Refinancing an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) is a common practice for borrowers. However, it may not always be the best option. Depending on how high interest rates climb, there are cases when you could end up spending more on converting your mortgage than you would save with a locked in interest rate.
Adding Up Costs
Before you jump on a refinancing offer, consider the upfront costs. To refinance a $100,000 loan, you can expect loan fees to range from $1000 to $3000. That is not including points for lower rates.
In order to recoup these origination costs, you need to be planning to spend several years in your home. Also, if you only have a couple of years left on your mortgage, you may be better off with your original mortgage.
Benefits Of Refinancing
Locking in a low rate is the most common benefit to refinancing an ARM. By converting to a fixed rate mortgage, you are guaranteed a low interest without worrying about yearly interest rate fluxes.
You can also build up your equity sooner by converting to a biweekly mortgage or short term loan. With larger monthly payments, you can potentially save thousands on interest payments.
When Not To Refinance
With an ARM there is always some risk involved, but there are cases when keeping your ARM makes financial sense. For instance, unless interest rates will rise more than a couple of percentage points over the course of your loan, you will probably pay more in loan fees than you will save. You should also keep your ARM if current rates are only 1% or lower than your ARM’s rate.
You may also want to keep your ARM if you are planning to move soon. With homeowners moving within seven years of buying a home, it doesn’t make sense to refinance when you won’t recoup the costs.
Picking A Lender
Just like with any mortgage, you want to be sure that you have researched several lenders before choosing one. Request quotes on both rates and fees. You will need to add up total costs to find the best financing package. You can also use the internet to find online mortgage lenders. Many times these lenders will offer lower interest rates or low closing costs to remain competitive.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
How To Refinance Your Home Mortgage Loan Following A Bankruptcy
Get Your Debt under Control
Bankruptcy offers you the opportunity for a fresh slate with your finances. Your old debt will be wiped clean; however, any years of established credit are gone as well. Bankruptcy can be a real stress relief if you are in a desperate situation, but it is important to realize what has brought you to that point. If you declare bankruptcy and then continue without changing your spending habits, you are destined to end up in a similar situation again. The best way to use bankruptcy is as a learning tool. Know where you lost control of your spending, and be ready to move on from there.
Lower Your Expenses
One of the best ways to lower your expenses is to refinance your home mortgage. You may think that finding a lender to refinance your home mortgage following bankruptcy will be nearly impossible, but that is not so. Depending on your situation you may be able to walk into a bank the day after your debts are discharged by the bankruptcy court and refinance your home mortgage. If you have a good deal of equity in your home, you will find it much easier to refinance following a bankruptcy.
Even if you do not have a good deal of equity, you should be able to refinance your home mortgage within six months to one year from the final date of your bankruptcy. While you are waiting to refinance your home there are several steps that you can take to make yourself more attractive to lenders.
Why Refinance Your Home Mortgage After a Bankruptcy?
What are the benefits of refinancing your home mortgage after a bankruptcy? There are many benefits to this actually. By refinancing your mortgage you can lower your monthly payments in a variety of ways. You can extend the length of the loan or refinance at a lower interest rate, both of which will lower your monthly payment. While you will be considered a higher risk loan, and will not receive the lowest interest rate available, it is still possible that your interest rate may be lower than when you initially closed on your mortgage.
Another reason to consider refinancing your home mortgage after a bankruptcy is that this will automatically start you on the path to repairing your credit. The refinance will show up as a new loan. The older loan, which due to the financial problems that brought about your bankruptcy may have had late payments or missed payments, is closed. The new loan will show no late payments or penalties.
Where to Refinance
Too often, people feel that the black mark left by bankruptcy is an obstacle that they cannot overcome. Rather than shopping for a mortgage, they go directly to a sub prime lender, or worse, a lender who involves themselves in predatory loan practices. While sub prime lenders do have their place, they should not be your first choice. Lenders who involve themselves in predatory practices, such as excessively high interest rates, or interest compounded on an irregular schedule should be avoided at all costs. They will not help you.
Sub prime lenders are not likely to provide you with as low of an interest rate as you can receive from a traditional lending institution. Following a bankruptcy, your first stop in refinancing your home should be the lender that holds your mortgage currently. Not only do they know your payment history, and the home, they may also save you some money in closing costs by keeping the loan "in house". If they are not willing to refinance your mortgage, ask them what you should do to make yourself more attractive. If they recommend that you come back after three to six months, which is probably the best advice. If they are not interested in refinancing your mortgage, don't let it discourage you, shop mortgages at other traditional lenders.
