Mortgage Rates Hit Record Lows! Refinance & Save $1000s.
Home refinance benefits are many, among them including:
Convenience. Refinancing to combine a first
and second mortgage into one payment saves time and effort that
occur when you make payments to multiple lenders. Consolidating
a first and second mortgage also opens a junior mortgage lien
position on your home if you decide to take out a home equity
loan or line of credit in the future. Lower payments.
Perhaps you want to ease the burden of making payments on a
15-year mortgage loan by refinancing with a 30-year mortgage.
Stretching out your loan term reduces your monthly payments.
If you refinance to lower your payments, however, make sure
your new mortgage doesn't impose a prepayment penalty: With
the windfall that comes from lowering your payments, you may
occasionally have the resources to pay an extra amount
Consolidating other debts. You may want to refinance
in order to pay off an auto loan or credit card debt. After
all, the interest on a mortgage or home equity loan is tax-deductible
in most cases, while the interest on consumer debt is not.
Making fixed payments. To help you plan with more
certainty, you may want to lock in a fixed monthly payment that
occurs when you refinance an adjustable-rate mortgage with a
fixed-rate mortgage loan. Eliminating mortgage
insurance. If the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio on your original
home loan was more than 80%, your lender likely required you
to obtain private mortgage insurance. PMI protects the lender
in case a borrower defaults on a loan, which has a greater probability
of occurring for high-LTV loans. Annual PMI payments can easily
top $1,000. In short, your options for refinancing
are only limited by the marketing skills of savvy lenders. You
may find that your current lender, eager to hang on to your
business, offers you the best refinancing terms. |