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Look into the advantages of a Refi NOW!

What Is Home Mortgage Refinancing?

Home mortgage refinancing, or home loan refinancing, is basically the process of taking out a new mortgage with new term and interest rate to pay off the existing home loan. You can either do this with your existing mortgagor (mortgage lender), or with a different financial institution.

Why Would You Refinance Your Home Loan?

There are several reasons why refinancing might be right for you. Usually, people refinance their home for one or more of the following reasons:

Lower your overall costs – The main reason why people choose to refinance their mortgages is to lower their borrowing costs by taking advantage of the lower interest rate. Incidentally, this is why more people are refinancing their home loans when interest rates are low, such as now.
Lower your monthly mortgage payment — Another reason to refinance is to lower your monthly payment and improve your cash flow, so that you’ll have more money available to do other things. You can lower your monthly mortgage payment by taking out a similar loan at a lower interest rate, or taking out a longer-term loan — i.e., refinancing the current loan with 20 years left to a new 30-year fixed rate loan.
Reduce your risk — Refinancing can also be used as a risk management tool. For example, if your original home loan is an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM), you could refinance to a fixed rate mortgage to protect yourself against sudden rise in interest rates when the initial discount period expires.
Tap into Equity – Refinancing can also be used to unlock your home equity and gain access to cash. This is called a cash-out refinancing. Specifically, you are taking out a larger loan than you currently owe, and keeping the difference in cash. Money raised from refinancing could be used for different purposes; for instance, for home renovation, to pay off high interest debt such as credit card debt, to pay for major expenses, or for investment purposes.
Shorten your mortgage term – Refinancing isn’t always about lowering your monthly payment. If you are earning more than you used to, it may be worthwhile to covert your longer-term mortgage to a 15-year loan. This is generally better than prepaying the loan, because 15-year loans usually have lower interest rates than a longer-term loan. This will help you pay off your home loan much faster and save you tens of thousands of dollars in interest payments.
Eliminate your Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) — If your equity increased above 20% due to the rise in your home value, refinancing could be an option to get rid of your PMI if you can’t persuade your lender to drop the mortgage insurance. Getting rid of your PMI could save you $100 or more a month.

When Is The Best Time To Refinance Your Home Loan?

Usually, the best time to refinance your home mortgage is when interest rates are low. Due to the costs associated with refinancing, the current interest rate should be at least 1% lower than the interest rate on your existing loan for refinancing to make sense.
Moreover, you may also consider refinancing your home if:

Your creditworthiness — i.e., your credit score — improved enough to qualify for a better interest rate.
Your financial situation changed significantly. For example, you want to lower your monthly payment because it’s straining your budget.
Your adjustable rate mortgage teaser rate is expiring and you expect your interest rates to rise.

The Costs of Refinancing

However, it’s important to remember that refinancing is not a free lunch. There are closing costs associated with refinancing similar to the closing costs that you paid when you first bought your home. Closing costs usually include fees associated with: survey, appraisal, title search, title insurance, realty transfer taxes, legal services, messenger or delivery services, document copying, etc. You may also choose to pay points to get a reduced interest rate on your new loan. A point represents 1% of the total loan amount. For example, one point on a $100,000 mortgage costs $1,000. However, you are not required to pay points, and in the majority of cases, it is questionable to do so.
In essence, you are selling the house back to yourself all over again. As such, you have to stay in your home for a few years after refinancing to make it worthwhile. The rule of thumb is to refinance when you can recover the cost of refinancing within 24 months.