Bankruptcy offers you the opportunity for a fresh slate with your finances. Your old debt will be wiped clean; however, any years of established credit are gone as well. Bankruptcy can be a real stress relief if you are in a desperate situation, but it is important to realize what has brought you to that point. If you declare bankruptcy and then continue without changing your spending habits, you are destined to end up in a similar situation again. The best way to use bankruptcy is as a learning tool. Know where you lost control of your spending, and be ready to move on from there.
Lower Your Expenses
One of the best ways to lower your expenses is to refinance your home mortgage. You may think that finding a lender to refinance your home mortgage following bankruptcy will be nearly impossible, but that is not so. Depending on your situation you may be able to walk into a bank the day after your debts are discharged by the bankruptcy court and refinance your home mortgage. If you have a good deal of equity in your home, you will find it much easier to refinance following a bankruptcy.
Even if you do not have a good deal of equity, you should be able to refinance your home mortgage within six months to one year from the final date of your bankruptcy. While you are waiting to refinance your home there are several steps that you can take to make yourself more attractive to lenders.
- Pay all of your bills on time. This includes your current mortgage as well as any utility, student loan, or other bills that you have following the bankruptcy.
- Do not attempt to open other lines of credit, such as new credit cards or lines of credit at stores. While credit is important, if your number one goal is to refinance your mortgage after a bankruptcy, you do not want to appear to the bank that you are in danger of falling into the same credit trap that you found yourself in prior to your initial bankruptcy.
Why Refinance Your Home Mortgage After a Bankruptcy?
What are the benefits of refinancing your home mortgage after a bankruptcy? There are many benefits to this actually. By refinancing your mortgage you can lower your monthly payments in a variety of ways. You can extend the length of the loan or refinance at a lower interest rate, both of which will lower your monthly payment. While you will be considered a higher risk loan, and will not receive the lowest interest rate available, it is still possible that your interest rate may be lower than when you initially closed on your mortgage.
Another reason to consider refinancing your home mortgage after a bankruptcy is that this will automatically start you on the path to repairing your credit. The refinance will show up as a new loan. The older loan, which due to the financial problems that brought about your bankruptcy may have had late payments or missed payments, is closed. The new loan will show no late payments or penalties.
Where to Refinance
Too often, people feel that the black mark left by bankruptcy is an obstacle that they cannot overcome. Rather than shopping for a mortgage, they go directly to a sub prime lender, or worse, a lender who involves themselves in predatory loan practices. While sub prime lenders do have their place, they should not be your first choice. Lenders who involve themselves in predatory practices, such as excessively high interest rates, or interest compounded on an irregular schedule should be avoided at all costs. They will not help you.
Sub prime lenders are not likely to provide you with as low of an interest rate as you can receive from a traditional lending institution. Following a bankruptcy, your first stop in refinancing your home should be the lender that holds your mortgage currently. Not only do they know your payment history, and the home, they may also save you some money in closing costs by keeping the loan "in house". If they are not willing to refinance your mortgage, ask them what you should do to make yourself more attractive. If they recommend that you come back after three to six months, which is probably the best advice. If they are not interested in refinancing your mortgage, don't let it discourage you, shop mortgages at other traditional lenders.
Monday, April 12, 2010
What is Refinancing With Cash Out?
If you have lived in your home for a reasonable amount of time and have acquired equity through appreciation and monthly mortgage payments, you may be considering liquidating some of that equity by refinancing with cash out.
Refinancing with cash out in laymen terms simply means to refinance your existing mortgage and borrow some of the equity in the home to be received in a lump sum at the closing table.
People refinance with cash out all the time and for a variety of reasons. The number one reason being to get a lower rate on their mortgage. The cash out scenario you can use for all sorts of reasons. Such as debt consolidation, buying a new vehicle, home improvement, college tuition, family vacation, etc.
If you are seriously considering refinancing with cash out, you may want to consider shopping around for a mortgage. By shopping around you can compare rates, and fees.
Also, be sure to educate yourself as much as possible. Take the time to learn as much as you can about the mortgage industry, so when the time comes to dealing with a loan officer you will have a strong grasp on your options.
Once you are done educating yourself, you will be able to track down a mortgage company to assist you with your cash out refinance.
Once you begin your search, don’t limit yourself to one company, talk with up to four at the very least. Allow them to assess your scenario and do inform them that you are shopping around.
