When to refinance - When is a good time to refinance? "I have heard that lowering my rate by a minimum of 2% is the only time I should refinance, is this correct", asks one borrower? A good time to refinance depends on your individual situation. Only refinancing when you can lower your rate by at least 2% is an old myth. There are many reasons to refinance your home mortgage loan and many times when refinancing can help you. Talk with a mortgage adviser to see what loan programs are available for you and if refinancing your home would make sense.A good time to refinance is when the interest rates get much lower than when you obtained your home mortgage loan. By refinancing to a much lower rate you can not only save a lot of money from your monthly mortgage payment, but you can also look into cutting your mortgage term down from 30 years to 20 years and still be able to lower your mortgage payment. By lowering your mortgage term you can generally save 10's of thousands, and sometimes 100's of thousands of dollars in mortgage interest alone. Therefore, it is a good idea to pay attention to the interest rates from time to time to see where they are at or check with your personal mortgage representative occasionally to get an update from him/her.
If you are currently paying private mortgage insurance (PMI) and know that your property value has substantially increased, and then it would be in your best interest to refinance. With property values increasing, your loan-to-value will be decreasing, which means that a rate and term refinance will eliminate the PMI and start saving you money immediately.
When you need to get cash out of the equity of your home you can refinance to obtain this. Refinancing your mortgage to get cash out can be done as a first mortgage refinance, or the cash out can be obtained by getting a HELOC, a home equity line of credit, or a second mortgage. All options can provide many benefits but you must talk with a licensed mortgage advisor in order to see which option will be ideal for your particular situation.
You may want to consider a refinance if you have some expenses coming up such as:
College tuition
Weddings
Home Improvement
These are just a few reasons why you may need to refinance your current mortgage.
Whether or not refinancing is beneficial is mainly up to you. If you are refinancing because you want to lower your rate but you only have 20 years left on your loan, will a new 30 year loan be the right program? It might be. If you want a lower monthly payment than it probably is right but if you want to lower the total amount of interest paid on the loan, it may not be. You have added 10 more years worth of mortgage payments on your home. Is the monthly savings worth the extra 10 years worth of interest? Only you can be the judge. You know your budget better than anyone else and if you don't have a budget, then it is definitely time to get with your mortgage professional and create one. You won't be sorry you did.
Normally, our customers refinance to get a lower interest rate or to lower their monthly payments, it really depends on your individual goals. If you would like to reduce the amount you are paying in interest, you may want to consider a loan with a reduced term. If you would like a smaller payment, you may want to consider a longer term, an adjustable rate interest or an interest only loan however you may pay more interest over the life of your loan.
Also, other good reason to refinance is for investment purposes. Consult with your financial planner or accountant to find alternative investment opportunities. You might find a high return on investment might be better suited for you rather than having your home equity accrue with no interest opportunity.
If you have an adjustable rate mortgage that is set to adjust soon, now may be the time to start shopping for your next mortgage. The process generally takes 20 - 30 days but the extra time can be spent removing credit report errors, gathering all documentation, and deciding on what loan program is best for you.
One obvious reason to refinance is when the fixed rate period of any type of adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) loan has come to an end. For example the fifth year of a 5 year ARM and the third year of a 3 year ARM.
There are so many programs out there today then there used to be that can give the home owner the edge in creating a financial plan for their future. Whether its home improvement, debt consolidation, or lowering the monthly payments for cash flow, or getting equity cash out for other important financial decisions (education, investments, business, medical, etc), a mortgage broker professional can assist you in reviewing these options and what will work best for you.
Sometimes life may throw you a curve ball such as a medical emergency or a major repair on your property. Even if you are not reducing your rate refinancing may be the best and only solution to solve these problems and avoid either troubled credit or further damage to your residence.
If you are considering a second refinancing, don't overlook this potential tax write-off: When you pay points to refinance, you must deduct the amount over the life of the loan, usually 30 years. But when you refinance a second time, all of the points that have not yet been deducted from the first refinancing can be written off in a lump sum.
When is the right time to refinance? - This is a question that only you can answer. Many lenders will tell you that you ‘need’ to refinance if it is going to save you $50 or more per month. You have to ask yourself if the costs of doing the loan will outweigh the benefits that you will receive from the new loan. A good loan officer can help you determine this by finding out what the cost of the new loan will be, and what your new payment will be. From there, it is up to you to determine if it is really in your best interest.
If you want to do home improvements, such as finishing a basement or upgrading a kitchen, you can get a home equity line of credit. However, you will have your original payment, plus a line of credit payment. Another option is to do a cash out refinance that will result in one payment spread out over a longer term, thus, a smaller payment.
