by BlondieWrites on May 20, 2009
Mortgage refinance calculators can seem complicated for first-time users but this guide will help you get the figures you need.
Choose the right source
The best mortgage refinance calculators are those provided by unbiased websites. If you see a link to any mortgage company in the website then there’s a good possibility that the free online mortgage refinance calculator you’re using is rigged to give results favorable to the company.
For more accurate results, you should also consider purchasing software that allows you to install your own mortgage refinance calculator in your computer.
Choose the right type
There’s a lot of mortgage calculators available in the Internet so do make sure you’re using the right one. Mortgage refinance calculators may also be known as second mortgage calculators. Some are also specially designed to work with fixed rate mortgages while others are designed to compute rates for variable rate mortgages.
Get your data ready
For quick results, make sure you’ve got all your data ready. Have a list of quotes from different mortgage providers. Be sure that you also know every pertinent figure regarding your existing mortgage as well as the various fees you might be charged with for taking out a second mortgage.
Input figures
Now that you’ve got everything you need on hand, it’s time to input your figures.
Savings from Refinancing
There are usually two major categories used in mortgage refinance calculators. The first category requires you to input the necessary figures to compute how much you can save from refinancing.
Current Monthly Payment
How much are you paying every month for your existing loan? Make sure you input the total figure and not just the interest or the amount of money you pay to deduct from the remaining loan balance.
Balance Left on Mortgage
If your creditor can’t provide the exact figure then don’t worry because this is fairly easy to compute. First, determine how many months you’ve been paying your loan dues. Now, deduct the amount of interest expense from your total monthly loan payment. Multiply the difference with the number of months you’ve been paying. Lastly, deduct the product from the amount of money you originally borrowed and the result will be the remaining loan balance.
Interest Rate
Mortgage refinance calculators will also require you to input the interest rates for your current and possibly second mortgage.
Loan Terms
Also for comparison, a mortgage refinance calculator will require you to indicate the number of years you’re allowed to pay off your second mortgage as well as the number of years left on your existing mortgage.
How Much It Costs
This is the second category of figures used in mortgage refinance calculators and most of the figures used here could be provided by your future creditor.
Application Fees and Costs
Some mortgage companies charge borrowers with application fees, but this may be waived if you’re eligible for a pre-approved loan. Other fees that may or may not be waived include document preparation, inspection, title search and insurance, credit check, local and miscellaneous fees.
Attorney Fees
Costs for second mortgage may require you to pay for the fees of your attorney as well as that of the mortgage company.
Calculate
Upon keying in the necessary data, click Calculate or Enter in your mortgage refinance calculator and you’ll find out how much your new monthly payment is, how much you’re saving and how many months you can recoup your expenditures.
by BlondieWrites on May 20, 2009
There are many advantages to having your mortgage refinanced. Of course, the most important and obvious reason is the lower rate you’ll enjoy. When applied at the right time and opportunity, having a mortgage refinanced can save you thousands of dollars in the long run. However, since timing plays a crucial role in refinancing, it’s important that you understand the factors that can affect how successfully you can take advantage of it. So how soon can a mortgage be refinanced and should you?
The right time
Getting a mortgage is not for sissies. This type of loan, whether you’re taking it out to purchase a car or a house, is easily one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll ever make in your life.
If you’re taking out a home mortgage loan and are considering getting it refinanced later, you’ll be glad to know that you could probably do it at any time you want. But once you have a mortgage and interest rates begin behaving in a manner that is favorable to you, you shouldn’t automatically apply for refinancing.
First, the difference in the new interest rate and the current interest rate should be enough to actually give you some advantages. Second, most lenders will probably advise you to refinance only after your loan has matured for a minimum of 12 months or so.
However, it’s good to consider this only if interest rates have remained more or less the same. If, at any time after you have taken out a mortgage loan the market trend begins tipping to your advantage, you should consider refinancing your loan. Remember that interest rates are rather volatile and if you wait too long for them to dip further, you could miss out on a very good opportunity to get a good deal.
Consider the 2 percent rule.
Just because interest rates have fallen a tiny bit does not automatically justify your decision to refinance. Consider refinancing only if the new interest rate is at least 2% lower compared to the rate you’re currently paying. A 1% difference in interest is not sufficient reason to make the switch.
Remember that there are costs associated with a new loan. When you consider refinancing for your mortgage, remember that you will have to pay extra for closing fees. An interest rate as low as 1% will not cover the expense.
You have no late payments.
You could go ahead and refinance a mortgage provided you have paid your loan faithfully for the last 12 months. If you have never had a late payment during the last year, you could make the shift and have your mortgage refinanced.
You have already built up equity.
