Archive for May, 2008
Home Loan Refinance : A Primer
Home Loan Refinance : A Primer
By: Alan Lim
Homeowners choose to obtain a home loan refinance for many reasons. Before doing so, you should determine the answers to some questions in order to decide whether a refinance is right for you.
Why refinance?
Most homeowners choose a home loan refinance when they are in need of significant amounts of extra cash for a variety of reasons. For example, you may have a youngster who is nearing college age and you want to provide cash to reduce the amount of college loans that will be due upon graduation. You may need cash for pressing medical bills, or you may choose a home loan when you want to do major renovation to your home. Another common reason for refinancing and pulling equity from your home is to consolidate credit card debt and thus lower interest rates.
When is the best time to refinance?
Choosing a home loan refinance can make good sense at several times in your financial life. For example, you may have acquired your existing mortgage at a time when interest rates were high, due to the nation’s economy, or you may have had a higher interest rate because of personal credit issues. Refinancing should not be done frivolously, but when you are in genuine need of the cash, or when the savings in interest fees will more than offset the cost of the refinance. Because the refinance option taken too frequently can be a sign of a homeowner in financial trouble, you should avoid the refinance option except for times when it makes good financial sense to do so.
What is the bottom line?
The bottom line will result in a savings over all to you, or an increase to you. At times, the homeowner will do a home loan refinance and save thousands of dollars in interest fees since the interest rate has dropped. Another time when the interest fees will be lower over the term of the loan is if you are repaying a larger payment in order to reduce the term of the loan. If you are spreading the mortgage out over a longer period of time in order to reduce the payment amounts, you may end up with significantly more interest costs, plus the costs of the loan itself.
What can you use the money for?
A home loan refinance with cash out can be used for almost any purpose you wish. Depending on the way you structure your loan, you may have lump sum cash available; you may decide to have a line of credit tied to your home equity value, or you may use the funds to pay off existing debts and bills in order to free up disposable income each pay period in the future. The choice will depend upon the individual needs in your situation and how your tax picture is structured.
Things to watch out for
Be cautious in structuring a home loan refinance. You will want to verify that you are obtaining your loan through a legitimate broker or direct lender. Make sure that you don’t end up with a different type of loan than you thought you were getting. For example, if you want a fixed rate loan, take care that you aren’t sold a variable rate loan or one where you have a negative equity building.
Determine the characteristics and terms of a home refinancing choice is important. Choose a resource site that will help you to understand and compare various loan options. The best site on the internet can be located here at Home Loan or Home Loan Refinance .
Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com
How to Get Rid of Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI)
PMI, or private mortgage insurance is required on any 1st mortgage with a loan to value of 80% or greater. Contrary to what many believe, its purpose is to protect the lender (not the mortgage holder) in the event of a default on the mortgage. As you pay down your mortgage to below 80% LTV (most require you to pay down to 78%), you should consider what your options are for getting rid of this extra payment.
1. Keep up with homes are selling for in your neighborhood. If you are at 78% loan to value based on what comparable homes are selling for, then simply call your lender to discuss this with them. Personally, I would call even at 80%. They may require you to put your request in writing and they may require an appraisal which you will need to pay for.
2. Refinance. If you know that your home would appraise for at least 20% more than you owe, then perhaps a refinance should be considered. This can accomplish many goals such as reducing your rate or converting an adjustable rate to a fixed rate at the same time. Just know that you will incur fees so make sure there is room for those fees within the 80% loan to value ratio.
3. Pay Down Your Mortgage aggressively. If you aren’t close to being at the 80% LTV, then you need to look at how you get their as quickly as possible. You can pre-pay principal to make this happen, but the absolute best way to pay down your principal in the fastest amount of time is with a Money Merge Account. The Money Merge Account is a new system being used by thousands of homeowners across America to reduce their mortgage by 1/3 to 1/2 with out refinancing. It’s not for everyone, but currently, you can get a FREE Mortgage Savings Analysis from MortgageZapper.com . I highly recommend the Money Merge Account as a valuable financial planning tool. It will not only help you reach your goal of paying down your mortgage to reduce PMI, but will help you achieve the seemingly unattainable goal if paying off your mortgage completely.
Once you get that extra $50 - $200+ in your pocket every month, I strongly recommend speaking with an investment advisor to discuss the best way to make it grow even further.
Selecting the Best Provider for Your New Home Mortgage
The new home mortgage may just be what you need so you can reduce the monthly repayments for your home loan. Here are the ways to select its provider.
When you’re thinking of a new home mortgage, you will not only be considering the interest rates, the new principal amount, the length of the term, or even the costs associated with them. Most of all, you should keep in mind the company where you’re getting it.
Honesty always remains the best policy, even in your new home mortgage. You definitely need a broker who can tell you straight in the face your options—the best method to deal with your new loan as well as the possible expenses you may have to pay. So you can pick the best lender or broker for your new loan, consider the following qualifications:
1. Steer clear from brokers who are working closely with a lender. With your new home mortgage, you can either go to a broker or a lender. The difference is that the former earns a living through commissions he gets from referrals. If you’re working with them, make sure that he isn’t really affiliated with only one lending company. As a matter of fact, you can ask them of how much they’re getting from the referrals. Real pros will never hesitate answering your questions. You want a broker who can direct you to the lending company that can provide you the most appropriate home loan.
2. You must have various new home mortgage options to choose from. The main concern of a lending company should be you: what you need and want. Thus, if you’re going to be selecting one, ensure that it can provide you more than one home loan option. In fact, the lender must have the ability to customize a package according to your needs.
3. All information should be divulged. Everything should be transparent when it comes to your new home loan. These may include the costs of obtaining the loan, the interest charges that you may have to pay, the time frame of your mortgage, as well as the penalties that you may incur just in case you decide to cancel the loan before its actual scheduled completion. Moreover, you also need to know the kind of support the company can extend to you as their customer. Can you have access to their 24-hour customer care hotline? Can they offer free quotes for you?
4. Confirm the qualification of your lending company. There are some agencies that govern the operations of lending companies. Even the federal government is vigilant against lending scammers. You don’t want to get a new home mortgage to one that is not licensed to operate or those composed of financial advisors that are not certified or professionals. This means that the business doesn’t have the capacity to help borrowers when it comes to loans. Before you decide to borrow money from them, double-check their background. It is at this point, too, that it’s better to work on with your present lending company if you decide to secure a new home loan. Nevertheless, if it cannot provide you a better deal, don’t be afraid to look for another one.
Are you searching for the right company to secure a new home loan? You don’t have to look any further. Visit New Home Mortgage or Home Mortgage today. We have the right tools, professional financial advisors, and excellent customer assistance to help you.