Dark Magician asked:


I understand equity is value you have built up in your home by making loan payments but why is it required to refinance? Is it because lenders want to see you are in the process of paying off the loan instead of simply refinancing frequently?

Thanks

Darren

Eric Banks asked:




Many homeowners are struggling as they are not able to pay their loan on time and are facing foreclosure. This is because the value of their property has declined more than 50% than what they actually bought it for. Now they owe much more money to the lenders than the actual value of the property to the lenders.

Tips to Refinance Upside Down Home Loan Refinance

If you are upside down on your mortgage and it is creating difficulty for you, then you can refinance your loan. Borrower need not to worry much about it as they still have a hope and chances to save their homes by getting their upside down mortgage loan refinanced by the related lenders.

1. You can refinance your loan by lowering interest rates which will help you to stay in your home. Some homeowners are tempted in a myth that the rates are going to be decreased further because of the bad economic scenario but it is advised that you do not take risk and wait for the situation to get worse.

2. You can be offered for a fixed rate mortgage loan by the lender to refinance your upside down home loan easily.

3. You must keep in mind objectives that will help you to figure out what type of loan you want and whether it will fulfill your financial goals.

4. You can even stay with your existing home mortgage rates. They may be reduced some fees to help you refinance in better way.

5. A professional help can be taken by an agent. You can appoint him to take care of your situation professionally and understand your circumstances to work upon it further.

6. Do not pick calls of anyone unless you approach to the loss mitigation department. You are needed to call them to know how to refinance an upside down home loan mortgage.

Albert

Lynda Nelms asked:




I had a recent conversation with one of my clients, Mr. Jackson, who is a finance savvy homeowner from Virginia Beach, VA. He asked me an interesting question that I wanted to share with you, because it seems to be a common dilemma for homeowners in many states.

What the best solution for refinancing my first & second mortgages? Mr. Jackson elaborated, “I have an 6% 1st mortgage with a balance of $255,000, and a second mortgage at 14% with a balance of $52,500. We did a 125% second mortgage to pay off some credit cards. If I add the loans together, we exceeded our homes equity, as the property was appraised at $280,000. We are satisfied with the 1st mortgage rate, but we wanted to lower the rate on the second mortgage. A few years have passed since we took out the 2nd loan back in 2002, and importantly our home’s value has increased to about $325,000.” He continued, “Should I refinance the second by itself and try and get a lower rate, or should I refinance the 1st and 2nd mortgage together for one mortgage payment?”

Wow, what a good question. I praised my client for consolidating his credit card debts with a fixed rate loan. He was very satisfied with his monthly savings with the 125% loan and because it exceeded his property value, he did not consider refinancing that loan until neighbor hood housing costs went up significantly. Now that his house has increased its value it appears that his combined loan to value was under 100%. His refinancing options become much greater with the increased equity from the home appreciation.

I asked Mr. Jackson a few questions so I could help him find the best solution. How is your credit? Do you know your credit score? Is there a pre-payment penalty on your second mortgage?
Does your first mortgage have a fixed interest rate?
Jackson answered quickly: 689 credit score no pre-payment penalty after 3 years, and his 1st mortgage is at 6% with a 30 year fixed rate.

Combining first and second mortgages into one loan can be challenging, but sometimes it makes sense financially as well as being practical. In Jackson’s case, the best option was to leave his first mortgage alone, and simply refinance the 125% home equity loan with a 95- 100% second mortgage to lower his monthly payments. So Mr. Jackson was approved for a fixed rate 2nd mortgage. He had inquired about a home equity line of credit, but I reminded him that they have adjustable rates that have been increasing rapidly in the last few years. Since he was paying off long term debt, a fixed rate loan with simple interest was the only way to go. I was excited for Mr. Jackson, because we were able to get him approved for a loan with no pre-payment penalty and we were able to reduce the closing costs, because of his credit score.

Depending on the home equity program, 2nd mortgages may cost you a few thousand dollars in closing costs. Most closing costs are tax deductible and getting the lowest possible rate pays off in the long run. For example, With a 15 year term, you would recover the cost of the second mortgage within a few years, so if you can get 1% or more better paying some closing costs, it would be better than a home equity loan with no points. The lending reality is that most no point no fee 2nd mortgages require credit scores over 700, and the combined loan to value will most likely need to be under 90%.

If you are able to get the second mortgage with no penalty for early payoff, then get that feature with your loan, because if your home’s value continues to increase, then in a year or two, you may find yourself ready to refinance because you are back at the golden 80% combined loan to value. If 1st mortgage rates happen to drop again, then you may find yourself in a great position to finally combine both loans together. If the 1st mortgage rates dropped to the 6% zone, and you still plan to live in your home for many years to come then make the move to refinance. It all comes down to what the rate are doing, when the time comes.

Virginia