. . asked:


I have debt totaling 30,000. I own a home in which I have over 150k equity in. I want to pay this debt once and for all. What would be the smartest way to do this? Should I refinance, take a home equity loan or set up a payment plan? My mortgage rate is 5.375 so refinancing would put me into a new higher rate since rates have gone up. I also have access to $10,000 in my 401k that I could borrow. I just want to make the right decision here. Any help would be great! Thanks.

Jeff

George D. Clark asked:




Of course you wouldn’t want to lose your home and so a 40 year refinance for your existing mortgage loan may be a very attractive and appealing alternative to keep your house and make sure your family are safe and secure. Though you may dislike the idea of having to owe other people money for such a long time, you may find that your low salary rate isn’t enough to make you qualify for short term loans. But then again, that isn’t just the single factor to like a 40 year loan scheme. There are more.

Yes, a short term loan may come in lower interest rates but it does make you pay rather high monthly payments that you may not be able to afford especially when you have your monthly expenses to consider as well. And so if you have unsettled bills (like your house loan for example) you may want to consider taking out a long term loan that will allow you to pay slowly but surely.

This is the very reason why a long term loan such a 40 year repayment or refinancing scheme has become so popular with many people. It definitely allows them to buy their dream house without having to worry about high monthly payments that they may not manage with their low monthly salary.

You may even take advantage of bad credit loans to refinance your mortgage. There are so many lending institutions out there that are more than willing to take a chance on you but then again you will have to shoulder a higher interest rate. But of course you can definitely manage to pay up the loan in due time if you would only plan your financial activities. If you would only pay religiously, without skipping a month and even pay on time, you will see that a long term loan may not be bad after all.

Charlotte

Robert Melkonyan asked:




Your mortgage payment is likely your most expensive payment each month. If you could lower this payment it might make all of your finances a bit easier to deal with. Lowering this payment even just a little bit each month could make a huge difference for you. Many people are realizing this and they are considering mortgage refinance to make a change so that they can enjoy lower monthly payments and perhaps more financial stability.

Lowering Your Payment Through Mortgage Refinance

The first thing that you should understand is that mortgage refinance won’t work miracles on your bills or your debts, but lowering your payment each month can help you establish a more stable financial situation if that is what you are working toward. Many people who are desperate put too much hope in refinancing and they get frustrated when things suddenly aren’t better afterward. If you refinance and you are able to lower your monthly payment that is a good time to look at all of your bills and see where you can make changes.

There are many ways that mortgage refinance can help you save. The best way to lower your payment is by lowering your interest rate. So, if you purchased your home 10 years ago and you got the going rate at the time, which was eight percent, chances are you could refinance today and lower that interest rate by at least two percent – perhaps more depending on your credit. Lowering your interest rate by two percent will make a huge difference each month and will substantially lower the overall payment that you are making over the course of the loan. In addition, when you refinance you will be refinancing less, after 10 years, than you were when you initially bought the home. So, when you lower the amount that you are financing and you decrease the interest rate, your savings can be substantial.

Another way that you can save, though you may not see it in your monthly payments, is by switching from an adjustable-rate mortgage to a fixed rate. Many people get nervous when their rate is about to adjust and they look into mortgage refinance then to keep from having to pay really high interest rates. While you may not be able to get your fixed rate as low as your introductory rate for your APR loan, in the end you will save money because you are not having to deal with the very high interest rates that you may see when your interest rate adjusts. If nothing else, the stability that you will get from this type of loan will allow you to sleep better at night!

As you can see, you really can save a lot of money when you look into mortgage refinance. While you can save, it’s important that you shop around a bit and make sure that you get the best deal for you. There are a lot of loan programs out there for you to consider and when you are trying to save you should comparison shop so that you are sure that you are saving as much as possible. Look into all the details of the loans so you know what to expect and you aren’t taken by surprise.

Katie