When is the Right Time to Refinance?

by J. Hamilton Fraser on April 14, 2010

Many homeowners ask the question, when is the right time to refinance? There is no clear cut answer but here are some guidelines to follow. The owner must keep in mind that there are closing costs all over again when a home is refinanced, particularly with a bad credit mortgage loan. This could add be an out of pocket cost of $3,000, unless the amount is thrown into the new mortgage.

To do the latter would be adding money to be paid off over a long period of time and there would be interest on this amount as well. If the owner wants to refinance but not pay this money, the interest rates will be a bit higher, which is fine, if the person will not be living in the home for a long period of time.

Should a homeowner have an adjustable rate mortgage and want to sleep at night knowing the rate will not change, refinancing to a fixed rate mortgage is a good idea. What needs to be kept in mind in this case is that the spread between the new rate and the old adjustable mortgage should be at least 2 percentage points. It is not a great idea to pay closing costs for close to the same interest rate or one only slightly lower, unless the owner believes a big rise in interest rates is on the horizon.

Occasionally there are offers by the bank which is financing your present home, that entail no closing costs with an interest rate that is competitive. This method might be a good idea, if extra money is available, to change a 30 year fixed loan into a 15 year fixed loan and pay off the loan sooner.

The interest rate is usually about 150 basis points above the 10 year Treasury notes, which are determined at auction. If the 10 year Treasury note is at 4.00%, then the rate on a fixed mortgage will be around 5.50%. Never refinance to take equity out of the home for SUV’s and other luxury items. Many did that and are now behind in payments and facing foreclosure.

Consult with Providence Home Lending and find out more about mortgage refinance Wisconsin.

Related posts:

  1. Bad Credit Mortgage Refinance Checklist
  2. Bad Credit Refinance Options
  3. Is it Time for a Bad Credit Mortgage Refinance?
  4. How You Can Save With A Bad Credit Refinance
  5. Bad Interest Deals – Auto Refinance Bad Credit

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