Posted by When youre scouting for loans or are looking for a home to buy, you will almost always hear the word refinancing. If youve got a mortgage already, then refinancing might be a good prospect for you, but take note, it will not always be ideal for everyone.
What Is Refinancing?
Refinancing refers to the method of getting a new loan on top of your existing loan. People consider refinancing for several reasons:
? To take advantage of lower interest rates
? To leverage their existing equity on their home to manage debt
? To have reduced monthly payments
? To shorten the span of their loan
How Does Refinancing Work?
Depending on what your intended goal is, refinancing can help you in different ways.
If your goal is to take advantage of lower interest rates, then refinancing works by giving you a chance to get a loan that has a lower interest rate. You may want this if you already have a higher spending power and you already have a higher credit score. A higher credit score means that you are offered lower interest rates, so refinancing can help you get a deal that has lower interest rates than your first housing loan.
If your goal is to leverage on your existing equity on your home to manage debt, then refinancing works by first appraising your home and knowing its value. Once the value is determined, the bank or any lending company will give you a percentage of that value that they are willing to loan to you. They will then subtract your equity from that loan percentage and then the difference will be loaned to you. In this way, you can use this loan to increase the value of your home which will then be subtracted to your loan.
Things To Note Before Refinancing
Before you claim that refinancing is a good option for you, dont forget to consider these things:
1. The remaining time of your loan
If you only have a short time remaining in your loan, then it might be good for you to go after short-term refinancing programs. This way, you get to take advantage of low interest rates at the moment without lengthening the time of your original loan.
2. Refinancing options for different types of loans
Not all types of loans are good for refinancing, and at the same time, different types of loans have different refinancing programs. Take, for example, USDA loans offer what you call streamline refinance options which means that some of the processes like appraisals is foregone.
When it comes to refinancing, whats important is you evaluate the current economic situations as well as your personal finances. In this way, you are able to know which refinancing options allow you to save more and to do more with your money.
