Mortgage Refinance Guide

When it comes to getting your home loan, nearly everyone wants to get the lowest mortgage rate possible. The question is how to do this…the answer doesn’t have to be as confusing as it might seem.

The first step to getting the best mortgage rates possible is for you to understand how mortgage rates are determined and where you stand based on your credit history and credit score.

If you currently have a mortgage loan, have you been hearing rates other people qualified for or have looked in the newspaper and seen low rates that make yours look terrible? Are you wondering how some people can secure a lower rate? Perhaps you are looking to get a mortgage and you want to have the lowest rate possible but you don’t know how to do it.

Your first step is to learn all that you can about mortgage rates and how the rate is determined. One of the most important factors in your mortgage rate is your credit rating. Most loan companies and banks will use your FICO score (FICO is short for the Fair Isaac Corporation) to determine what rates you will be charged and if you will even be approved for the loan.

However, this doesn’t mean that you have to have perfect credit to get a good mortgage rate. The truth of the matter is the better your FICO score, the better your chance of a good mortgage rate but there are other ways you can try to lower your rates even if you have less than perfect credit.

First, it is essential you pay any and all of your existing bills on time and as soon as possible. Avoiding delayed payments will help add points to your credit score. It can also be helpful to pay more than the minimum amount on long term balances. Paying over the amount due shows that you want to pay off your debts and also helps improve your score over time. You should also avoid applying for new credit which can lower your score with each new credit check. These simple strategies combined can help you get the lowest mortgage rates possible for you.

With all the talk of interest rate cuts refinancing has become a hot topic for many homeowners. Here are the answers to several common questions regarding the current rate cuts and deciding if taking out a new mortgage is right for your situation.

When Does It Make Sense to Refinance a Mortgage?

Question: Is it true that you should not refinance unless your new mortgage rate is two percent lower than your existing rate?

Question: When should I apply to refinance my mortgage? Do the fees and hassles of refinancing outweigh the financial benefits?

Question: I am thinking about selling my house but could really use the lower rate now. If I refinance now and then decide to sell my home will I be hurting my chances of qualifying for another loan?

Answers:

Forget those rules that say you should never refinance unless your new mortgage rate is “this” much lower than your old rate; it’s best to decide if mortgage refinancing makes sense for you by evaluating the loan on a cost vs. savings basis. You can do this by calculating your break even point by dividing all of your fees and closing costs by the monthly savings from your new loan. Suppose for example that your new home loan has a payment $200 less than your old mortgage. If it cost you $3,500 to take out the new loan divide $3,500 by $200 and you’ll see that your break even point comes after 18 months. This is when you being to realize a savings from the new, lower mortgage payment.

If you plan on keeping your home long enough to reach this break even point and realize a savings, refinancing probably makes sense in your situation and will save you money. If you plan on selling before your break even point you could be losing money by refinancing. How can you evaluate your potential savings from refinancing? You’ll need to shop for rate quotes; however, the rate quotes you receive online or from a mortgage broker include commission based markup. If you want the absolute lowest mortgage rate possible you’ll need to get a wholesale rate. (more on wholesale rates later)

Which Term Length?

If you refinance with a 30 year mortgage you’ll be starting your loan amortization from scratch. What is amortization? It simply describes the process of repaying a mortgage loan over time. Mortgages are front loaded with interest so in the early years the majority of your payment is applied to interest and you build equity in your home at a very slow rate. This could be considered a disadvantage to refinancing, especially if you tap into your equity in the process. Another option is to choose a shorter term like 15 years. Your payments will be higher but you’ll build equity in your home at a faster rate and pay less to the lender in finance charges.

Refinancing now won’t hurt your chances of qualifying for another mortgage several months or a year from now if you sell your home. You just won’t be able to recoup all of the expenses you pay when taking out the new mortgage. Also, make sure your existing loan does not include a prepayment penalty, or if it does that you include this fee in your cost vs. savings analysis.

Is it too early to refinance my mortgage?

If you just purchased your home within the last year and have an interest rate 6 percent or higher, is refinancing worth it? There are no rules saying that you have to wait a certain amount of time before refinancing; you only need to calculate your break even point and make sure that you factor in the prepayment penalty if you have one.

What About Wholesale Mortgage Rates?

The mortgage industry has a dirty little secret that you need to be aware of. All rate quotes you receive online or from your broker include commission based markup. The problem with this markup is that you’re already paying the broker an origination fee for their services; in addition to this fee the broker marks up your mortgage rate for a commission without fully disclosing what they’re doing. The commission your broker receives for marking up your mortgage rate is called Yield Spread Premium and according to the Secretary of Housing and Urban development is the reason American homeowners will overpay nearly sixteen billion dollars for their home loans this year.

The good news for you today is that you can avoid Yield Spread Premium and refinance your home with a wholesale mortgage rate. Register for our free video tutorial and you’ll learn how to recognize Yield Spread Premium, negotiate to avoid paying it, and avoid lender junk fees when refinancing. Sign up today and get in while these videos are still a free offer.

Every time you turn on the television these days it seems like the news is bad. Today the story was “World Markets Plummet” like a newspaper headline from a comic book. While today’s news may be filled with stories of higher unemployment and a faltering economy, there is good news for homeowners who are looking to refinance their mortgages. Mortgage rates have been falling and remain at very low levels. Savvy homeowners who understand wholesale rates can refinance with mortgage rates as low as 5.25%.

The mortgage industry is currently shouldering the blame for most of our current economic problems; however, these lower mortgage interest rates could not have come at a better time. Lower mortgage rates cause an increase in buyer demand and allow struggling homeowners the opportunity to refinance with lower payments. Whether or not lower interest rates will help prevent a recession is yet to be seen; however, there is a real opportunity for homeowners looking to refinance their mortgages.

Trends in Mortgage Rates

The Federal Reserve is expected to continue lowering the discount rate in an attempt to stem inflation and stimulate our economy in the hope of preventing a recession. The Federal Reserve started lowering interest rates in August of 2007; however, there has been little improvement in the economy thus far. While the Federal Reserve does not control mortgage rates, these rates are heavily influenced by the Federal Reserve and the economy. When the Federal Reserve started lowering short-term interest rates in August of 2007 mortgage rates reacted accordingly and have been declining ever since. This trend is welcome news as mortgage rates had been as high as 7% for many homeowners prior to August of 2007.

Will Mortgage Rates Bottom Out?

If you’re on the fence about refinancing your mortgage you might think that by watching rates you can get a better deal when mortgage rates drop further. Heck, rumor has it the Fed will keep lowering interest rates to simulate our dismal economy. Just keep in mind that what the Fed does with short term interest rates doesn’t mean mortgage rates will follow. Mortgage Rates are a market rate based on risk and reward; there is no reason for mortgage rates to be artificially low just to stimulate economic growth. If you gamble now and wait you could find mortgage rates back over 6%…mortgage rates are next to impossible to predict and anyone that claims they can is trying to sell you something.

Basically if you have seen mortgage rates drop enough to cover your closing costs and come out ahead after refinancing, now is the time to get a new home loan. You can learn more about refinancing your mortgage and protecting yourself from the economy and greedy mortgage brokers by registering for a free video tutorial. Register now while this is still a free offer; the videos will show you how to refinance with a wholesale mortgage rate without paying lender junk fees.

Mortgage loans can be confusing and intimidating for many homeowners. Terminology like APR is not only confusing, but in the case of Annual Percentage Rate is misleading. Here are the basics you need to know about Annual Percentage Rate (APR) and your mortgage rate when comparison shopping loan offers.

Annual Percentage Rate (APR)

What is the APR and can you rely on it when shopping for a mortgage loan? Banks and mortgage lenders are required to publish the Annual Percentage Rate for their loan offers. The APR is supposed to express the total cost of the loan expressed as an annual percentage rate. This sounds like a good idea; however, Truth in Lending laws do not stipulate how mortgage lenders and banks should calculate the APR or even what fees and costs should go into the calculation.

Because there is no standard for banks and lenders to use when calculating the APR it cannot be relied on when comparing offers from one lender to the next. In order to comparison shop effectively you need to compare mortgages of the same term length and type of mortgage rate. It is also a good idea to compare rate quotes issued on the same morning or afternoon due to the volatility of mortgage interest rate.

How to Comparison Shop for a Mortgage

Because the Annual Percentage Rate is not reliable, how can you compare loan offers effectively? Comparison shopping for a mortgage can be a very difficult task because you will not have an accurate picture of loan costs until you receive the HUD-1 statement prior to closing. You can use the Good Faith Estimate to compare loan offers; however, keep in mind that this document is only as good as the person preparing it is honest.

Another problem with the Good Faith Estimate is that many mortgage brokers low ball third party settlement charges to make their offers seem more attractive. They may also leave commission based markup of your mortgage interest rate off the Good Faith Estimate completely. This is why you must reconcile your Good Faith Estimate with the HUD-1 statement before closing on your new mortgage.

You can learn more about comparison shopping for a new mortgage while avoiding expensive pitfalls like the Annual Percentage Rate with a free mortgage DVD. Order yours today, the DVD is yours free with no obligation.

If you are in the market to refinance your existing home mortgage you might be considering the pros and cons of a fixed rate mortgage over their adjustable rate counterparts. Fixed rate mortgage loans can give you financial peace of mind knowing that your payment will not change over time; however, this peace of mind comes at a price. Fixed rate mortgages come with higher interest rates than similar adjustable rate mortgages. Here are several tips to help you decide if fixed rate mortgage refinancing is right for you.

Fixed rate mortgages are exactly what their name implies; a mortgage with an interest rate that does not change over the duration of the loan. This is a great loan option for homeowners in need of consistent financing for a long period of time. The peace of mind offered by fixed rate mortgages comes from the fact that your payment amount and finance charges remain constant regardless of what’s happening with the economy or if mortgage rates skyrocket.

This consistency of payment amount and mortgage rate is an advantage when interest rates are rising; however, when interest rates go down homeowners can choose to refinance it paying the expense of a new mortgage is beneficial. Many homeowners rush out and refinance their fixed rate loans at the first dip in mortgage rates without considering how long it will take them to recoup the expense of taking out a new mortgage loan. All mortgages come with fees and other expenses; you should evaluate refinancing on a cost and savings basis before going forward with a new mortgage. Never let your bank or mortgage broker pressure you into refinancing without doing this cost/savings analysis.

Fixed Rate Mortgages Are More Expensive

Having financial peace of mind will cost you. In almost every case a fixed rate mortgage is a more expensive option than a similar adjustable rate mortgage, at least initially. This means you can expect to pay on average .5 to 1.5 percent more than an adjustable rate mortgage, which translates to a higher monthly payment. Fixed rate mortgages are higher because the lenders assume greater risk of higher rates when locking you in at a fixed interest rate.

Is Fixed Rate Mortgage Refinancing Right For You?

The answer to this question depends on your individual situation, including your tolerance for financial risk. If you purchased your home with one of those risky option or interest only mortgages and are facing a higher payment when the lender resets your loan a fixed rate mortgage could be right for you.

If you need a lower payment and can tolerate some risk with your finances, consider a hybrid adjustable rate mortgage which allows you to take advantage of a lower fixed rate period before the lender starts adjusting your mortgage rate.

You can learn more about your fixed rate mortgage refinancing options, including expensive pitfalls to avoid like paying retail markup on your mortgage interest rate, by registering for a free refinancing tutorial.