Understanding Your Refinancing Options
The decision to refinance is based on a number of factors. The terms of your current loan, the amount of your current loan and the remaining balance. It also is dependent on the amount you intend to refinance. Refinancing is a way to get your equity out of your home without selling it. If the new loan offers better interest rates and terms, you may be able to save money.
The reasons most people chose to refinance are to obtain more favorable interest rates, to use the equity they have in their home, to consolidate high interest loans like credit cards, or to simply to lower the amount of their monthly mortgage payments. If your reason for seeking refinancing is lower interest rates, you may not save money with your new loan. This is especially true if you intend to remain in your house over the long term.
The amount of time left to pay on your current mortgage must be carefully considered before refinancing. If you have paid on your mortgage for more than half it’s original term, refinancing could actually cost you money. If you are less than one third of the term into your current loan, than refinancing for a lower interest rate can result in savings over the life of the loan.
Don’t just sign on the dotted line and trust your lender’s integrity. Review every aspect of the terms of the loan including origination fees and closing costs. How much of your monthly payment will go to equity and how much to interest? At what point will you actually break even on the loan? Compare all the terms to the terms of your current mortgage and see if, over the life of the loan, you will actually realize any savings. You may want to seek advice from a real estate attorney or account if you don’t understand the terms and costs of your current loan or the cost of refinancing.
Your debt to income ratio needs to be a consideration, especially if you are removing equity from your home. It is unwise to end up with an upside down loan, in other words, a loan on which you owe more than the value of your home. You will also need to know your FICO score. A high FICO score will enable you to receive lower interest rates. If your FICO score is low, you will probably not be able to get favorable interest rates.
The origination fees and closing costs on a refinanced loan can run into thousands of dollars. Is your interest savings going to be enough to cover the financing costs? How long will you have the new loan before the savings cover the costs? If the refinancing includes the fees, you will be paying interest on that amount as well as on the amount that you originally borrowed.
If you qualify under the new government programs, you may not have to pay some or all of the fees. If you are refinancing because of the loss of a job due to the recession or due to serious illness, the fees may be waived in your case. The decision to waive the fee is made on a case by case basis, so before refinancing you should investigate whether you qualify for this waiver. This fee waiver will make refinancing more affordable for those who qualify.
The people most likely to benefit from refinancing are those with adjustable rate mortgages and those with balloon payments. People who have a fixed interest loan will see far less benefit unless their interest rate is very high. Shop around for the lowest possible interest rate before deciding where to get your loan. If you have a poor credit rating or FICO score, you will not be likely to find a low fixed rate mortgage. If you are not sure if refinancing is your best option, speak with an accountant or real estate specialist.
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