Welcome to Mortgage Refinance


Friday, February 01, 2008

4 Tips To Help You Get The Best Home Loan Mortgage Rate Refinance

Thanks to recent cuts in interest rates, it is once again possible for you to obtain one of the best home loan mortgage rate refinances for a low interest rate on your own home mortgage loan. Although it can be difficult to get a mortgage these days regardless of your credit, it is still possible to do so, and it may still be possible for you to get the best available mortgage interest rate when you refinance your home loan.

If you are trying to get the best mortgage refinance rate, it is important to keep the following tips in mind. It really is amazing how much money you can save with an interest rate that is even just a few tenths of a point less than normal. You could easily help your monthly cash flow situation by obtaining a lower interest rate, and the following tips should help you obtain the best rate possible.

1. Your interest rate is a reflection of your perceived risk to your lender and is based on specific detailed formulas that were developed for this very purpose. One of the biggest determinant factors in your interest rate is what your FICO score is, because your credit score is a detailed picture of your credit risk. In order to obtain the best available mortgage rate, you need to aim for a credit score of 720 or higher. If your score is much lower than this, you may not be able to refinance at all, let alone be able to score a decent interest rate.

2. Your debt to income ratio is another determining factor in whether or not you can obtain the best home loan mortgage rate refinance. Debt to income is actually often overlooked. If you have too many payments to make; cars, house, boat or credit card, you absolutely must rid yourself of some of it if you want to score a decent interest rate on your mortgage refinance.

3. When you are trying to score the best refinance interest rate, you must be willing to negotiate with your lender for a better deal. You might actually be able to receive a better interest rate and lower loan fees. You will never be sure if you do not try, so give it a shot. You may very well be pleasantly surprised.

4. Another way to ensure that you score the best rate is to obtain multiple offers before you settle on the right one. There are a large number of lenders to choose from, so you should obtain multiple offers and quotes for your refinance before you settle on one lender. Compare the fee structure, the loan amount and the rate, and then select the lender that seems to have your best interest in mind.

Keeping these pointers in mind should help you secure the best home loan mortgage rate refinance that you can. It may take time to improve your credit score or to find the right lender, but the process is worthwhile when the results are desirable. The money you save will be in your pocket and not the bank's.

Getting a Low Mortgage Rate Is Easier Then Most Home Owners Think

Getting a low mortgage rate is very important for most home owners when they are considering a refinance to consolidate debt or take cash out. But how does one actually qualify for the low rates that are advertised on TV and radio? The facts are even in todays tight market getting a low mortgage rate is easier then most people think you just have to make sure to follow a few simple guidelines.

Pay your Mortgage On time: Having a late mortgage payment can devastate your chances of getting a low mortgage rate for 12-24 months. Although a mortgage paid a few days late is OK a mortgage that is thirty days late will get reported to the credit agencies and drop your credit score.

Pay Consumer bills on Time: Nothing will drop your credit score faster or make an underwriter deny your loan quicker then numerous consumer late payments. So always make sure to pay your credit cards and other bills or your door to good rates could be closed!

Work With A Good Mortgage Broker: A good mortgage broker will have access to many different lenders and programs. The flexibility of a mortgage broker will make getting a low mortgage rate much easier then working with a bank or credit union.

Keep Debt To Moderate Levels: Your loan will be underwritten on many different factors including debt to income ratios. If you have to much monthly debt your loan will be denied for low rate conforming loan programs. A safe monthly debt expenditure is 40-45% of your monthly gross pay.

While many home owners may feel the current market is to strict for them to qualify for good rates many need to think again. If you pay your bills on time, and are not financially over extended then getting a low mortgage rate should be very easy.

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Mortgages - What Types Are Available and Best For Me?

Mortgage types and interest rates have more variety than doughnuts. These are a few examples of basic mortgage types. Mortgage Types over the past 30 years, have changed in many ways with new features that benefit consumers. Mortgage types usually fall into one of three categories including, conventional, variable and government.