By letting the loan officer know that you are shopping around, it will be in their best interest to offer you their best rate to prohibit you from going to their competition.
The mortgage industry is a very competitive one, and they will compete for your business. So sit back, relax, and wait for the best offer to come your way. Good luck.
Refinancing with cash out in laymen terms simply means to refinance your existing mortgage and borrow some of the equity in the home to be received in a lump sum at the closing table.
People refinance with cash out all the time and for a variety of reasons. The number one reason being to get a lower rate on their mortgage. The cash out scenario you can use for all sorts of reasons. Such as debt consolidation, buying a new vehicle, home improvement, college tuition, family vacation, etc.
If you are seriously considering refinancing with cash out, you may want to consider shopping around for a mortgage. By shopping around you can compare rates, and fees.
Also, be sure to educate yourself as much as possible. Take the time to learn as much as you can about the mortgage industry, so when the time comes to dealing with a loan officer you will have a strong grasp on your options.
Once you are done educating yourself, you will be able to track down a mortgage company to assist you with your cash out refinance.
Once you begin your search, don’t limit yourself to one company, talk with up to four at the very least. Allow them to assess your scenario and do inform them that you are shopping around.
By letting the loan officer know that you are shopping around, it will be in their best interest to offer you their best rate to prohibit you from going to their competition.
The mortgage industry is a very competitive one, and they will compete for your business. So sit back, relax, and wait for the best offer to come your way. Good luck.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Refinancing Home Loans
If you are a home owner, you may have at one time or another considered refinancing your house.
One purpose refinancing your house may serve would be obtaining a lower rate which would lower the amount of fees’ you pay on the money you borrowed over the course of the loan.
Another purpose refinancing your house may serve is that if you have lived in your home for some time, at least long enough to establish some equity through appreciation and principal payments, you may be considering refinancing and getting some cash out.
It is not at all uncommon to liquidate some of the equity in your home to put toward home repairs, buying a car, college tuition, etc.
The mortgage industry is a very competitive one, so obtaining a lender to help you refinance your house should not be at all that hard.
For starters you may want to check out the internet to find a lender. The internet is a very valuable resource when it comes to locating lenders and loan officers so that you may shop around for the best deal.
Once you have located a few lenders to work with, allow them to assess your situation to see what rate and product they come back at you with.
Once you have received a few quotes and explanations of programs available to you, base your decision on what rate and program best fits your needs and budget.
Obviously, you will want to go with the program that offers you the best rate. This is the wisest choice. However, make sure you get the loan officer’s proposal in writing. Anything but a written agreement is useless.
Remember, before you go jumping in to refinancing your house, do your homework, and research the mortgage industry, it will make the process a lot less painless.
One purpose refinancing your house may serve would be obtaining a lower rate which would lower the amount of fees’ you pay on the money you borrowed over the course of the loan.
Another purpose refinancing your house may serve is that if you have lived in your home for some time, at least long enough to establish some equity through appreciation and principal payments, you may be considering refinancing and getting some cash out.
It is not at all uncommon to liquidate some of the equity in your home to put toward home repairs, buying a car, college tuition, etc.
The mortgage industry is a very competitive one, so obtaining a lender to help you refinance your house should not be at all that hard.
For starters you may want to check out the internet to find a lender. The internet is a very valuable resource when it comes to locating lenders and loan officers so that you may shop around for the best deal.
Once you have located a few lenders to work with, allow them to assess your situation to see what rate and product they come back at you with.
Once you have received a few quotes and explanations of programs available to you, base your decision on what rate and program best fits your needs and budget.
Obviously, you will want to go with the program that offers you the best rate. This is the wisest choice. However, make sure you get the loan officer’s proposal in writing. Anything but a written agreement is useless.
Remember, before you go jumping in to refinancing your house, do your homework, and research the mortgage industry, it will make the process a lot less painless.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
When is it Worth it to Refinance a Home Loan?
When is it worth it to refinance your house? This guide will take you through a couple of the points you’ll need to know about when you’re trying to decide whether to refinance your mortgage or not.
Generally, you need to be aware of what the interest rate you’re paying on your mortage is. When interest rates start to go down, you have to be ready to jump on it and take advantage of a lower rate. It generally costs a couple of thousand dollars to refinance, though, so you need to think about several factors before deciding whether or not to do it.
