Refinancing can be a great way of reducing your interest rates and monthly mortgage payments. With rates on the rise but still near record lows, now may still be the most opportune time to refinance, as rates are predicted to continue to increase in the future. Unless you’re a few years from paying off your mortgage, by refinancing you can lower your monthly payments and free up cash that can be invested or used to remodel and repair your home.
Refinancing also has its negative sides, like being a fairly expensive process, but it is up to you to take a close look at your financial situation and decide if refinancing is worth the cost, and if it will, indeed, save you money over time. Here are a few quick tips for those who are considering refinancing their mortgage:
Quick Tips
- Check your credit score. Before applying for refinancing, make sure that your credit score is in great shape. Refinancing takes a lot of work and time, and all this would be wasted if you get rejected because your credit score is not good enough.
- Don’t rely on the advertised interest rates. Lenders will usually advertise their best interest rates in order to attract more customers. The truth is that the rate that you will get will probably not be the one that you have seen advertised. Your interest rate will depend on many factors, such as the size of the mortgage loan, mortgage points, if the rate is locked in and many others.
- Know what you want. Carefully weigh in on all of your options before contacting a lender to refinance your mortgage loan. Knowing what type of a loan you want, like a 15-year or 30-year mortgage, can make it easier for the loan officer to find a better rate for you. Also, it’s recommended that you know how much you are willing to spend on points in order to get a lower interest rate.
- Contact your current lender first. If you are a good borrower, pay your mortgage on time and have good credit, chances are that your lender will do anything in his power to keep you as a customer. Your lender may even offer to waive some of the refinancing costs, like appraisal and inspection fees.
- Shop around for a refinance. Closing costs and interest rates vary from one lender to another, so it doesn’t hurt to shop around a little. You might actually be pleasantly surprised and find a lender that will give you a much better rate than the others or waive some of the closing fees, making refinancing cheaper than you thought it would be.
- Try to avoid “no cost” refinancing. “No cost” doesn’t actually mean free. The closing costs are bundled into the mortgage, which means that you’ll be paying interest rate on that amount, making the closing costs more expensive than they would have been if you paid them beforehand.
- Save money by avoiding tax and insurance escrow services. Having a little discipline and paying your property taxes and insurance on time will save you money over using an escrow service that charges for something that you can easily do yourself.
- Make sure you don’t have a prepayment penalty on your mortgage. Chances are you will find a refinancing option that saves you money, but it may all be for nothing if you haven’t been paying attention to your current mortgage contract. A prepayment penalty can make refinancing turn from a money saver to something that will end up costing you more than your original mortgage.
Whether refinancing is a good idea or not is up to you, as it largely depends on many factors. Refinancing can be a good choice for some, helping them save some money on their mortgage. Between the closing costs and all of the requirements, refinancing can turn out to be a bad choice for others, which can result in wasted time and money. At the end of the day, it is up to you to evaluate your situation and budget, and decide if mortgage refinancing is your best choice.