Mortgage Types

Mortgage providers are now legally bound to present customers with a key facts document. Mortgage fees have been rising of late as providers reduce their headline annual percentage rates to attract new business. Mortgages by their very definition are loans that are secured on the open market. A professional mortgage adviser can guide you through the application process and help you to choose the right mortgage product to suit your personal circumstances, now and for the future. Some lenders offer mortgages that meet specific needs, and consumers can benefit from them. Secondly, all the various mortgage programs may be classified as fixed rate loans, adjustable rate loans and various combinations.

Fixed

Fixed or adjustable rate: Which is right for you? Fixed rates are popular because you know exactly how much you are going to be paying each month, and for how long. Your payments can not be affected by rises in the Prime Rate. If you think interest rates will rise or you prefer to have some certainty about your repayments over the term of the loan, a fixed loan may be more suitable. Fixed Rate Mortgage payments are fixed over the life of the loan. Interest rates do not change and are protected if rates go up. You can refinance if rates go down.

Credit

Each loan specifies a certain borrower profile that determines the borrowers creditworthiness, rates and terms. Eligibility of the borrower is still credit-driven. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines establish the maximum loan amount, borrower credit and income requirements, down payment, and suitable properties. Loans that do not meet the borrower credit requirements of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are called 'B', 'C' and 'D' paper loans. B/C loans are offered to borrowers that may have recently filed for bankruptcy, foreclosure, or have had late payments on their credit reports.

Term

Terms range from three months to thirty years. Generally, the shorter the term of a loan, the lower the interest rate you could get. With the traditional 30-year fixed rate mortgage your monthly payments are lower than they would be on a shorter term loan. The payments on fixed rate fully amortizing loans are calculated so that at the end of the term the mortgage loan is paid in full. Balloon loans are short-term fixed rate loans that have fixed monthly payments based usually upon a 30-year fully amortizing schedule and a lump sum payment at the end of its term. Usually they have terms of 3, 5, and 7 years.

There are many different mortgage types available, each offering slightly different benefits. Before making a decision, look carefully at all the different mortgage types and lenders, taking into account any setup fees that may apply.

The Economy Is Heading For A Recession - Is It A Good Time To Consider Refinancing?

The stock market has lost over 500 points recently and is down almost 5% for the year. This has been very influential in driving the yield on the ten year bond down to its lowest level in the past four years touching as low as 3.63% on its yield. Many investors have begun to pull money out of the stock market and look for safer places to invest this money such as gold, money market accounts and bonds. This trend is pushing down the bond yield and results in mortgage rates trending down as well. So if you are lucky and may have equity in your home, it is possible to explore refinancing into a fixed rate mortgage and locking into a rate in the low 5% range.

There are some simple things you can do if you are shopping for a refinance mortgage to help ensure that you receive the best offer. There are thousands of mortgage banks to choose from when it comes to obtaining a new mortgage, but how do you figure out which one to work with and if you are going to get a good deal for your situation.

First, you need to asses your situation, write down your goals, keep in mind if you are trying to consolidate debt, pay off a first and second mortgage or simply trying to lower your interest rate this can greatly impact the type of loan you may qualify for and the loan interest rates and fees associated with the mortgage. For most consumers, the next step is to contact a few companies and banks to find out if they offer programs that meet your goals and if you qualify.

If you have a unique situation such a blemished credit or a loan size over $417,000 you situation may require a bit more involved search to find a lender that can help you out. It may be beneficial to inquire about a government insured fha mortgage loan if you have some credit issues. If you are looking to refinance a jumbo loan, then you should concentrate your search on banks that portfolio their loans (don't sell their loans on the open market) as they will probably be able to offer you the most competitive pricing as the market for jumbo financing is very soft with lenders feeling pressure from the secondary market credit crunch.

The most important thing you can do as a consumer is shop around, take good notes and be realistic with your goals. Once you decide to move forward, make sure you receive everything in writing and be certain you understand what value your home needs to appraise for in order to keep your original agreed upon loan term.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Bad Credit Remortgages

Mortgages do not require borrowers to be loyal to a particular lender. Borrowers can change lenders if they get a better offer from another lender. Often it becomes necessary for a home owner to try and refinance a mortgage loan that he or she could have availed. In such cases, the house owner can switch the mortgage loan from one mortgage provider to another. This process of switching mortgage providers is called re-mortgaging.