First, how much are you paying now? You need to know both your monthly savings and the amount of time you expect to be there. Only refinance if you’re sure that you will be staying in that house for awhile - moving and selling your house would wipe out all the benefit of refinancing. You also need to think about whether interest rates will go lower in the future. You don’t want to jump on a refinancing and then suddenly find out a few months later that interest rates have dropped a point. Even a small change in interest rates can produce a large gain over the life of your loan, so you want to make sure you’re refinancing at the low point. Talk to your bank loan officer - they’ll generally tell you whether they think it’s a good idea and what direction they think interest rates will be going. Ask them to show you specific calculations, and then check them yourself.
Generally, you need to be aware of what the interest rate you’re paying on your mortage is. When interest rates start to go down, you have to be ready to jump on it and take advantage of a lower rate. It generally costs a couple of thousand dollars to refinance, though, so you need to think about several factors before deciding whether or not to do it.
First, how much are you paying now? You need to know both your monthly savings and the amount of time you expect to be there. Only refinance if you’re sure that you will be staying in that house for awhile - moving and selling your house would wipe out all the benefit of refinancing. You also need to think about whether interest rates will go lower in the future. You don’t want to jump on a refinancing and then suddenly find out a few months later that interest rates have dropped a point. Even a small change in interest rates can produce a large gain over the life of your loan, so you want to make sure you’re refinancing at the low point. Talk to your bank loan officer - they’ll generally tell you whether they think it’s a good idea and what direction they think interest rates will be going. Ask them to show you specific calculations, and then check them yourself.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Refinance Your Home Loan to Claim a Tax Deduction
The mortgage refinance market has cooled off dramatically with recent rate increases. Many people, however, refinanced during 2005 and can claim tax deductions.
Refinanced Your Home – Claim a Tax Deduction For Points
Mortgage rates have been shockingly low over the last few years. This is hardly news to anyone that owns a home. The nominal rates, however, did result in a major boom for the mortgage industry. As rates jostled up and down, millions refinanced to save just the fraction more on their home loans. Heck, many people refinanced multiple times! Alas, this rapid refinance craze has come to an end with the rise in mortgage interest rates.
If you refinanced this past year to get lower rates, I have some good news. Not only did you get lower rates, but you probably built up some additional tax deductions you can use to cut your tax bill.
To obtain a mortgage, whether new or a refinance, homeowners often have to pay points. These nasty little charges represent a percentage of the loan and are typically an upfront charge. Fortunately, points are deductible. Generally, you will claim a deduction for points as part of the mortgage interest deduction that makes our real estate industry so attractive. The type of loan, however, impacts how the points are deducted.
If you obtained a new home loan for a residence, you can deduct the full amount of the points. To do so, however, you must itemize on your tax return. Since you should be deducting the interest paid on the mortgage as well, this is a no brainer.
If you refinanced an existing home loan for a residence, however, things are a bit different. Yes, you can deduct the points paid on the refinance. Unfortunately, you have to deduct them over the life of the loan. In practical terms, you cannot deduct the full $3,000 you paid in points when you refinanced in August of last year. Instead, you can deduct a percentage of the $3,000. The percentage is the value of the points divided by the number of months of the loan. There are two ways around this tax handicap.
If you refinanced twice in 2005, and some of you did, you can deduct the full amount of the points on the first refinance. Why? You can do this because the life of the first refinance was less than a year, which all occurred in 2005.
In certain cases, points may also be immediately deductible if you used a refinance for home improvements. It is a bit technical and beyond the scope of this article. If you actually used a refinance to improve the home, and you can prove it with receipts, speak with a tax professional to write off all your points immediately.
Refinanced Your Home – Claim a Tax Deduction For Points
Mortgage rates have been shockingly low over the last few years. This is hardly news to anyone that owns a home. The nominal rates, however, did result in a major boom for the mortgage industry. As rates jostled up and down, millions refinanced to save just the fraction more on their home loans. Heck, many people refinanced multiple times! Alas, this rapid refinance craze has come to an end with the rise in mortgage interest rates.
If you refinanced this past year to get lower rates, I have some good news. Not only did you get lower rates, but you probably built up some additional tax deductions you can use to cut your tax bill.
To obtain a mortgage, whether new or a refinance, homeowners often have to pay points. These nasty little charges represent a percentage of the loan and are typically an upfront charge. Fortunately, points are deductible. Generally, you will claim a deduction for points as part of the mortgage interest deduction that makes our real estate industry so attractive. The type of loan, however, impacts how the points are deducted.
If you obtained a new home loan for a residence, you can deduct the full amount of the points. To do so, however, you must itemize on your tax return. Since you should be deducting the interest paid on the mortgage as well, this is a no brainer.
