Refinancing Your House
Refinancing your house's mortgage is not the same thing as getting a second mortgage. While both allow you to cash out your home's equity, terms and rates differ between the two types of loans. To know which financing option is best for you, learn each loan's features and pick the one that best meets your needs.
Refinancing Your Mortgage
Traditional refinancing is basically replacing one mortgage loan with another. Typically, refinancing lowers mortgage payments through lower interest rates or longer loan terms. You can also cash out part or all of your home's equity while refinancing.
Refinancing requires paying closing fees. To recoup these costs, you usually need to stay in the house for a couple of years. However, you will save money with better terms than if you choose a second mortgage.
Second Mortgage Option
Second mortgages, also known as home equity loan, have slightly higher rates than mortgages, but you have less or no closing costs. Second mortgages also only charge interest on the amount you borrow, not the total amount you are approved for. You can take out your equity over the course of several months or years. Terms vary widely between second mortgage lenders, so watch out for balloon payments or repayment fees.
If you want tap into your equity to make some home improvements but plan to sell soon, then a second mortgage would be better than refinancing your mortgage. Second mortgages also are a better choice when your current mortgage interest rate is lower than those being offered by refinancing lenders.
Factors To Consider
When deciding which financing option to choose, consider the purpose of the loan. If you want to reduce monthly payments, then refinance. If you simply want to tap into your home's equity, then apply for a second mortgage.
Also, consider how long you want to stay in your house. You can lose money refinancing your mortgage if you don't stay in your home. However, if you sell your home or refinance, you will have to pay off your second mortgage.
Remember, only you know which loan best fits your financial needs.
To view our recommended sources for refinance mortgage loans online, visit this page: Recommended Refi Mortgage Lenders Online.
Carrie Reeder is the owner ABC Loan Guide, an informational website about various types of loans.
Latest News
Ben Bernanke: Fresh Attack on Mortgage Rates U.S. News & World Report, DC - Lower rates will enable some borrowers to refinance out of adjustable and into fixed-rate loans. But those who need to refinance the most have homes with ... Long Bond Returns Most Since 1995 Amid ‘Bubble’ Talk (Update2) Treasury Yields Hit Record Lows, But Will it Last? REFILE-TREASURIES-Bonds rally, helped by weakening economy |
Looking to refinance? Now might be the time Boston Globe, United States - Mortgage rates have been stubbornly high for quite some time but the government's recently announced $800B plan to bolster mortgages and consumer loans had ... Are looking for a new mortgage? We want to hear from you |
Interest rate drop opens door to refinancing Austin American-Statesman, TX - By Shonda Novak, MS Taboada The recent sharp drop in mortgage interest rates is creating a window for homeowners nationwide to refinance and providing an ... |
Md. sees drop in loss of homes Baltimore Sun, United States - Many borrowers took on mortgages at the height of the housing boom, believing they could eventually refinance to a lower loan rate or sell their homes if ... |
 Straits Times | Mortgage rates fall, but many borrowers will have trouble qualifying Los Angeles Times, CA - Jeff Lazerson, a Laguna Niguel mortgage broker, said all the customer calls he received Tuesday were from people seeking to refinance, not buy homes. ... Mortgage-market revival: Try, try again US move cuts mortgages to lowest rate since February Last Call for Smart Homeowners |
Self-Employed Are Frozen Out of Mortgages Wall Street Journal - He's been unable to find a lender willing to refinance the $900000 adjustable-rate mortgage on his primary residence, which he says is worth around $1.1 ... |
Mortgage Delinquencies Set to Soar: Report Housing Wire - “The credit ding makes refinancing that much more difficult,” said one source that spoke with HW Tuesday morning, a loss mitigation counselor at a large ... |
New mortgage crisis looming, experts caution San Bernardino Sun, CA - And since investors no longer want to buy commercial mortgages, banks are reluctant to write new loans to refinance those facing foreclosure. ... |
A recession Q&A Newsday, NY - ... take measures that will result in lower mortgage rates, "so people can afford to buy up housing inventory and refinance mortgages at affordable rates. ... |
Are You An Idiot To Keep Paying Your Mortgage? NewsNet5.com, OH - If you took out a home-equity loan or did a cash-out refinance to buy a car, you'll still owe tax on that debt if it is canceled. For state income taxes, ... Some buyers may see higher loan rates Global slowdown to drive market direction |
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