed as a percentage. Unlike an interest rate, however, it includes other charges or fees (such as mortgage insurance, most closing costs, discounts points and loan origination fees) to reflect the total cost of the loan. The Federal Truth in Lending Act requires that every consumer loan agreement disclose the APR. Since all lenders must follow the same rules to ensure the accuracy of the APR, borrowers can use the APR as a good basis for comparing the costs of similar credit transactions.

Closing costs, also known as settlement costs, are the costs incurred when obtaining your loan. For new purchases, these costs also include ownership transfer of any collateral property from the seller to you. Costs may include and are not limited to: attorney's fees, preparation and title search fees, discount points, appraisal fees, title insurance and credit report charges. They are typically about 3-5% of your loan amount. Funds often needed to close a loan, such as homeowners insurance, property taxes and escrow impound account funds, aren't included in closing costs and are considered separate. You should be prepared to pay these costs before your loan closes.

An amount paid to the lender, typically at closing, in order to lower the interest rate. Also known as “mortgage points” or “discount points.” One point equals 1% of the loan amount (for example, 2 points on a $100,000 mortgage would equal $2,000).