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Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Refinance Mortgage Loans - If You're Serious About Saving Money

By Morgan Hamilton

It can actually be quite challenging to know when the time is right to refinance mortgage loans. It is a timing thing more than anything else. Get it right and you lock in very favorable interest rates which will save you thousands of dollars over the life of the loan. Get it wrong and you're going to pay a lot more money than you need to.

Mortgage refinancing considerations are even more complicated now with the economic crisis still in full swing. Lending institutions that were once giving loans and mortgages to just about anyone have tightened their belts considerably. It is, in fact, extremely difficult to even get a loan unless you have pristine credit and a good reason to need one.

Considering whether or not to refinance a mortgage requires evaluating a number of different things. First and foremost are the origination fees which are charged by the lending institution for processing the loan. Add to that an appraisal fee that is required and attorney fees which may be optional depending on your state. In the end, it adds a cost to refinancing that can make a difference to your decision.

The reason why this is so important is that even if you do manage to get a more favorable interest rate which will lower your monthly payments, that savings could be wiped out because of all the fees that you have to pay. With that said if you are planning to own the property you seek a mortgage on for 10 years or more then it is probably a wise decision, generally speaking, to go ahead and refinance.

So, if you are planning a move in the not too distant future, you may not want to refinance even if you can get a loan at a lower rate. To refinance mortgage loans profitably, the lower interest rate will have to be in effect long enough to make up for the upfront expense of the loan.

It is advisable that you use an online mortgage calculator which will allow you to run different scenarios as far as interest rates and duration in years of the loans go. You can even plug in the fees to get an idea of how your over all payments will compare to see if in fact it is in your best interest to refinance mortgage loans.

When considering refinancing options you will have the choice of two different types of mortgages and two loan term options. The first option is the fixed rate mortgage. It locks in the interest rate on the loan for the duration of the loan. The second is the ARM or adjustable rate mortgage. The interest rate on this type of mortgage can go up and down with the rate as it is adjusted by the Federal Reserve Board within a certain set of parameters. They usually start out at a very low rate. Mortgage terms are most commonly 15 years and 30 years.

If you are planning to sell your home sooner rather than later an adjustable rate mortgage may be the best choice for you. Many first time home buyers are drawn in by the low rate without considering the effect a rise in the rate may have on their monthly mortgage payment.

Weighing all the factors is crucial to refinance mortgage loans to your benefit. Taking the time to evaluate various scenarios and different outcomes will guide your decision making process. You will want to decide whether or not to refinance based on the long term results not just the amount of your immediate monthly mortgage payment. The hidden costs may end up costing you more than you save.

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