Rebecca Sparenberg asked:




Looking to refinance your mortgage? Well stop, don’t rush; there are a few things you should consider before refinancing. With mortgage rates at an all-time low, refinancing can save you thousands of dollars. However, if you rush into a new rate without negotiate for the best deal or you don’t understanding all the details of your new mortgage you could end up losing money.

Is Refinancing Right For You?

A general rule is that refinancing becomes while if the current interest rate on your mortgage is at least two percent higher than the prevailing market rate. However, depending on your loan amount, you might choose to refinance a loan that is only one-point-five percentage points higher then the current rate.

When choosing to refinance, consider is how long you plan to stay in your house? Given the costs of the refinancing, it usually takes at least three years to fully realize the savings from a lower interest rate. Refinancing is only good idea if you intend to stay in your house long enough to make the additional fees worthwhile.

Remember To Shop Around

The most common mistake homeowners make when refinancing their mortgage is they fail to shop around. Would you buy a new car without first checking out the competitions prices?

Call two or three lenders to compare their interest rates and closing cost, then compare then to the terms offered by your current lender. Comparing offers allows you to get a better idea of what rate you may be able to qualify for. It also puts you in a better negotiating position with the lenders.

Once you receive offers, pay close attention to the interest rate, points, and closing costs. Talk with the loan officers and see if you can negotiate a better interest rate. Most often, the initial rate offered is not the best a particular lender can offer.

Consider All The Cost

There is no such thing as getting your cake and eating it too. It is important to understand that refinancing your mortgage is not free. Consumers need to ask their mortgage originator to provide all costs that will be incurred in order to complete the refinancing process in writing.
There are “no cost” rates available where all of the closing costs are built into the rate, but they usually involve higher rates. This is one of the reasons shopping around is so important.

Many lenders require that you have at least ten percent equity in your home, but there is usually at least one lender willing to underwrite loans in which the borrower has only five percent equity. Nonetheless, beware low equity loans can involve relatively high mortgage insurance costs.
In most cases, a homeowner should plan on paying an average of three to six percent of the outstanding principal in refinancing costs. One way of saving on some of these costs is to first check with your current mortgage lender, they may we willing to wave some of these fees; including the fees for the title search, surveys, and inspections.

Check Your Credit Twice

If your credit history is less than sparkling, it might be worth while to invest sometime into cleaning up your credit before you applying for a home loan. Before you apply for your new mortgage, first check your credit report for any mistakes or outdated information. It’s estimated that 60 percent of credit reports contain some type of incorrect information. Federal law allows consumers to receive a free copy of their credit bureau report each year. Review your report and make any change requests directly with the credit reporting agency.

Depending on your credit score, the process of cleaning up your credit can be as easy as reporting errors on your credit report or as complex as hiring a professional credit counselor to get your finances in order. If your credit problems cannot be fixed quickly you will almost certainly have to pay more than borrowers who have a good credit history. Yet, don’t assume that the only way to get credit is to pay a high price. Ask how your past credit history affects the price of your loan and what you would need to do to get a better price.

Don’t assume that minor credit problems or difficulties stemming from unique circumstances will limit your loan choices to only high-cost lenders. No matter what your credit score, remember the key to finding the best deal or rate is to shop, compare, and negotiate.

Jesus

justin narin asked:


If you are considering taking out a secured loan against your home, two of your options are home loan mortgage refinancing with cash-out or home equity loans. Depending on your particular situation one may be better for you financially that the other.

Cash-Out Refinancing

A cash-out refinance is refinancing your mortgage for more than the current balance on your first mortgage. Home loan mortgage refinancing usually has a lower interest rate than home equity loans, but if you borrow more than 80% of your home’s value then you may have to pay private mortgage insurance. If you have had your mortgage long enough that you are paying more principal than interest each month or if you currently have a good interest rate, it does not make much sense to refinance and a home equity loan will probably be a better option.

Home Equity Loan

A home equity loan is a loan on the difference between the market value of your home and the balance that you still owe on your mortgage. As a separate loan in addition to your mortgage, you do not usually pay the closing cost associated with a mortgage and the interest is usually tax deductable. Home equity loans are a good choice if your penalties for pre-payment on your original mortgage make refinancing impossible.

Which is Best?

Investments in the value of your home, starting a small business, or life-saving medical treatment are all good reasons to consider a cash-out refinance. However, you may end up paying more for your total interest than if you refinance your current mortgage at a lower interest rate and take out a home equity loan for a shorter term. Your final decision will depend on what you can afford for your monthly payments and if you are comfortable paying a larger total interest in exchange for lower monthly payments and lower interest rates.

If you are interested in debt consolidation, you may be able to get a lower interest rate with a cash-out refinance, but you lengthen the amount of time over which to pay off your loan. You might want to look into a home equity loan with a short term or simply re-budget and tackle your highest interest debt first and try to pay off your credit cards. This last method will probably same you more money in interest paid over time.

Remember that whether you opt for a cash-out refinance or a home equity loan, in either case failure to repay your loan can cost you your home. For more articles on Mortgage Refinance, visit: http://www.bills.com/mortgage-refinancing/



DANA

Marcus Masters asked:


The majority of families living in the modern world devote a significant portion of their monthly income to paying a mortgage.

It is possible to save money through refinancing your mortgage, sometimes over 5-figures a year (depending on the size of the mortgage), and below you will find the top three reasons why an individual or family chooses to refinance their home mortgage.

Before I get into the three reasons, let me first say that usually the primary motivation for refinancing a home mortgage is to secure a lower interest rate. The three reasons that I want to discuss go beyond simply trying to lower the interest rate, since it kind of goes without saying that everybody wants a lower interest rate.

The first reason that people choose to refinance is to reduce or eliminate the risk of an increasing interest rate by switching from an adjustable rate mortgage to a fixed rate mortgage.

Most people sign up for an adjustable rate when they are first getting their home loan because of the tempting lower introductory rate. What they fail to take into account at this time is that a few years down the road, their rate will have adjusted to a point where it is as high as 1-2% above the normal fixed rate.

When interest rates adjust, more times then not they adjust up and not down. This can be risky, especially if the adjustment period is short, and a good way to offset or eliminate this risk is refinance to a new mortgage with a fixed interest rate.

The second reason people tend to refinance their mortgage is to get a lump-sum of cash left over. They will work with a bank or a lender to pay off their existing mortgage, then take out a new mortgage that is greater than the value to be repaid on their home. That way they are left with a certain amount of money left over, whether it is $5,000 or $100,000. The term for this is ‘cash-out refinancing.’

Cash-out refinancing can be a good idea for funding something like a large home improvement or a new car. A poential downside is that it will usually be difficult to get the same low interest rate with cash-out refinancing as you would have gotten by simply refinancing the home and nothing more.

The third reason that most people will refinance their mortgage is to switch from a subprime loan to a prime loan. The entire premise behind the subprime lending market is to provide an option for the majority of potential borrowers who do not fit the stringent qualifications for the prime loan market.

A person who agrees to a subprime mortgage usually does so without regard to the high interest rate they will have to pay, and are only concerned with getting the money for their house as soon as possible.

By switching from a subprime mortgage to a prime mortgage, you will usually be able to save 1-4% on your interest rate, and the lender will be more willing to come to agreeable repayment terms because you will be so well-qualified.



KIRK