Understanding Re-Financing, SW Florida Real Estate, Naples, Isles Of Capri, Ft. Myers, Cape Coral, Marco Island

Understanding Re-Financing, SW Florida Real Estate, Naples, Isles Of Capri, Ft. Myers, Cape Coral, Marco Island.  Understanding the process of re-financing can be quite dizzying. Homeowners who are considering re-financing might initially be overwhelmed by the number of options available to them. However, after taking some time to educate themselves about the process, they will likely find the process is not nearly as daunting as they had imagined. This article will discuss some of the options available to those interested in re-financing as well as some of the important factors to consider in order to determine whether or not refinancing is worthwhile.

Consider the Options

Homeowners have quite a few options available to them when they are considering the possibility of re-financing their home. The most significant decision is the type of loan they will choose. Fixed rate mortgages and adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) are the two main types of mortgages the homeowners will likely encounter. Additionally there are hybrid loan options available.

As the name implies, a fixed rate mortgage is one in which the interest rate remains constant throughout the duration of the loan period. This is an especially favorable type of loan when the homeowner has credit which is sufficient enough to lock in a low-interest rate.

Understanding Re-Financing, SW Florida Real Estate, Naples, Isles Of Capri, Ft. Myers, Cape Coral, Marco Island. ARMs are mortgages where the interest rate varies during the course of the loan period. The interest rate is usually tied to an index such as the prime index and is subject to rises and falls in accordance with this index. This is considered a riskier type of loan and is therefore often offered to homeowners who have less favorable credit scores.

Although ARMs are considered somewhat risky there is usually a certain degree of protection written into the loan agreement. This may come in the form of a clause which limits the amount the interest rate can increase, in terms of percentage points, over a fixed period of time. This can protect the homeowner from sharp increases in the interest rates which would otherwise considerably raise the amount of their monthly payments.

Hybrid loans are mortgages which combine a fixed element with an adjustable element. An example of this type of loan is a situation where the lender may offer a fixed interest rate for the first five years of the loan and a variable interest rate for the remainder of the loan. Lenders typically offer a lower introductory interest rate for the fixed period to make the mortgage seem more enticing.

Consider the Closing Costs

The closing costs associated with re-financing should be carefully considered when deciding whether or not to re-finance the home. This is significant because when homeowners re-finance their home they are often subject to many of the same closing costs as when they originally purchased the home. These costs may include, but are not limited to appraisal fees, application fees, loan origination fees and a host of other expenses. These costs can be quite significant. The closing costs will be significant when the homeowner considers the overall savings associated with re-financing.

Consider the Overall Savings

When deciding whether or not to re-finance, the overall savings is one factor the homeowners should carefully consider. This is important because re-financing is typically not considered worthwhile unless it results in a financial savings. Although some homeowners refinance to lower monthly costs and are not concerned with the overall picture, most homeowners consider whether or not they will be saving money by refinancing.

Understanding Re-Financing, SW Florida Real Estate, Naples, Isles Of Capri, Ft. Myers, Cape Coral, Marco Island. The amount of money the homeowner will save when re-financing is largely dependent on the new interest rate in relation to the old interest rate. Other factors come into play such as the remaining balance of the existing loan as well as the amount of time the homeowner intends to stay in the home before selling the property. It is important to note that the amount of money saved by negotiating a lower interest rate is not equal to the entire savings. The homeowner must determine the closing costs associated with re-financing and subtract this sum from the potential savings. A negative number would indicate the new interest rate is not low enough to offset the closing costs. Conversely a positive number indicates an overall savings. With this information the homeowner can decide whether or not he wishes to re-finance.

Checking Mortgage Rates Online, SW Florida Real Estate, Naples, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs

Checking Mortgage Rates Online, SW Florida Real Estate, Naples, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs. Homeowners who are planning to re-finance their home may find the Internet to be a very worthwhile resource. The Internet is useful because it can give the homeowner a wealth of information as well as the ability to compare different rates from different lenders at their convenience. While these options have made re-financing a more convenient process there is more potential for danger. However, homeowners who exercise a small amount of common sense in using the Internet for re-financing often find they are not at any additional risk.

