Get this straight. A refinance is still a loan. Although you can pay off the old loan you add more years to pay off the new one, your refinance. The refinance comes with new everything - rates, terms, and loan agreement but you can make the new loan work for you and squeeze out some savings or break even just a few months shy of two years, that is if your loan is a little bit over $900,000.
People get a refinance for different reasons. The top reasons are lower interest rates, debt consolidation, use home equity, and to get rid the insurance fee. Don’t rush headlong into a refinance because interest rates have gone down. If you are going to stay in your home for 20 or 30 years, getting a refinance may be costly in spite of lower interest rates.
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 FICO score will have an impact on your ability to refinance. If the score is low, you may be unable to find a loan with a low interest rate. If it is high, you should be able to get the lowest possible interest rate. Before removing equity from your home, consider your debt to income ratio. Also consider the current value of your home. You don’t want to owe more on your loan than your home is worth.
Fees also add up the cost of the refinance. There’s the origination fee lenders require and be as high as $4000 for a $200,000 loan amount. This is to cover the cost of getting the loan processed. Another fee to pay is the closing fee that is generally 2% or 3% of the new loan.
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.
Until you have reviewed your financial situation and the requirements for a refinance, you can assess your chances for paying off a refinance successfully. But if you are dealing with an Adjustable Rate Mortgage and want to switch to a lower Fixed Rate Mortgage, lock into the lowest rate now after considering everything that goes into a refinance. If you’ll break even soon enough and pay lower rates which you can comfortably afford, then by all means, check this option.
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