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Refinancing Your Home - Is the Time Right?


Refinancing your home is a major decision not to be taken lightly, even in this era of low interest rates and easy money. While every mortgage company in town is touting the strategy of getting a new loan before rates rise again, there are several things you'll want to be mindful of before you go about refinancing your home.

In my view the key to refinancing your home isn't just the rate they're offering you: it's the total package looked at not only in terms of today, but a few years down the road. Many people have taken out new loans that really weren't quite right for their long term situations, thinking they'd be able to refinance again in the not-too-distant future. That may or may not prove to be true. No one has a crystal ball that'll give you a definitive idea of just where rates will be even a year from now, so try to approach this with a somewhat more long-termed view. It's very easy to get tempted by the prospect of easy, fast cash, but in the end you end up giving it all back in terms of higher payments, and worst case, be unable to make your payments and lose your home. Just look at all the costs associated with this new loan, determine what the payments will be in 2, 5 and 10 years, or whatever your timeline is, and make an informed decision unfettered by a mortgage broker's "opinion" what's "best" for you. They have a vested interest in getting you into a loan, any loan, and WILL NOT, repeat, WILL NOT, have your best interests at heart when you go about refinancing your home.

Some things to consider when refinancing your home would be the type of loan,(fixed,ARM, etc.) the rate, the term, the costs associated with the loan, any cash equity you'd like to take out, and the time and documentation necessary for refinancing your home. This is a wildly competitive market, and please do yourself a favor and shop around. The same loan one lender will offer you can vary greatly from another just down the street as far as total costs go. Don't be afraid to say no: they're not doing you a favor by "giving" you this loan. They're reaping many thousands of your dollars in interest, so make sure you get what you want, not what they want to sell you. Remember, you're refinancing your home, not their summer vacation!

All in all, when refinancing your home, take your time. Shop around, compare, and you are the customer, and what was that they say about the customer always being right? You are, as long as you do your homework when refinancing your home.

Keith Thompson is a real estate investor and webmaster at Mortgage Loans Today where you can find more information and resources for refinancing your home


MORE RESOURCES:

Los Angeles Times

Pros and Cons of a Mortgage Refinance
FreeRateUpdate.com
Many homeowners are jumping on the opportunity to save money with a mortgage refinance at the current low mortgage rates. With mortgage rates at historically low levels, some homeowners have refinanced more than once in the past several years which is ...
Who Qualifies for the $26 Billion Foreclosure Settlement?TIME
What $25 billion mortgage settlement will and won't do for homeownersThe Seattle Times

all 3,670 news articles »


Lenders say mortgage refinance deal will bolster Manatee market
Bradenton Herald
By JOSH SALMAN - jsalman@bradenton.com MANATEE -- A new refinance program to help underwater homeowners will uplift the local economy by putting extra cash into the pockets of those who will spend it, area lenders predict. The deal struck with five of ...

and more »


Mortgage-refinance bill a dangerous deal
Arizona Republic
by Robert Robb, columnist - Feb. 10, 2012 12:00 AM State Sen. Michele Reagan wants to help out underwater homeowners in the worst way. And she has succeeded with SB 1451 -- it's hard to imagine a worse bill. Reagan proposes to establish a state agency ...

and more »


Housing Wire

Obama pressures Congress on mortgage refinance program
Fox News
WASHINGTON – President Obama is rallying support for his plan to expand government assistance to homeowners, pressuring Congress to help lower lending rates for millions of strapped homeowners. Obama, in his radio and Internet address Saturday, ...
President Obama's Mortgage Refinance Plan Just a Bid for VotesYahoo! Contributors Network
Obama Unveils Mortgage Refinance EndeavorsMortgageorb
New Obama mortgage refinance plan to near $10 billionHousing Wire
Go Banking Rates -CBS Moneywatch -MarketWatch
all 1,239 news articles »


Harney: Reviewing Obama's mortgage refinance plan
The Seattle Times
Though it was pronounced dead-before-arrival by opponents on Capitol Hill, President Obama's new mortgage-refinancing package contained... By Kenneth R. Harney No comments have been posted to this article. WASHINGTON — Though it was pronounced ...

and more »


MonitorBankRates.com

Mortgage Refinance Rates: 15 Year Refinance Mortgage Rates at 3.29%
MonitorBankRates.com
Mortgage refinance rates on 30 year conforming home loans are averaging 3.98%, unchanged from yesterday's average 30 year mortgage refinance rate. Mortgage refinance rates today on 15 year home mortgage loans are averaging 3.29%, down from yesterday's ...

and more »


Fox News

Obama Proposes Mortgage-Refinance Plan
Wall Street Journal
By NICK TIMIRAOS President Barack Obama called on Congress during Tuesday's State of the Union address to approve new legislation that would give all homeowners who are current on their mortgages the opportunity to refinance at record low mortgage ...
Will Obama's Mortgage Refinance Plan Be D.O.A.?U.S. News & World Report
Obama proposes mortgage refinance programPolitico (blog)
Obama proposes new mortgage refinance programHousing Wire
Daily Caller
all 314 news articles »


International Business Times

FOX 11 News Discussion: State of the Union
MyFox Los Angeles
And he aimed a pitch at homeowners, announcing a new mortgage refinance program with "historically low interest rates" that "gives every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3000 a year on their mortgage." He added, "A small fee on the ...
Winning Words, But Not a WinnerU.S. News & World Report
Obama State of the Union 2012: Mortgage Refinance Changes Face ObstaclesInternational Business Times

all 12,250 news articles »


Bloomberg

HARP Refi May Delay PMI Cancellation
NASDAQ
The federal HARP mortgage refinance program can be a huge boon for underwater homeowners. But if you have PMI, there's a little hitch you should know about. While refinancing a mortgage through HARP can cut your interest rate and save you money, ...
New HARP Could Help Up to 6.7 MillionMortgageLoan.com

all 52 news articles »


CBS Local

Six Questions on Obama's Mortgage Refinance Proposal
Wall Street Journal (blog)
By Nick Timiraos President Barack Obama said Tuesday night in his State of the Union address that he would send a plan to Congress to allow all homeowners who are current on their mortgages to refinance. Here's a quick look at the proposal: How is this ...
Obama plan could help refinance Bay Area mortgagesSan Francisco Chronicle

all 19 news articles »

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