Comparison Shop at Your Convenience

One of the most popular advantages to researching re-financing online is the ability to comparison shop at the homeowner’s convenience. This is important because many homeowners work long hours and often find they are not able to meet with lenders during regular business hours because of job restraints. The Internet, however, is open 24 hours a day and allows homeowners to research their options, make important calculations or receive online quotes at any time of the day through the use of automated systems.

Homeowners can also take their time comparing the quotes they receive from these lenders online instead of feeling pressured to provide an immediate response. While homeowners may have some additional time available to them, these same homeowners should realize they do need to act relatively quickly to lock in estimates they receive as interest rates are often time sensitive in nature and cannot be guaranteed for long periods of time.

Use Only Reliable Resources

Checking Mortgage Rates Online, SW Florida Real Estate, Naples, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs. Homeowners who are using the Internet to research re-financing options and obtain quotes should carefully consider their sources when making important decisions regarding the subject of re-financing. Homeowners who stick with well-known lenders and established websites will not likely encounter problems but those who select a new lender may be surprised by the results of the re-financing attempt.

Homeowners who are unsure about the reliability of a particular resource or lender should do additional research on the company. One of the easiest ways to do this is to consult the Better Business Bureau (BBB). The BBB may be able to provide the homeowner with valuable information regarding the number of previous complaints against the company. A company who has a large number of unresolved complaints should be considered an unreliable company. However, homeowners should not assume companies without a significant number of complaints are reputable unless the company has been in existence for a number of years and is a member of the BBB.

Homeowners should also take care not to be fooled by fancy web design. A website which looks professional is not necessarily a website which is accurate and informative. Many skilled website designers can create websites which are both attractive and professional looking. These website designers can also optimize a website for particular mortgage related keywords so users find the page easily when searching for these terms but this does not necessarily make the website designer knowledgeable about the subject to re-financing. 

Confirm Loan Terms in Person before Committing

While shopping for re-financing options online is certainly easy and convenient, homeowners should consider completing the application process either in person or over the phone instead of relying on an automated system. While the Internet is good for research purposes, homeowners can take advantage of face to face meetings or telephone conferences to ask all of their relevant questions. Asking all of these questions will help the homeowner to ensure he fully understand the loan terms as well as all of his available options.

Checking Mortgage Rates Online, SW Florida Real Estate, Naples, Fort Myers, Bonita Springs. Completing the re-financing process in person or over the phone can also prevent the homeowner from being surprised by any elements of the mortgage re-finance. This may include additional fees which are tacked on during the processing of the application, rates which are only available in certain situations or other elements of the re-financing agreement which could significantly impact the homeowner’s decision making process.

Refinancing Your Home, Why You Should And Why You Would.

There are many people in today’s society that have, for one reason or another, found themselves in massive financial difficulty.

The reasons for this are widespread but typically include credit card debt, loan debt, Car Loans (believe it or not), or mortgage problems.

All of these things are debt of one type or another and during our study we have found that there is a typical pattern of events surrounding the persons problems. Read on and see if this sounds familiar:

1. Person has a job, not brilliantly paid but a paying job 2. Person feels comfy so gets a loan to buy ‘x’ with (Car, kitchen, holiday, etc) 3. Person then either a. Loses job b. Acquires more loans (because they need more stuff) 4. The debt that they’ve acquired then starts eating away at what ever money was left at the end of the month 5. Person borrows more money to help prop up the existing debts, usually with credit card spending 6. Points 4 and 5 then get repeated until suddenly the monthly out goings are more than the incoming

And suddenly the person finds themselves in trouble because each month the debt gets bigger and bigger.

Sound familiar?

There are probably some of you reading this thinking ‘What is he talking about?’, rest assured there are those reading this right now having just experienced a cold chill.

