List Your Goals
When refinancing your mortgage, be sure to tell your lender what you want to achieve. Whether you want to cut your payment, shorten your term, or cash out the equity you’ve built in your house over time, tell your lender so they can help you achieve your financial goals. Your loan officer will be able to assist you in determining whether or not it makes sense to refinance your house if you specify your objectives.
Learn About Your Options
If you’ve chosen that refinancing is correct for you and want to go forward, ask your lender to go over your refinancing alternatives with you.
Here are some reasons why you might want to refinance:
1) Reduced Monthly Mortgage Payment
A reduced monthly payment is the result of a lower interest rate.
You’ll spend less to own your house over the life of your loan if you have a consistent loan term and lower monthly payments.
2) Pay off your mortgage faster
This can be accomplished by refinancing your loan to reduce the term.
You can, for example, reduce your term from 30 to 15 years or even lower. This will help you save money on interest in the long run.
3)Get out of your ARM
This can be accomplished by refinancing to a different loan package. When the initial fixed-rate period on your Adjustable-Rate Mortgage (ARM) expires, refinancing may be a good option for you. When the fixed period on your ARM expires, you have the option of refinancing into a fixed-rate loan or selling your house. If you don’t expect to sell your house when the fixed-rate period on your ARM expires, refinancing to a fixed-rate loan is likely your best option. It will ensure that your mortgage payments remain consistent for the duration of your loan.
4) Debt Consolidation / Cash Out
A Cash-Out Refinance is a great way to get cash out of your home’s equity to pay off other debts or cover a large expense like your child’s college tuition. With a cash-out refinance, you can also consolidate your debt to pay off additional high-interest loans. Ideally, with a Cash-Out Refinance, you will receive a check for the amount you are cashing out and a better rate than what you have, however, this isn’t always the case.
5) Get Your Mortgage Insurance Paid Off
Private mortgage insurance (PMI) is designed to protect lenders in the case that a borrower fails on a loan. If you’re refinancing a house with less than 20% equity, private mortgage insurance (PMI) is required. You can refinance to a conventional loan with no mortgage insurance after your mortgage principal debt reaches 80 percent of the original property value. By refinancing to a conventional loan with lender-paid mortgage insurance (LPMI), which does not require PMI, you can eliminate your PMI with as little as 5% equity in your house. This will last for the life of your loan, and if you do not refinance to eliminate your LPMI, you may end up paying more in the long run. To get low-interest rates and avoid paying PMI, you’ll need strong credit. Now that you’ve learned about the different benefits of refinancing, you’re ready to determine if it’s the best option for you.
Complete Your Mortgage Application
If you decide to move forward with the refinancing, the next step is to finish your mortgage application. Your financial information will be required to be submitted to a lender as part of a mortgage application. The data you submit will be used to assist calculate the terms of your new loan. Borrowers must demonstrate to lenders that they are capable of repaying a loan. If you want to complete your loan application in person, you can meet with your lender. If it’s more convenient for you, most lenders will let you fill out a mortgage application online.
What are the 6 pieces of information that your lender requires to process a comprehensive loan application?
• Name
• Income
• Social Security Number (to obtain a credit report)
• Property address
• An estimate of the property value
• Amount of the Mortgage Loan
Ask your loan officer if you have any questions, and they will assist you in completing your mortgage loan application.
Remember that your loan officer is always ready to assist you and will gladly answer any queries you may have. Your loan officer will also review your application to ensure that all of the information you submitted is accurate and valid. They’ll send your application through their organization’s channels to have you authorized once they’ve finished reviewing it.