Saturday, March 14, 2009 

Refinance Your Mortgage and Improve Your Finances

Taking out a mortgage is a big step, and if there's one payment each fortnight or month that causes the most headaches, it's almost always the mortgage payment. Mostly because it's the biggest! If you've had your home loan for a while, but are struggling to meet the payments, then refinancing your mortgage may be something worth considering. Or perhaps you've built up a lot of high interest rate debt, such as credit card debt, and really need some relief to make things easier.

Basically, refinancing your mortgage means that you pay off your loan with your current lender, by taking out a loan with another lender. The reasons people choose to do this are almost as endless as people themselves, but generally there are a few main reasons. One is to change your loan type - for example, to move from an adjustable (variable) rate mortgage into a fixed mortgage. It might be that your income or credit rating have improved since you first took out your home loan, and so now you're eligible for a better deal. Your house may have increased in value and you want to take advantage of that to consolidate your debts. Mostly, though, people refinance their mortgage so that they can get a better deal - and lower repayments.

Refinancing your mortgage isn't hugely different to applying for a mortgage in the first place. As a minimum, you will still need to produce financial records, earning details and credit reports as part of the application process. You must list your debts and assets, verify your employment, produce financial accounts such as bank statements, have a copy of the title of your land, and generally just prove that you're worth the risk.

It's also necessary to provide details of your current monthly mortgage payment and your outstanding mortgage balance. It's generally helpful to also show the status of insurance payments and property tax. You also need to provide the contact details for your current lender, so that the new lender can coordinate the refinancing.

Of course, none of this happens for free - mortgage refinancing involves just as many fees as taking out your initial mortgage. Perhaps even a few more! So be prepared to pay for things such as:

- application fee

- title search

- title insurance fees

- appraisal costs

- prepayment penalties

- loan origination fee

- discount points

- legal service fees.

It may be possible to negotiate some of these fees, to help make the refinancing easier. It may also be possible to add some of the fees to your new loan balance. You need to ask about these possibilities as early in the process as possible.

Mortgage refinancing is a big step, there's a lot involved, and it's worth thinking through a few questions before going ahead with it. For example, think about:

- how long you expect to stay in your house

- how many years remain on your existing mortgage

- can you afford to pay the costs involved in refinancing

- will you still be able to put some money aside for a rainy day

Spend some time running your numbers through a mortgage calculator, or else sit down with a good mortgage broker and let the broker do the number crunching for you. It may also be a good idea to talk to your financial adviser, and perhaps even your original lending company. You may be able to make some changes to your loan or loan package, without having to incur all the costs involved in a complete mortgage refinance.

To read more useful articles about choosing the best home loan, check out Home Loan Zone Central

 

When to Refinance Your Home Mortgage

When you refinance your home mortgage you are essentially replacing your existing loan with a loan of either the same amount or more, but with a lower interest rate. It is important to remember that refinancing your current loan is best considered when the current rates are at least 2% less then the interest rates you are currently paying.

There are several benefits to refinancing your existing home loan: First, refinancing allows a home owner to lower his or her existing monthly mortgage payments. Second, refinancing is also a great way for a home owner to consolidate their debt so as to save valuable money in the long term. Finally, home owners can also benefit from a lower refinancing rate by freeing up cash that can be used on much needed expenditures. In most cases, a lower interest rate is a good reason to refinance a home especially when the home is still quite new, for example the homeowners have been paying on it for only a few years.

In most cases, a lower interest rate is a good reason to refinance a home especially when the home is still quite new, for example the homeowners have been paying on it for only a few years. Many homeowners refinance to free up funds for other things like pay off credits cards more quickly, buying a car, another home or growing the family business. To do this type of loan, a cash out loan, they rely on the equity in the home to get the loan amount they need.

Probably the best way to go about doing a home mortgage refinance is to get multiple quotes from multiple lenders. You can compare quotes and decide whether you would like to accept of the refinance home mortgage quotes offered. There are a lot of lenders that would love to assist your with your refinance home mortgage, but you need to find the one that will best meet your needs. Using an online mortgage loan broker to explore several options for your refinance mortgage is a guaranteed way to save money. Not only will these sites be able to give you rates and quotes, but they will often allow you to find out more information on lenders so that you can make the best choice for your situation. And the best part is there is no obligation when you get a free online quote.

No matter what the reasons for doing a home mortgage refinance be sure to be clear as to exactly why you need to do this in the first place. Is it to save money on interest or to tap into the equity into your home for a large purchase? Be sure to do your research and get the best deal both in terms of interest rates and payment options that best fits into your financial needs.

To learn more about a mortgage refinance please visit the website Home Equity Loan by clicking here.



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