A point is equal to one percent of the principal amount of your mortgage. For example, if you get a mortgage for $100,000, one point means you pay $1000 to the lender. These points are usually collected at closing and may be paid by the borrower or the home seller, or may be split between them. You can pay points at closing to receive a lower interest rate, or you can choose to have points paid to you (also known as a lender credit) and use them to cover some of your closing costs. (negative points means a higher interest rate).
