This is a good time as any to explore all options to refinance your mortgage and here are some sane tips from seasoned veterans that will help you steady your feet as you go shopping for the best refinance options in town.
Refinance! Refinance right now!
Rates are now as low as they can possibly get, and they can only go up from here, so don’t miss out on a golden opportunity to lower mortgage costs where it matters. A positive decision on your part will go a long way in impacting your investment costs in a great way. Definitely, this is a great debt reduction strategy worthy of serious consideration.
Think later, buy now!
Property prices have fallen and this may be the ideal moment to get pre approvals that can power ideal home buys without hassles. If a lender has pre-qualified you for refinance or a mortgage buy you stand a better chance of improving existing terms or finalizing the new buy.
Does the traditional mortgage have an edge over the FSA?
FSA mortgages are a little high on the fees front. Comparison shop FHA and traditional mortgage costs; even though traditional mortgages ask for bigger down payments, their fees might be on the lower side.
Aim for a credit score of 720 plus, nothing less!
Credit reporting scrutiny is tightening the noose around bad credit borrowers, and a score of 720 and above ensures the best rates. If possible tweak your score before applying by consolidating credit card balances or closing small loans that were reflecting bad credit handling.
Don’t extend the mortgage, pay early!
If improved finances (salary raise, promotion or a sudden windfall) make it possible to accelerate home loan payments, refinance is the route to shorten your loan repayment tenure, say from thirty years to fifteen years.
Do a HARP even if cynics dissuade you!
Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae mortgage holders can apply for a Home Affordable Refinance Program, or HARP and the conditions have been relaxed allowing you to turn around a situation where your dues have exceeded your home valuation.
How to shop for a good refinance proposal
Don’t get fixated on a single lender, shop around, get references from colleagues or family friends, browse online, and weigh at least three separate options for-
- Interest rates,
- Efficiency of closing the offer,
- And quality of the service.
Keep new credit lines in cold storage till the refinance is approved
Lenders don’t take kindly to credit applications running simultaneously with your refinance application. Wait for the refinance to be approved and then decide on other applications.
Don’t consider a “locked” rate as the final word; you have miles to go and promises to keep!
Locking the interest rate is great for committing the lender to the best terms but nothing will move if you don’t submit the required documents and follow up the refinance within twenty four hours. You need to take the initiative and see the proposal through as quickly as possible because the lender could just as well be deluged with refinance applications and your proposal may just be the proverbial drop in the ocean!
Solve the initial costs of refinancing with a vehicle title loan
The cash loan for title allows you the opportunity to tap into the equity in your car and to use that to finance all your pre-refinancing costs without working up a sweat. The pink slip loan runs on the collateral of the car pink slip and gets you 60% or even more of the resale value of your vehicle. The auto collateral loan charges interest reasonably at 25% APR and the loans can be repaid easily through amortized installments. This is instant cash to fuel all expenses connected to your home refinance.