Your Decision About Mortgage Refinancing
Like so many people you may be deciding if mortgage refinancing is for you at this time. There are several factors to decide on. And you need also to get some objective help in your decision. You will also want to determine the pros and cons before deciding to do it.
You have to know that banks loan against or based on your income not on your property value. So they want to make sure you can pay back the loan. The longer you have been at your job the better. And the better your credit score the better interest rate you will get. Chcek your credit report for any mistakes. Clear them up before applying for your loan.
Some refinance and then go with a variable loan. For some this is the only option for lower mortgage rates. But if you have a choice between a fixed and a variable loan you have to decided which is the better of the two for you.
They go for a variable interest loan because there are some great rates out there and you will have a low monthly payment for six months or a year but then the rates will go up and your payment per month will go up also. Some people count on a raise at work or some other reason to believe that they will be able to afford the increased payment.
Do not kid yourself in this case. If you cannot pay the payment you are looking at losing your home. No one wants that. If you are refinancing a fixed rate mortgage you have to realize that you will start all over with a new loan. If you have ten years on a thirty year fixed, you will start all over with a new loan.
And if you take money out with the refinance you are taking the equity out of the home and spending it. This is plain and simple and should be a sobering thought for you. Some people thought that their home would continue to grow in value but instead their home went down in value. This is where so many people got in trouble.
If you have to sell later on your home might not be worth what it is today and you will either have to have a short sale or have to make up the remaining difference in cash to the lender. But some people think their property will be worth more years from now and they simply have to refinance again. This is why so many people are in trouble today. We cannot always count on property values rising.
What you do with the money you take out of the refinance is up to you. But if you are thinking of refinancing it is a good idea to consult with an independent financial advisor to go over all of your options. The more you understand your choices and the results of your choices the better.
In addition to having less debt by refinancing a mortgage, also look at GIC rates to get higher fixed income returns. Mortgage rates vary from lender to lender so ask around.
