Unfortunately paying down the majority of the loan and leaving a remainder may not work either. Most fixed loans only allow a set extra repayment amount. For example $5k per year. The fee for this is calculated at the end of year one of loan, and this also cannot be calculated until that date. Unfortunately with fixed loans, the bank purchases the funds at a fixed rate also, to match the loan term thus locking in a margin. This is why the fees can sway so much, as this is the opportunity cost to the bank.
