Home Equity Loan Refinance - Important Facts
Refinance refers to applying for a secured loan intended to
replace an existing loan secured by the same assets.You must
speak with a finacial advisor before you decide to refinance.
Refinancing the loan you had taken at higher rates is a good way
to save on the interest rate fluctuations. If you have improved
your Credit Ratings then also refinancing is a good option. If
you have decided to refinance your home loan, then you must
analyze how this will fit in your long term/short term goals.
Most people believe that in US, you need to wait for 12 months
before seeking refinancing on their homes, this is not true. You
can refinance before a period of 12 months.
Benefits of Home Equity Loans Refinance :
Whether the purchase price of your home or the current price
will be used depends on lender and time of purchase of home .If
you go for refinance of your current loan, you could also
eliminate your PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance) requirement, pay
off a 2nd mortgage or the need to withdraw cash even if you've
only been in your home for a few months.
Getting a refinance for your home mortgage loan can be
beneficial for you. You could lower monthly mortgage payment by
refinancing into a new, lower-rate home mortgage loan; it could
be a fixed rate loan, an adjustable rate mortgage, or a
fixed-ARM combination loan.
Consolidate your loans if you recently bought a home recently
with a 1st and 2nd mortgage. You could combine both loans into
one new loan at your home's current value by this method. If you
have currently have an adjustable rate mortgage but want fixed
payments in the future, you could refinance your loan into a new
fixed rate loan.
You could refinance your loan to draw cash from your home's
equity for debt consolidation, home improvements, investments or
any other purposes. This refinancing option could also help you
pay off your mortgage sooner. This is possible by getting your
home refinanced so that you can pay your mortgage loan with an
accelerated payment schedule.
If you purchased your home with less than 20% down payment, you
probably have a monthly mortgage insurance payment along with
your principal and interest. If the property has become valuable
you may have crossed the 20 % figure merely with this increase.
In principle you should be able to eliminate the insurance
payments. A home loan refinance will eliminate mortgage
insurance such that it should be designed to not only get a loan
without mortgage insurance, but also to find a rate that is
lower than your current loan.
The ideal situation for you would be to reduce your rate by more
than just the cost of your monthly mortgage insurance payment
alone.
When to Refinance?
In the past, it was considered that at least a difference of
2-3 percentage points in present and past interest rates should
exist, for refinancing. However the markets do not fluctuate
much, so you could look at the time scale not the difference of
rates as the benchmark for deciding whether to refinance or not.
If you have not defaulted on your monthly repayments, you will
have good credit ratings which may help you get better rates and
therefore save some money. So this may be a good time to think
of getting your home refinanced.
Home Equity Refinance is generally beneficial however you must
always decide after speaking with your financial advisor.
Refinancing enables generally lots of things for which we do not
have enough cash or so.
About the author:
Refinance Resources, news and trends
Home Equity Loan Refinancing
If you have lived in your home for more than two years, it has
probably appreciated which means that you have built up equity.
What is home equity? Home equity is the difference between the
value of your home and the amount of all that you owe on your
home. If your home has an appraised value of $200,000 and all of
the outstanding liens against it total $150,000 then your home
equity equals $50,000. Often times when a home has accumulated
value, the homeowner decides to take some of that value out in
cash. Sometimes the cash is used to pay off bills, for home
improvements or for a child's education. One of the best ways to
tap the money available from your property is to refinance it
with a home equity loan.
When considering a home equity loan, there are several steps you
should take to ensure you choose the refinancing package that is
right for you.
· The current market for home equity loan refinancing is crowded
and very competitive. As a homeowner you probably receive
solicitations for loans almost daily via the telephone or the
mail or the Internet. Be wary of accepting any of these
solicitations without thoroughly investigating them. The best
course of action might be to initiate your own independent
search for a financial institution or mortgage broker. Also be
aware of the fact that a mortgage broker in any loan situation
is not automatically working to get you the best deal. You are
the person who should take responsibility for making sure that
the final loan product is the one you need. The Better Business
Bureau, the yellow pages, the Internet and references from
friends are all good places to start your search for refinancing
your loan.
· You will need a certified appraisal for the actual loan.
However, it is wise to have an idea of the value of your home
before you begin the process of refinancing. There are many
online services that will give you an estimate of your home's
value. Many times home sales are listed in the newspaper. Watch
these listings for homes in your neighborhood that are similar
to yours in size and condition. Note their prices.
· Know your credit score. By law you are allowed one free credit
report a year. The credit reporting agencies that supply the
report generally will also offer your FICO score for a small
additional fee. There are other factors that influence your
ability to obtain a home equity loan but your credit report and
FICO score are good places to start.
· Once you have identified several possible sources for
refinancing your loan, have the lenders explain the different
loan products they offer. Don't be afraid to ask specific
questions and don't be hypnotized by a low interest rate. A low
interest rate alone is not sufficient reason to accept a loan
proposal. Ask about the term of the loan and the closing costs.
Make sure the lender explains any terms you may not fully
understand such as points.
· Let the lenders know they are competing for your refinancing
business. Sometimes a lender will sweeten your deal if there is
the possibility the it might be lost otherwise.
· Have all proposals submitted in writing. Take the time to
compare them and always make sure you are comparing the same
types of things. For instance, don't just look at the bottom
line number on the closing costs see what each lender is
including in the closing costs.
· Be alert to potential scams. Don't be intimidated by your
refinancing lender into signing anything that isn't absolutely
true. Don't sign anything that has blanks or that you haven't
read.
· Know your rights. There is generally a three day penalty free
right to cancel when you refinance your loan. If something
doesn't seem correct to you, don't shy from invoking that right.
Refinancing your loan in order to access your home equity can be
a wise financial move. Your home, however, is probably the
largest portion of your net worth so proceed with caution and
knowledge.
About the author:
Carrie Reeder is the owner of
www.abcloanguide.com,
an informational website about various types of loans. View her recommended
Refinance Home Equity Loan
lenders.
Items covered in this section:
Get the cheap, low cost home equity loan that you need. Improve your credit history with home
equity loan on-time payments. Get great deals on home equity loans with the best lending
institutions available. Lower the monthly payments on your home equity loan. Get a low interest
home equity loan. Find the best alternative lending institutions. How to get finance companies
to lend you money at the best possible rates.
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