It's generally a good time to refinance when mortgage rates are 2% lower than the current rate on your loan. It may be a viable option even if the interest rate difference is only 1% or less. Any reduction can trim your monthly mortgage payments. Example: Your payment, excluding taxes and insurance, would be about $770 on a $100,000 loan at 8.5%; if the rate were lowered to 7.5%, your payment would then be $700, now you're saving $70 per month. Your savings depends on your income, budget, loan amount, and interest rate changes. Your trusted lender can help you calculate your options.
Most lenders charge fees to refinance a loan. So, if you plan to only stay in the property for a couple of years, your monthly savings may not accumulate to recoup these costs. Example: A lender charged $1,000 to refinance your loan that resulted in saving you $50 each month; it would take 20-months to recoup your initial costs. We can help you do the math and determine if a refinance is right for you.
Each scenario is different but on average, you can expect to pay around 1% to 2% of the loan amount in closing costs. These costs typically include attorney's closing fee and appraisal fee (but in some cases an appraisal may not be needed). Almost all of the closing fees can be financed into the loan so there is usually very little out of pocket cost when doing a refinance.
Discount points are fees used to lower the interest rate on a mortgage loan by paying some of this interest up-front. 1 point is equal to 1% of the loan amount.
You may want to consider paying discount points if you plan to stay in the property for a least a few years. Paying discount points to lower the loan's interest rate is a good way to lower your required monthly loan payment, and possibly increase the loan amount that you can afford to borrow. However, if you plan to stay in the property for only a year or two, your monthly savings may not be enough to recoup the cost of the discount points that you paid up-front.
Mortgage rates can change from the day you apply for a loan to the day you close the transaction. If interest rates rise sharply during the application process it can increase the borrower's mortgage payment unexpectedly. Therefore, a lender can allow the borrower to "lock-in" the loan's interest rate guaranteeing that rate for a specified time period, often 30-60 days, sometimes for a fee.
It's unsure how interest rates will move at any given time, but your lender may estimate where interest rates are headed. If interest rates are expected to be volatile in the near future, considering locking your interest rate may be good because it allows you to qualify for the loan. Or, if your budget could handle a higher loan payment, or lender's lock fees, you may want to let interest rates "float" until the loan closing.
Even with poor credit getting a home loan is still possible. Your credit does not have to be perfect to refinance your mortgage. We have many years of experience working with credit issues and credit reports and can always offer our best advice on how to improve your credit if needed.