Refinancing a mortgage is a golden opportunity to lock in today’s low interest rate for the next 15 or 30 years. While interest rates now are still low, there’s a good chance they will be heading up in the coming months.
The Fed won’t maintain the current bond purchasing level forever, and just as rates spiked in September when the Fed hinted the bond purchasing would change, rates will spike even more when purchasing levels actually do change.
As interest rates remain very low for 30-year and 15-year mortgages, homeowners can benefit greatly from a refinance. Several types of people in particular should consider refinancing.
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Carrying A High Rate
Anyone with an interest rate well above today’s level should think about a refinance. Unless the homeowner is planning to sell within the next few years, a refinance will almost always save money in the long run if the rate can be lowered by at least a percent.
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Switching From FHA To Conventional
Given that FHA mortgages now carry mortgage insurance premiums for the life of the loan, it makes a lot of sense for borrowers to switch away from them when they can. Refinancing may be possible once the homeowner has built up enough equity to qualify for a mortgage from a traditional lender, without the burden of mortgage insurance.
ARM Coming Up On Adjustment
The low rate of an adjustable rate mortgage sticks only for the first few years of the mortgage. After this point, the rate adjusts each year based on market trends.
Rather than paying the adjusted rate, which is almost always higher, homeowners can refinance into a new fixed rate mortgage to lock in one of today’s low fixed rates for the duration of the mortgage.
Cash Out To Consolidate Debt
Homeowners carrying high-interest debt, like credit cards and personal loans, can often benefit from consolidating it into their mortgage. As long as they maintain at least 20 percent equity in their home, they can get a cash-out refinance for an amount higher than their current mortgage balance.
They can then use the difference to pay off high-interest debt. For more information about refinancing your mortgage feel free to contact your trusted mortgage professional.
3 Tips To Sidestep These Common FHA Loan Hang-ups
FHA loans are becoming increasingly popular these days as potential homeowners are not able to qualify for mortgages from traditional lenders. The FHA insures these high-risk loans, in turn allowing borrowers with low down payments and less than perfect credit to purchase homes and bolster the housing market.
However, getting through the loan process with the FHA is more difficult than with a traditional lender, and you may need to cope with some of these common loan hang-ups.
Property Condition
You can’t buy just any property with a FHA loan. The appraiser must deem it to be livable, without any conditions that could jeopardize health or safety. If the home has chipping paint, a leaky roof, or a wobbly banister, the financing could fall through.
Sometimes you can get the seller to make the needed repairs to pass inspection, but in other cases, you may have to go an alternate route. The FHA 203K streamline loan allows you to borrow up to $35,000 over the purchase price of the home for repairs and updates. It’s important to check with your local mortgage lender to determine any specific local FHA 203k loan details.
Low Appraisal
In addition to inspecting the property, appraisers also estimate its market value. These estimates are based on the property’s features and a comparison to similar properties that have sold recently. If the appraisal is low, the FHA loan funding could fall through because the FHA will not let you borrow more than the home’s appraised value.
Rather than trying to scrape together a bigger down payment, just take the information to the seller to renegotiate the purchase price. The seller will likely recognize that other buyers would be in the same boat, leading the seller to agree to a lower purchase price.
High Debt-to-Income Ratio
Your FHA loan may encounter a snag in the underwriting process if your total debt payments, including your new mortgage, would be a high percentage of your income. If you are in this situation, ask your lender to try running you through the automated underwriting program called TOTAL.
The process is quick, and often you can make up for a high debt-to-income ratio with other compensating factors, like a larger down payment or a cash reserve of several months of mortgage payments. For more information on common FHA loan hang-ups feel free to contact your trusted mortgage professional today.
David Braun Jr.
Mortgage Sales Manager - NMLS# 303007
Cell: 630-687-5800
Office: 630-560-4980
Integra Mortgage Corp.
17W220 22nd Street, Suite 330 - Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois 60181
