Mortgage
Refinance :
Refinancing simply means taking a new loan to repay
an existing loan. This is often done to secure better
terms or to get a lower interest rate. A home equity
loan creates a second mortgage on your home.
The first thing to do when considering
refinancing is to find out the current mortgage
rates. Are they higher or lower than what you are
currently paying? If they are higher then you probably
don't want to refinance unless you want to extend
the term of your current mortgage. But if the rates
are favorable then you have to make a decision.
How long do you plan to live in the house?
How close are you to paying it off?
Will your current salary change in the near future?
Do you need cash now?
Do want lower monthly payments?
If you need cash, look into a home
equity loan. You can get more cash by refinancing
but you will also have to pay fees for the refinance
itself. These fees can sometimes be rolled into
the new mortgage but that increases the mortgage.
A Home Equity Loan may put cash
in your pocket but you will be taking out a 2nd
loan on your home. If you default you will lose
your home. As a homeowner you must be very careful
about which refinancing option you take. Most mortgage
brokers will explain each scenario but do yourself
a favor and investigate your own situation.
If your aim is to pay off your house,
refinancing may allow you to shorten the term of
the loan while getting a lower interest rate. But
it takes a good credit score to accomplish this.
That's why you should think about how close you
are to paying off your house.
Think about what your salaries are
going to be in the near future and what financial
position you would like to be in. If you need bad
credit refinancing the worst thing you can to do
is to overextend yourself and make hard financial
times even worse.
You may end up paying a lower interest
rate, shorten your mortgage term and increase your
payments all in one swoop, but just because you
can afford to do that now does not mean you will
be able to afford it in the future.