Mortgage Refinancing - Before Considering Refinancing

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Mortgage Refinancing Companies
Searching for a mortgage refinance company can be a daunting task. In a moderately sized city, there could be at least several major refinancing companies and several smaller local refinancing institutions. In a larger city, you can easily have hundreds of refinancing companies. If you add in the access to mortgage companies via the Internet, the options are truly limitless. With so many options, ... Read refinance mortgage article



Refinancing Your 2nd Mortgage
Refinancing your second mortgage can help you save money by reducing your current high rates and caps. You can also consolidate your mortgages for easier payments and better financing. Just be sure that you compare financing offers first to be sure you are getting the best deal.

Lower Your Home Mortgage Interest Rate

The prime advantage to refinancing your second mortgage is ... Read refinance mortgage article



Mortgage Refinancing - Before Considering Refinancing
Perhaps you're a homeowner in need of some quick cash.

Maybe you want to consolidate your debts so you have better control of your money.

Perhaps a lender is urging you to refinance because interest rates are low, and he has a too-good-to-be-true deal that will shorten your current loan's term.

Here are 6 essential questions to ask yourself before making the decision to refinance.

1. What's My Motive - and What Will It Cost Me?

Before you even consider a refinance, ask yourself this fundamental question: "Why do I need it?"

"Many times, people take out a new, larger loan to pay off credit cards, automobiles or even to purchase another home," says Norm Bour, host of the nationally syndicated U.S. radio program The Real Estate & Finance Show, and an experienced mortgage lender. "Sometimes they need the money to do home improvements or renovations."

If, however, you want to lower your current loan payments or switch to a different type of loan, you must calculate the benefits before going the re-fi route.

"If someone is going from a fixed loan to another fixed loan, my general benchmark is to see a 1% reduction of interest rates to justify it," says Bour, who also teaches money-management classes in Southern California. "Sometimes the borrower goes from a fixed-rate loan to an adjustable to lower his payments. Sometimes he does just the opposite - maybe to get away from interest-rate volatility. These are very personal decisions, specific to each individual client."

2. How Long Will I Be in the Property?

You may already know - or suspect - that you will not live in your current home beyond a certain timeframe (perhaps 5 years). If this is the case, why would you even consider a 30-year loan?

"Sometimes, an adjustable-rate loan or a ''hybrid' - say, a 5-year fixed, then converting to an adjustable - makes the most sense," Bour says.

3. What Am I Worth?

Do your homework before trying to qualify for a new loan. You should know:

- The approximate market value of your property, as "loan to value (LTV) is one of the primary factors that control interest rate," Bour says.

- Your credit score, which will affect your overall ability to secure a loan, as well as the interest rates offered and the options available to you.

4. Do I Have a Competent Loan Officer?

In certain cases, refinancing may not yield "a monetary savings, per se," Bour says. This means there must be "compelling reasons" to secure a new loan, he emphasizes.

"A good loan officer will ask a series of questions to help the borrower identify his best option," Bour says. The officer should:

- Assess your current monthly cash flow and potential future risks.

- Calculate your monthly savings if you were to refinance.

- Determine how long it will take you to break even.

- Fully explain the different types of loans and interest structures.

- Disclose all closing costs and "hidden" fees (origination fees, escrow, title, underwriting, interest, taxes, insurance, prepayment penalties, etc.).

- Treat you with respect and as an individual - not come up with a one-size-fits-all, cookie-cutter approach to your financial future.

5. Do I Need a Second Opinion?

Because lenders have an interest (pun intended) in having you sign on the dotted line, it's often worthwhile to seek advice from a certified financial planner or other expert who has no investment or agenda when it comes to your refinancing decisions - especially if you're a first-timer who lacks fluency in real estate issues.

Accept your limitations, and have enough smarts to ask for help. A lot of money is riding on this decision, so never let pride get in the way of making the right choice.

6. Will This Hurt My Credit Rating? "While refinancing, in and of itself, will do very little damage to credit scores, what will cause harm is excessive shopping amongst too many lenders," Bour says. "Each time a credit report is pulled by a ''potential grantor of credit,' it shows up as an ''inquiry' - and each inquiry drops the credit score by a little bit.

"In the United States, the laws have changed over the past few years, and inquiries do not have the same negative impact as they used to. Most credit bureaus will now look at a ''cluster' of inquiries over a short period of time as being one inquiry."

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Mortgage Relief specializes in assisting Australian families with mortgages by making their monthly repayments more manageable and decreasing their overall debt and total interest paid over the life of their mortgage. Mortgage Relief is a mortgage refinance provider that it part of Australia's largest Debt Relief organization. Visit Mortgage Relief on the web at http://www.mortgagerelief.com.au or contact them directly on 1300 789 014.

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Mortgage Refinance Help - Get the Best Mortgage Professional

When you need a mortgage -- either because you are buying, refinancing, taking out equity or getting into investment real estate, you need a good mortgage professional. Now, you may be tempted to go to your local savings and loan, as they may promise lower fees or zero costs. Meanwhile, in virtually every case, banks can't compete with mortgage professionals on the two most important things -- interest rates and service.

Also, the banker who promises very low closing costs will probably be making his money on a higher rate, and he'll likely try to sell you on discounting that higher rate, by paying a percentage of the loan amount. This is a common tactic bank loan officers use, and it is a very poor strategy in almost every case for you to buy a rate.

Finally, bank loan officers can't come close to the service of a good, honest mortgage professional. When dealing with a bank, you have to go to them, you have to close your loan where they tell you to close, you can only get your interest rate locked in when you've jumped through all of their hoops (mortgage professionals can lock your rate the day you call, over the telephone).

Mortgage professionals are in the service business. Unlike bankers, mortgage professionals need you, because they work strictly on commission. So, they will do everything possible to make you happy, because they want your referrals, and they want you to come back every time you do a loan. Good Mortgage professionals will treat you like you are their only customer. They give you their personal cell phone numbers and tell you to call them anytime of day. They meet you anywhere - home, work, your favorite coffee shop or restaurant, or any other place you designate. They go the extra yard to close your loan.

I once helped an elderly gentleman, on a fixed income, who needed to get cash from his house, in order to fix a dilapidated roof. He had 14 liens against his home, which made nearly impossible to refinance. I worked for a month, getting all of these items cleared. I even dealt with a bank collector, and got him to take thousands less for an old debt, just so we could close the loan and the man could stop the rain from coming into his home. Almost every bank loan officer would have sent this man away, because they don't want to do this much work.

So, remember, you need a mortgage professional, when getting any kind of home or refinance loan. Be sure you get the best.

Mark Barnes is the author of the new novel, The League, the first work of fiction, based on fantasy football. He is also an investment real estate and home loan finance expert. Learn more about his suspense thriller at http://www.sportsnovels.com Get his free mortgage finance course at http://www.winningthemortgagegame.com


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