There are some basic "no brainer" times to refinance. If your credit was less than perfect and your mortgage is an ARM with a short fixed period (2 or 3 years) you should plan to refinance just before you enter the adjustment period. Once you enter the adjustment period your rate could increase by as much as 2%. You should refinance to a fixed rate mortgage, you will most likely lower your payments or keep your payments and go to a shorter term such as 20 or 15 years
The right time to refinance really depends upon your current financial situation and what you need to do to get into a better financial situation. If you are looking to consolidate debt and bills into your mortgage, then you will need to wait until you have enough equity built up into your home to do this. If you simply want a lower rate and or term then you should consult your mortgage professional to see if the benefit of refinancing makes enough financial sense to you. Therefore, each unique situation requires its own personal analysis to see when the right time to refinance may be.
If you have ARM and it is about time to adjust from fixed to adjusting period, you might consider refinancing to get better term on your mortgage. By switching to a fixed-rate loan, you will not only reduce your payment, you will also likely lock in an attractive rate for as long as you own your home.
Many people refinance and use cash taken out to purchase investment properties. While this certainly isn't for everyone, real estate investment can be very lucrative and can many times require very little cash out of pocket. If you are considering buying an investment property and would like to take cash out of your equity ask your mortgage professional how this can work for you.
When Should I Refinance? - One factor to consider is the cost involved. If your closing costs on a refinance are high, and the amount youre saving per month is low, it doesnt make a lot of sense.
If credit card debt is piling up, and you have some equity in your home, it is sometimes a good idea to consolidate that debt and roll it into your mortgage, if the payments make sense in the end.
The most common reason that most people are refinancing currently is to lower their monthly payments/expenditures. While rates have crept up, they remain at historically low levels. This means that you may still qualify for a very low interest rate on a home loan while being able to pay off credit cards or other higher interest rate loans (whose interest is not tax deductible) and save money on a monthly basis. Please call me to discuss.
A good time to refinance is when you currently have an adjustable rate mortgage and the short term fixed rate is getting ready to adjust. For example if you have a 30 year mortgage on a 3/1 ARM that would mean that your interest rate will be fixed for the first 3 years of the mortgage loan. After the first 3 years are up, the interest rate will adjust and then it will continue to adjust once every 12 months (once per/year) thereafter for the remainder of the loan. Usually, this is a good time to look into refinancing. Consult your mortgage professional to see what your options are and what types of mortgages you will qualify for.
Another reason to refinance is to shorten your term. If you have been paying on your current mortgage and would like to save thousands of dollars off the remaining balance, shortening to a 20 or 15 year amortization may help.
One of the most common reasons for refinancing a home is to lower your monthly payments. You may lower your payments by lowering your interest rate, extending the term of your mortgage or a combination of both.
For example: You bought your home with a mortgage of $100,000 with an interest rate of 9% and a term of 30 years. Your monthly principal and interest payment is $804.62. You have lived there for some time now and reduced the principal balance on your mortgage to $80,000. You are approved for a new mortgage at 7%. Your closing costs are $5000. Your new loan amount will be $85,000 (you're including the closing costs in your new mortgage.) Your new principal and interest payment will be $565.51. You will save $239.11 every month!
You can use that extra money to compensate for a decrease in income or increase in expenses. Or, if your income and expenses have remained stable, you can put that money into a savings account or use it to pay down the principal balance of your mortgage.
In some cases, maintaining some cash reserve fund is more important than lowering the monthly payment. If you have significant equity on your home and if you are uncertain about your future income, refinancing to cash out is not a bad option. This is not a long term solution, but it buys you time to correct the problem. Remember, when you need the money most (such as the cases of illness or job loss), it usually is very difficult to borrow money. If you are in this situation, refinance to cash out before the unfortunate event occurs.
When exploring the possibility of refinancing your mortgage, there are many good reasons why you may want to seriously consider.
One reason is to pay-off high interest loans such as auto loans, personal loans, or credit cards that may be hurting your monthly cash flow. Paying off these debts can help shift non-taxable debt into your home at a low interest rate while giving you additional interest write-offs.
When can I refinance? - Refinancing can be done anytime. However, special attention should be paid to your current loan terms, your ultimate goals with refinancing, any pre-payment penalty you may currently have, and the current interest rates that you would qualify for. Consult a mortgage professional immediately to find out if now is the best time for you to refinance.
One of the best times to refinance is when you honestly feel that you may be at rik of missing a mortgage payment. By refinancing, you can get into a minimum payment loan which requires about half the monthly minimum payment as a conventional loan, and take 1, 2 or even 3 months off from making mortgage payments. Taking this opportunity to consolidate high interest credit card debt can double your savings and potentially boost your tax benefits.
Many people refinance when they are on adjustable rate mortgage right when the ARM loans are getting ready to make their first adjustment. Most people that refinance because their ARM loan is getting ready to increase in rate begin the process roughly 30 days before the adjustment date.
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