There are certain circumstances that come into play in terms of mortgage refinancing. A cash strapped home owner may benefit from a refinance, if the interest rates they are paying are making the property unaffordable. In some circumstances a refinance is a good thing, but in others it may not be so good, it just depends in the financial position of the individual.
With a refinance the underlying loan is repaid before the end of term and a new loan is taken out. There are a number of reasons for doing this and as we said, interest rates are a key factor. If a home loan is linked to an adjustable rates mortgage, or sub-prime mortgage it can become unaffordable, particularly if the economy is bad. Many of these loans were initiated when the economy was strong and now home owners are losing their property as they can no longer afford the re-payments.
It is also a way to tap into any existing equity in the property in the case of a large financial problem or purchase, and it is also used as a way to consolidate debt or finances. There are benefits to this as well as pitfalls, and any home owner considering a mortgage refinance should be aware of both these.
To refinance a mortgage can cost as much as 3-6% of the principal loan amount. This can work out to be a very expensive exercise. Exactly the same steps have to be followed to refinance as would have to be taken with a new loan. The property needs an appraisal and title search, applications have to be completed and an application fee is applied to the loan.
All of these factors must be considered before applying to refinance your mortgage. You need to have very clear reasons why you are doing this. You also have to know if refinancing will provide tangible benefits.
The primary reason of refinancing any mortgage is to obtain a lower interest rate. The general rule of thumb states that if you are able to lower your interest rate by at least 2%, then refinance. Lenders say 1%, but you have to weigh up the benefits knowledgeably.
Saving money by lowering the interest rates you pay is the one true benefit of a refinance. It needs to be able to help you save, by lowering the monthly mortgage payments, and it has to allow you to build equity in the property.
A $100,000 home loan with a 9% interest rate and a 30 year term, realizes a monthly re-payment of $804.62, the same loan, and loan term with a 6% interest rate costs $599.55. The difference in the amount of these two re-payments could mean the difference between saving a home and going into foreclosure if hard times come upon the home owner.
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