If you refinanced an existing home loan for a residence, however, things are a bit different. Yes, you can deduct the points paid on the refinance. Unfortunately, you have to deduct them over the life of the loan. In practical terms, you cannot deduct the full $3,000 you paid in points when you refinanced in August of last year. Instead, you can deduct a percentage of the $3,000. The percentage is the value of the points divided by the number of months of the loan. There are two ways around this tax handicap.
If you refinanced twice in 2005, and some of you did, you can deduct the full amount of the points on the first refinance. Why? You can do this because the life of the first refinance was less than a year, which all occurred in 2005.
In certain cases, points may also be immediately deductible if you used a refinance for home improvements. It is a bit technical and beyond the scope of this article. If you actually used a refinance to improve the home, and you can prove it with receipts, speak with a tax professional to write off all your points immediately.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
A Good Idea To Save Money By Refinancing Your Mortgage -
Do you know that refinancing your mortgage can save a considerable amount of money on your mortgage rates? Refinancing your mortgage helps you to enjoy the benefit of lower interest rates and reduce your monthly mortgage repayment amount. If you are planning to refinance your mortgage then you need to consider several things to pick up the best deal available in the financial market.
Before selecting someone to refinance your mortgage you need to check the details of your present mortgage. That is how many years are remaining for your loan period and which type of interest rate you are currently paying for your mortgage.
These days there are several money lenders who offer mortgage refinancing services. But you need to be very careful while selecting a mortgage lender. Before selecting any money lender you need to talk with various lenders and know the various refinancing schemes they offer. This helps you to get a clear idea of how much monthly repayment amount you need to pay after you refinance your mortgage. Check whether the mortgage lender has calculated your monthly repayment amount from the principal left on your mortgage. Remember to compare your present interest rate and the previous interest rate and make sure that your new interest rate is lower than the original one.
Some people refinance their mortgage to get some additional money for home improvement or other expenses while some others refinance their mortgage to save money on their present mortgage. Whatever the reason for your refinancing plan let your money lender know that. Most mortgage lenders offer refinancing for 10 to 40 years. It is better from your part to suggest to your mortgage lender a refinancing period after calculating the monthly repayment amount. Similar to other loans, you can select fixed rate mortgages and adjustable rate mortgages. Most people tend to use fixed rate interests for their mortgages. The main advantage of using fixed rate interest rates is that it is less risky compared to the adjustable rate mortgages. This is because the interest rate of adjustable rate mortgages always tends to change – that is you cannot predict how much interest you need to pay in the next month.
Nowadays there are many mortgage lenders who offer their services through internet. This is an easy way to find a perfect mortgage lender. Online refinancing helps you to find a mortgage lender with the convenience of your home or office. Just do a search in the internet search engines to find a perfect money lender who can offer you services which best suit your needs.
Before selecting someone to refinance your mortgage you need to check the details of your present mortgage. That is how many years are remaining for your loan period and which type of interest rate you are currently paying for your mortgage.
These days there are several money lenders who offer mortgage refinancing services. But you need to be very careful while selecting a mortgage lender. Before selecting any money lender you need to talk with various lenders and know the various refinancing schemes they offer. This helps you to get a clear idea of how much monthly repayment amount you need to pay after you refinance your mortgage. Check whether the mortgage lender has calculated your monthly repayment amount from the principal left on your mortgage. Remember to compare your present interest rate and the previous interest rate and make sure that your new interest rate is lower than the original one.
Some people refinance their mortgage to get some additional money for home improvement or other expenses while some others refinance their mortgage to save money on their present mortgage. Whatever the reason for your refinancing plan let your money lender know that. Most mortgage lenders offer refinancing for 10 to 40 years. It is better from your part to suggest to your mortgage lender a refinancing period after calculating the monthly repayment amount. Similar to other loans, you can select fixed rate mortgages and adjustable rate mortgages. Most people tend to use fixed rate interests for their mortgages. The main advantage of using fixed rate interest rates is that it is less risky compared to the adjustable rate mortgages. This is because the interest rate of adjustable rate mortgages always tends to change – that is you cannot predict how much interest you need to pay in the next month.
Nowadays there are many mortgage lenders who offer their services through internet. This is an easy way to find a perfect mortgage lender. Online refinancing helps you to find a mortgage lender with the convenience of your home or office. Just do a search in the internet search engines to find a perfect money lender who can offer you services which best suit your needs.
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