Before changing a mortgage provider, there are some basic information that a borrower needs to know. Knowing the details will help one to identify the best deal and lessen any hassles that one may encounter while trying to avail a mortgage. Usually, remortgages are financial facilities that one avails for a benefit. There could be many reasons why a house owner would try and remortgage the property. The biggest reason would be an offer from a new lender that provides lower interest rates. However, there also could be other reasons such as consolidating a long-term mortgage, repaying a debt, buying new appliances or a car etc.

One of the most popular reasons why people go for a remortgage is to reduce one's monthly repayments. Borrowers may be able to pay a loan in the long term but they may not be able to bear the costs in the short term because short term loans require more monthly repayments. If one finds a better deal, it is always good to ask one's lender for a change of plan. If the lender does not oblige, it will be a good idea to seek a similar deal from another lender. People also can go in for such a loan in order to capitalise on the equity that would have built up in a home.

The Next Step for UK Mortgages

After a long period of low interest rates, soft lending criteria, and a strong property market, UK mortgage products have enjoyed a period of prosperity as never before. However, several incidents have occurred recently which have thrown the market into disarray.

The steady increase of the Bank of England base rate over the past twelve to eighteen months has gently eased the rampant property market. Buy-to-let investing has begun to fall out of favour with novice investors and potential first-time-buyers have had to put their plans on hold as the cost of borrowing becomes too much to bear.

While the steady increase in interest rates has cooled the jets of the UK mortgage market to some degree, it is the events of the US sub-prime mortgage industry that has finally caused mild panic across the pond.

It is safe to say that the sub-prime issue has not thrown the market into complete chaos, however it has, for the first time in many years, cast some doubt as to the future fortunes of the industry.

For the first time in many years is has become difficult to predict the future of financing residential property in the UK.

Some analysts are predicting it will be harder to get a mortgage in the UK over the next few years. This is because at least one major lender and several smaller ones have already fallen afoul of the industry regulator and have either had to be bailed out by the Government or have closed their doors permanently.

The theory is that with fewer mortgage lenders in the market, fewer products will be available to UK home owners.

The problem with this theory is that the analysts are assuming the UK mortgage market is supply driven. In other words, if there are fewer mortgage products to choose from then fewer people will apply for one. It follows then that the mortgage market will experience a slow down in the UK.

It may not be the case, however, that this market operates this way.

People still need somewhere to live and most UK residents dream of owning their own home. This has led other analysts to the theory that the causalities of the relatively minor fallout from the US sub-prime mortgage problem will simply be replaced by their competitors. In other words, the demand for these products will remain constant and the supply of mortgage products will be replaced by other lenders.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

First-Time-Buyers and Excessive Mortgage Fees

Mortgages are not without their pitfalls and the first-time-buyer mortgage market is no different. First-time-buyer mortgage applicants who are not able to put down a deposit on a property are being hit with huge fees and higher interest rates by some leading lenders.

While banks and building societies seem to be helping first-time-buyers get onto the property ladder by issuing first-time-buyer mortgages that lend up to 100% of a property's value, borrowers are being forced to pay higher lending fees on these products, which can cost around £1,500, and are unable to get access to the cheap interest rate deals offered to other borrowers.

Borrowers who have the required deposit are able to secure mortgage products with interest rates more than one per cent lower than first-time buyer mortgage products made available through the same lenders.

First-time-buyers are widely considered to be the borrowers who can least afford to pay such costs when applying for a mortgage. In recognition of this, many mortgage lenders have now stopped charging higher lending fees on their first-time-buyer mortgage products because of the extra financial burden. Some lenders, however, have not scrapped such fees and continue to charge them on mortgage products that have loan-to-value ratios above 90 per cent.

The higher lending fee pays for an insurance policy which protects the lender if the home is repossessed and the bank makes a loss when selling it. It does not, contrary to popular believe, provide any protection to the borrower.

