Robbie T. James asked:




Home is where the heart is. Home is where you hang your hat. Home… well, you get the picture. The home holds a dear place in the heart, minds and souls of pretty much everyone on the planet.

And yet, from a less sentimental perspective, the home can be seen yet another way: it is where we invest a heck of a lot of money.

Yes, besides the sentimental and practical value of our homes, they also represent a very significant financial investment for each and every homeowner. Not only are there the up-front closing costs and down payments associated with buying a home, but there are the ongoing, monthly expenses as well. No matter the value or price of your home, it is almost a sure bet that it wasn’t cheap to buy.

Maybe you have been able to make your mortgage payments for a number of months or years, but then something happens in life that makes it harder to keep up. Maybe you are able make your mortgage payments, but doing so causes you to sacrifice too much in other important areas of your life. Or, maybe you have been consistently late in making your payments – and may even be risking default.

In those cases, a mortgage loan refinance may be in order.

When To Consider Mortgage Loan Refinancing

Regardless of whether you actually have trouble making your monthly mortgage payments or whether you would just like to save some money like everybody else, an excellent way to reduce your payments is to refinance your loan.

While there is no single magic formula for knowing when it is best to refinance your home, there are some rules of thumb that can help. You should consider refinancing if:

a. you notice that mortgage rates (such as 15 year fixed or 30 year fixed) have gone down since the time you got your current mortgage by at least 0.5% to 1%

b. your credit score has improved since the last time you refinanced

c. you would like to extend the term of your loan to 30 years from 15 or 20 years

d. you have equity in your home that you would like to cash out (turn into cash)

Mortgage Loans Refinance: Home Loan Tips

If you are considering refinancing, the next step is to shop for the best deal. Here are 3 tips that can help you make the right decisions:

1. Research the best mortgage loan refinance lenders in your area: Start by making a list of at least 5-6 lenders who specialize in refinancing.

2. Figure out the ideal mortgage term for your new loan: Use an online mortgage calculator. By plugging in different payment terms (e.g., 15 years, 30 years, etc.) you can figure out how this will affect your future monthly payment amount.

3. Apply to multiple lenders: Be sure to apply to all of the lenders on your list. Remember, more lenders means more choices, which means a better chance of landing an excellent rate.

Follow these 3 tips to get the best-possible interest rate on your new mortgage loan refinance.

Jesus

Gabriel J. Adams asked:




The HPLR mortgage program, available through your credit union, is just one more of the many ways your credit union is serving its members. HPLR stands for Home Loan Payment Relief, and is referred to as the “Helper” Loan program. Once you understand what it actually offers, you’ll see why the name is appropriate. The HPLR program is specifically for those first-time home buyers who are buying a residence they will live in themselves. HLPR loans can be used on single family homes, duplexes, condos, or even co-op properties. These loans are available to families whose median income is less than the median income in the geographic area in which they are buying a home. And sometimes, that limit is extended to a higher level in areas where it’s known to be much more expensive to live.

All the details of this program are available by accessing the link at http://www.cuna.org/initiatives/hlpr/hlpr_borrower.html. There is an extensive amount of information on the program at that site as well as a message from Dan Mica, Credit Union National Association’s president. (CUNA is Credit Union National Association).
To quote Mr. Mica, “Owning your own home is part of the American dream, and for too many low and moderate income families, it’s becoming increasingly hard to reach. The gap between the incomes of average families and the affordability of a first home is a problem. Credit unions believe the HLPR mortgage is an innovative solution that will narrow the gap.”

As usual, credits unions are living up to their stated purposes in offering these loans. They are aware that many first time home buyers would be priced out of the market today with out a program like HLPR. Using this program, first time home buyers can expect to realize savings of $1000-$2000 a year on their mortgage payments. Larger loans may be offered under a HLPR program than with conventional financing, too. That is, lenders may be willing to lend a larger percentage of the home’s value under the HLPR program.

HLPR loans are three-year adjustable rate mortgages. Generally, first time home buyers are people who will find their incomes also going up slowly over time. Further, the initial down payment buyers must make on a HLPR mortgage is only 3%—a far more manageable sum than the 10-20% required to obtain more traditional financing. Even better, the loan can go up only one percentage point a year, and is capped at only a 5% increase for the life of the loan.

First time home buyers are, by definition, new at understanding how home financing works. There are any number of mortgage programs in the marketplace which are far less advantageous to the novice home owner than the HLPR program. Some of these loans may increase far more quickly, or have far less favorable interest rate caps over the life of the loan. Sometimes mortgage lenders tempt first-time home buyers with interest only loans. Imagine the surprise and shock of some of these buyers when they realize they have not been paying down on the principle of the loan, and have been paying literally ONLY the interest owed on the money borrowed. Sure, the payments are lower, but you are not actually gaining any equity position over and above home appreciation.

This may seem like one of those “too good to be true” financial fairy-tales you may hear about from time to time. But it actually is as good as it sounds, and it is true. Credit Unions are committed to help this segment of their membership become home owners. It’s actually that simple. Think about it this way: if you, the consumer, find yourself with an excellent mortgage loan in a home you love, where will you go when it’s time to finance an automobile purchase or a new roof on that home? It’s likely you will come back to your Credit Union. And that’s the best place for you to be.

Delores

Jackie asked:


Hi. I am in the process of buying a home. The seller is calling me and my mortgage broker 2-3 times a day asking for a closing date. My broker just told me that the only final condition is the payment history on my student loans. I just got out of school and consolidated my loans and put them in deferrment. They are including the payment in my monthly debt even though my 1st payment on the student loans isn’t until Dec. 06. Therefore, there is no payment history. My broker said Underwriting was using that as my payment history as I don’t have any other credit card debt. My car was paid off 1 1/2 yrs ago. Will this make my loan fall apart? Is there anything I can do to speed up the loan so the seller will back off? The house is a REALLY good deal! Help. Experienced answerers only. Thanks!

Rodney