Mortgage Refinancing
Mortgage loans are usually used to purchase a house or to secure the money you owe on an existing house you own. There are 7 things to watch for when looking for a mortgage loan. The size of your loan, the interest rate, any associated points and any additional terms. The kind of interest rate and how it will vary (is it variable or fixed?)
When you are looking for a new home, you may be tempted to take out a mortgage first. This may well work if your credit is good and the interest rates are low. However, if you have a bad credit score and low interest rate, then you could be paying over the odds for your new home and over the term of your mortgage. Before taking out mortgages loans, you should always consider whether there are better offers elsewhere or whether you really need the house and/or mortgage that you are being offered.
With a fixed rate mortgage, the monthly repayments will remain the same for the duration of the loan amount. With this type of home loan, there is no scope for fluctuating rates as they remain at the rate for the entire term. However, if the mortgage repayments are spread over a longer period of time, then over the term of the loan you will end up paying far more than if you had opted for a variable rate home loan.
In a balloon mortgage, you pay a lump sum payment and receive a fixed interest rate at the end of the term. The lump sum payment may be higher than the repayments but will not rise much with inflation, and you are locked into the interest rate for the entire period of the loan. This option is only available to borrowers who can afford to repay the lump sum in lump sums, as it has a high risk of foreclosure for both the lender and the borrower. It is advised that you try to secure the loan early on to avoid such a scenario.
The two types of mortgage – fixed and adjustable – both have their own pros and cons, depending on your circumstances. You will need to assess which type of mortgage is right for your needs and circumstances. Homeowners in difficulty will qualify for mortgage refinancing to help them remain in their homes. Mortgage refinancing allows you to secure a better interest rate, and you get to lock in an interest rate after you have been approved for a mortgage, so that you don’t have to worry about variable rates.
Homeowners with bad credit may also qualify for mortgage refinancing and this helps them to improve their financial situation. If your credit score is low, your mortgage provider may also offer you a mortgage refinancing loan that has a higher interest rate. The monthly payment when you take on a mortgage refinance loan is lower than the total amount that you would have paid monthly had you not taken out the mortgage in the first place, but make sure that your credit score is high before you go in for a refinance mortgage. In other words, check your credit score to find out whether lenders will give you a second mortgage or a mortgage with a higher interest rate.
