# The Ultimate Holiday Gift: Skipping Your January Mortgage Payment

By Lerea Arellano (@lereaarellano) · Published 2026-11-04

Canonical: https://voce.com/@lereaarellano/ultimate-holiday-gift-skipping-january-mortgage-nj6hy8

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Merry Christmas to yourself — literally. If you close on your home in December, your **first mortgage payment isn't due until February**, which means you can spend January unwrapping your new house instead of writing a check to your lender. It's the best holiday gift a homebuyer can give themselves, and I'm here to show you exactly why it works.

#### Key Takeaways

-   Closing in December pushes your first mortgage payment to February 1
-   You aren't really skipping a payment — the interest is simply paid in arrears
-   Enjoy a payment-free January while you unpack, decorate, and settle in
-   A mortgage pro can time your closing so the calendar works in your favor

## Why closing in December means no January payment

Mortgage interest is paid **in arrears** — each monthly payment covers the interest for the month just finished, not the month ahead ([Rocket Mortgage](https://www.rocketmortgage.com/learn/when-is-first-mortgage-payment-due)). At closing, you prepay the interest that accrues from your funding date through the end of that month. So a December close means December's interest is already settled at the table, and your first full payment — which covers January's interest — lands on **February 1** ([UCOP](https://www.ucop.edu/loan-programs/resources/consumer-information/interest-in-arrears.html)).

![A cozy living room with a decorated Christmas tree, the perfect backdrop for settling into a new home in December](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1642335911245-238e13dcabf2?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=crop&fm=jpg&ixid=M3w5Mzk0NDN8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHxjb3p5JTIwbGl2aW5nJTIwcm9vbSUyMGRlY29yYXRlZCUyMENocmlzdG1hcyUyMHRyZWV8ZW58MHwwfHx8MTc5MzgxMjI5OXww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=1200&h=630)

## Ready to make December your month?

Here's the honest part: you're not truly skipping a payment. That extra month of breathing room simply means the interest was folded into your closing costs instead ([The Truth About Mortgage](https://www.thetruthaboutmortgage.com/ive-been-offered-the-opportunity-to-skip-two-mortgage-payments)). But for a buyer who just made the biggest purchase of their life, a payment-free January is a real cash-flow gift — more money for movers, new furniture, and holiday hosting in your new place.

One more reason December is a sweet time to close: the exact day matters less than you'd think. Because you prepay interest through the end of the month at closing, a mid-December signing gets the same February 1 due date as one on December 31 — so you keep that full month of breathing room no matter when you close that month ([Rocket Mortgage](https://www.rocketmortgage.com/learn/when-is-first-mortgage-payment-due)).

**Lerea Arellano** — Mortgage Loan Originator, NMLS #1309362

Call or text 719-225-2201

Call or text me today to start your homebuying journey, or visit my website for more information: [**Lerea's website**](https://www.sunflowerbank.com)