Question

On January 1 of year 1, Arthur and Aretha Franklin purchased a home for $1.5 million by paying $200,000 down and borrowing the remaining $1.3 million with a 7 percent loan secured by the home.
a. What is the amount of the interest expense the Franklins may deduct in year 1?
b. Assume that in year 2, the Franklins pay off the entire loan but at the beginning of year 3, they borrow $300,000 secured by the home at a 7 percent rate. They make interest-only payments on the loan during the year. What amount of
interest expense may the Franklins deduct in year 3 on this loan (the Franklins do not use the loan proceeds to improve the home)?

c. Assume the same facts as in (b), except that the Franklins borrow $80,000 secured by their home. What amount of interest expense may the Franklins deduct in year 3 on this loan (the Franklins do not use the loan proceeds to improve the home)?

Answer 1

Answer:

a. What is the amount of the interest expense the Franklins may deduct in year 1?

this will depend on the total interest paid during the year, since we are not told how long their mortgage is, we cannot know exactly how much interest expense they will pay. Generally mortgages require monthly payments, so I prepared a simulated amortization schedule for the first year assuming that the mortgage lasts 30 years and a monthly payment of $8,648.93.

year  beg.     scheduled  principal interest ending

        balance      payment                                      balance

1 1300000    8649         1066 7583 1298934

2 1298934    8649         1072 7577 1297863

3 1297863    8649         1078 7571 1296785

4 1296785    8649         1084 7565 1295700

5 1295700    8649         1091         7558 1294609

6 1294609    8649         1097 7552 1293512

7 1293512    8649         1103         7545 1292409

8 1292409    8649         1110         7539 1291299

9 1291299    8649         1116      7533 1290183

10 1290183    8649         1123  7526 1289060

11 1289060    8649         1129  7520 1287931

12 1287931    8649         1136  7513 1286795

total interest                                     $90,582

• The total interest that can be deducted in this case would be $90,582 during year 1.

b. Assume that in year 2, the Franklins pay off the entire loan but at the beginning of year 3, they borrow $300,000 secured by the home at a 7 percent rate. They make interest-only payments on the loan during the year. What amount of  interest expense may the Franklins deduct in year 3 on this loan (the Franklins do not use the loan proceeds to improve the home)?

• $0, interests from home equity loans used for personal expenses are not deductible.

c. Assume the same facts as in (b), except that the Franklins borrow $80,000 secured by their home. What amount of interest expense may the Franklins deduct in year 3 on this loan (the Franklins do not use the loan proceeds to improve the home)?

• $0, interests from home equity loans used for personal expenses are not deductible.

Explanation: