The majority of confusion homeowners have when refinancing their mortgages comes from closing costs. Many homeowners simply don’t know which closing costs are legitimate and what reasonable third party charges are. When refinancing your mortgage there are basically three ways to pay your closing costs.
The most common and most expensive method for paying your mortgage closing costs is to roll them into your loan balance. This method not only raises your principle balance but the amount you pay for financing charges over the entire duration of your loan. Another common and misleading ploy lenders use are the so called “no fee” mortgage loans. These are popular among lenders like Bank of America who brag about their “no closing cost” or “flat fee” mortgage loans.
The problem with no fee mortgage loans is that are truly no free lunches when it comes to loans. Mortgage lenders never waive their fees, the simply offset them from another source. This offset almost always comes in the form of a higher mortgage rate. Why pay a higher interest rate for the entire duration of your loan when simply paying these costs will save you ten fold over the lifetime of your loan? Think of your closing costs as an investment that will bring you a return in the form of lower finance charges for the entire duration of your mortgage.
When you’re paying closing costs out of your pocket it’s important to make sure the person originating your loan doesn’t markup up your interest rate for their commission. Many brokers allow homeowners to use Yield Spread Premium to pay their closing costs. Yield Spread Premium is the “retail” markup of your interest rate for a commission from the wholesale lender. Rather than pocket this cash a good mortgage broker will let you use it to pay your settlement charges.
Dishonest mortgage brokers keep this money even when the closing costs are coming out of your own pocket, often without telling you. How can you avoid paying Yield Spread Premium when refinancing your mortgage? Homeowners who simply learn to recognize this unnecessary can avoid paying it.
You can learn more about refinancing your home loan without paying too much with our free mortgage refinancing videos.
My name is Rob Regehr and I’m a personal finance writer with a chip on my shoulder for banks and brokers that take advantage of my friends and neighbors.