One of the options that ‘Person’ usually overlooks is the value of the house that they are living in, a simple mistake (because realistically who wants to gamble the roof over their head?).

There are two clear ways out for Person, he can either sell the property (in which case a series of new problems come to light – like finding somewhere else to live) or more intelligently he could refinance the property (the technical name for this is ‘Refinance Home Equity’ / ’Refinance Home Mortgage’).

Most banks will do this for you (assuming you haven’t already upset them) or you can approach a private company for a ‘Home Equity Loan’.

The thing to remember about refinancing your home (whether ‘Refinance Home Equity’ via a bank or ‘Home Equity Loan’ via a loan company) you are essentially borrowing money against the value of your home, and so if you default on this loan (or remortgage) then you are going to be in real trouble.

To limit the potential for problems you should:

1. Find local refinance companies – they’ll be more sympathetic to your situation 2. Find the best refinance loan rate or Home Equity Refinance rate 3. Clear credit card debt first – this is typically the most expensive type of loan 4. Don’t refinance just to buy a car – if you’re not doing well don’t go OTT 5. Whether you’re looking at mortgage loans or equity loans be sure to shop around – the larger banks might make an offer to stop you using the smaller refinance provider

This may seem like very simple advice to many people but for some, who have worked themselves into a rut it’s handy to be reminded.

And don’t forget, by intelligent use of credit and refinance you can solve your debt problems.

What To Expect With Re-Financing Your Mortgage, Establish A Financial Goal

This is a very important question which all homeowners should ask themselves both at the start and towards the end of the process of re-financing. The answer to this question can spur the homeowner to investigate re-financing further or convince the homeowner to table the thoughts of re-financing for the moment and concentrate on other aspect of owning a home.

Establish Financial Goals

This should be the first step in the process of determining whether or not re-financing is worthwhile. Without this step, a homeowner cannot accurate answer the question of the worth of re-financing because the homeowner may not fully understand his own financial goals. While financial goals may run the gamut from one extreme to another the most basic question to ask is whether the more significant goal is long-term savings or increased monthly cash flow. This is important because re-financing can usually achieve these two goals.

Do You Want to Save Money in the Long Run?

Homeowners who establish a goal of saving money in the long run should consider re-financing options such as lower interest rates or shorter loan terms. Both of these options can considerably lower the amount of interest the homeowner is paying on the loan. This is significant because paying less interest will result in a greater cost savings.

Consider an example where a homeowner has an existing debt of $100,000, an interest rate of 6.25% and a loan term of 30 years. Just by reducing the loan term to 15 years the homeowner can significantly decrease the amount which is paid in interest during the course of the loan. However, this option will also result in an increase in the monthly payments made by the homeowner. Therefore this type of re-financing option may only be available to those who have enough cash flow to compensate for the increase in monthly payments.   Do You Want to Increase Your Monthly Cash Flow?

Some homeowners may have a chosen goal of increasing their monthly cash flow. For these homeowners the overall cost savings may not be as important as having more money available to them each month. These homeowners might consider a re-financing option in which they are able to extend their loan terms. This means they will be repaying the existing debt over a longer period of time. The homeowner will pay more in interest in the long run but will achieve their goal of lower monthly payments and an increased cash flow.

How Will Re-Financing Affect Tax Deductions?

This is another serious consideration for homeowners who are interested in investigating the possibility of re-financing. The interest paid on a home loan is often tax-deductible. A homeowner who re-finances in a manner which results in less interest being paid annually may adversely affect their tax strategy. The implications of this type of chance can be amplified for homeowners who were previously just below a significant tax break line. A significant decrease in the amount of interest paid will mean a significant decrease in the deduction the homeowner is allowed to take. This reduced deduction can put the homeowner in an entirely different tax bracket and could end up costing the homeowner money in the long run. For this reason, homeowners who are considering re-financing should have a tax preparation professional determine the ramifications re-financing will have on their tax return before a decision is made.