With the average property price in the at an all-time high, the majority of first-time-buyers are struggling to find the traditional 10 per cent deposit required to buy a property, which would prevent them from paying a higher lending charge. For first-time-buyers who manage to save for part of the ten percent deposit required, they may still be required to pay a higher lending charge.

For example, if a buyer had a 5 per cent deposit for a house worth £100,000, they would require a £95,000 mortgage. For the money borrowed above 75 per cent of the property price, £20,000, the bank will charge a higher lending fee.

Sub-Prime Problem to Affect UK Mortgages

The sub-prime mortgage crises has claimed several scalps in the US but has so far failed to heavily affect the rest of the world. It is safe to say, however, that mortgage industry analysts are waiting with bated breath to see whether the UK financial markets will be adversely affected.

The US sub-prime loan crises has evolved from loose lending criteria leading to a situation in which millions of borrowers with poor credit histories and volatile employment situations have been granted mortgages and loans.

During times of low interest rates, such borrowers are able to keep up on their loan payments. However, once interest rates begin to increase, the cost of maintaining the mortgages can skyrocket, leaving many households unable to cope.

This will eventually lead to loan defaults and repossessions amongst the general public. Simultaneously, in the world of the financial markets, loan bundles worth hundreds of millions of dollars become less profitable and therefore less attractive to own.

In addition to a tightening the lending criteria of mortgages and loans offered to the general public, the cost of borrowing money on the interbank market for financial institutions also becomes more expensive. It is this part of the crises that may spill over to the UK. Financial institutions lend and borrow money on the interbank market with little regard to geographical location. Ever since the problem with sub-prime mortgages emerged in the US, the interest rate charged on the interbank market has increased.

This means that UK financial institutions now must pay more interest to borrow money. The fear is that this increase in costs may be passed on to the UK public by way of increasing the interest rates attached to mortgages and loans.

To counter this, many UK lending institutions that also offer deposit accounts are offering customers higher interest rates on their savings. This move is designed to encourage people to invest their money in savings accounts, which will effectively give the institutions access to the cash.

This may give UK financial institutions access to large sums of money at cheaper rates than they can get by borrowing money on the interbank market. The savings fund may then be used to help the institutions offer mortgages and loans to their customers without increasing interest rates.

Sub-Prime Problem to Affect UK Mortgages

The sub-prime mortgage crises has claimed several scalps in the US but has so far failed to heavily affect the rest of the world. It is safe to say, however, that mortgage industry analysts are waiting with bated breath to see whether the UK financial markets will be adversely affected.

The US sub-prime loan crises has evolved from loose lending criteria leading to a situation in which millions of borrowers with poor credit histories and volatile employment situations have been granted mortgages and loans.

During times of low interest rates, such borrowers are able to keep up on their loan payments. However, once interest rates begin to increase, the cost of maintaining the mortgages can skyrocket, leaving many households unable to cope.

This will eventually lead to loan defaults and repossessions amongst the general public. Simultaneously, in the world of the financial markets, loan bundles worth hundreds of millions of dollars become less profitable and therefore less attractive to own.

In addition to a tightening the lending criteria of mortgages and loans offered to the general public, the cost of borrowing money on the interbank market for financial institutions also becomes more expensive. It is this part of the crises that may spill over to the UK. Financial institutions lend and borrow money on the interbank market with little regard to geographical location. Ever since the problem with sub-prime mortgages emerged in the US, the interest rate charged on the interbank market has increased.

This means that UK financial institutions now must pay more interest to borrow money. The fear is that this increase in costs may be passed on to the UK public by way of increasing the interest rates attached to mortgages and loans.

To counter this, many UK lending institutions that also offer deposit accounts are offering customers higher interest rates on their savings. This move is designed to encourage people to invest their money in savings accounts, which will effectively give the institutions access to the cash.

This may give UK financial institutions access to large sums of money at cheaper rates than they can get by borrowing money on the interbank market. The savings fund may then be used to help the institutions offer mortgages and loans to their customers without increasing interest rates.