If you want to refinance a mortgage soon, try to examine if you have already built up equity. You should have a minimum of about 5% or 10% equity (depending on the lender) before you could consider refinancing as a feasible option.
So is refinancing an option for you?
Of course, you can always consider refinancing your mortgage at any time you feel most comfortable. The key is to consider the time factor, along with the type of opportunity being presented by the market. After all, refinancing is really getting a new loan. Just be prepared for the procedures and costs that you will have to go through all over again.
by BlondieWrites on May 20, 2009
If there’s one truth about mortgage refinance rates, it’s that they keep changing. That’s the one constant thing about them. If you’re a homebuyer who wants to refinance and are looking for one steady figure as a basis for current rates, you’re bound to be frustrated. Refinancing programs also change frequently, which could be confusing. While it could get a bit challenging, finding current mortgage refinance rates is still a necessary step for you as a homeowner if you want to take advantage of good rates.
The art of mortgage refinancing
Many savvy homeowners will tell you that refinancing their mortgage was one of the best steps they did to their finances. Refinancing simply allows you to take an available opportunity and use that to your advantage – provided, of course, that market trends are moving in your favor. If you refinance at the right moment, you could enjoy thousands of dollars of savings down the line.
However, therein lies the rub. When it comes to refinancing your mortgage, finding the best rate possible can be quite tricky – but not impossible. If you want to get updated on the current mortgage refinance rates, here are some steps you can take:
Get market feedback online
By far the easiest and most convenient way to find the latest mortgage refinance rates is to go online. There are dozens of websites that offer updated market rates. Some of them are sites run by lenders while others are independent sites, allowing you to browse different refinancing rates from different lenders.
Sites such as Interest.com, BestRate.com, Refinance.Mortgage.net and Amerisave.com are just a few that you can tap. Rates are usually published here as part of their online calculator, a tool you can use to calculate how much loan you could qualify for and the type of monthly payments you can expect.
Look for published rates
The business section of your newspaper (national or local) contains up-to-date information about current mortgage refinance rates. Try to check these figures for a period of time to see where fluctuations are headed. Major fluctuations on interest rates that go in your favor could be a good sign that it’s time to seriously consider refinancing.
Regularly communicate with mortgage brokers
Your friendly mortgage broker can be a very useful source of information about current mortgage refinance rates. That is why it’s a good idea to build a relationship with them. Brokers keep a close tab on the current market trends and could offer you some valuable advice regarding your loan.
Take note, however, that current mortgage refinance rates are not absolute values. The rate you will receive will depend on certain factors, such as the home equity you’ve built up, your credit history and your behavior as a payer. If you’ve messed up your most recent credit history lately, you might not get the low rates being made available at present. Conversely, if you have maintained a good credit standing, you could look forward to enjoying low mortgage refinance rates currently being offered.
The good news, however, is that it is possible for you to negotiate the current mortgage refinance rates with your lender or mortgage brokers. Talk to several mortgage brokers at one time and let them give you their best offers. If you like, you could even let them compete for your business. By doing so, you could use the present rates to your advantage.
by BlondieWrites on May 20, 2009
Taking out a mortgage loan does have its risks. It’s not something you can get, bring home and then forget about. To truly maximize the kind of deal you get over the long term, you’ll have to be able to watch out for fluctuations in mortgage loan rates, which, fortunately or unfortunately, change incrementally every day. In some cases, you might even see several fluctuations in one day. To find the best rates possible for your loan, learn to compare mortgage refinance rates. Here’s how:
Get a copy of your credit report.
Even without a credit report, you could always get mortgage rate quotes. However, to truly get the exact loan rate, your lender will require you to provide your credit report. If you want the exact figures, get a copy of your report first before you start shopping for mortgage refinance rates.
Be careful of what you see.
Most consumers are reeled in by clever advertising promoting low interest rates. However, not every consumer will probably land this rate because their qualifications vary. Furthermore, some companies’ advertised rates may be locked in only for about 15 days. Unless you could close within that period, it may not be worthwhile to consider comparing these rates at all.
Furthermore, if you try to compare mortgage refinance rates without having your credit report run, always study the pre-approval estimate terms of the loan carefully. You do not want any surprises in the future, particularly if they are disadvantageous to your finances.
Ask for all fees involved.
Obtaining a mortgage loan refinanced means you will have to pay for certain fees. If you’re dealing with a reliable lender, they will be willing to give you all the information you need. Others, unfortunately, will simply withhold that information.
Ask how often the lender re-calculates the outstanding interest.
The best way to treat a mortgage loan – or any loan for that matter – is to get out of it as fast as you can. This is why it’s always a good decision to have a personal payment plan set up before you take out a loan. A bi-monthly payment scheme, for example, will help you pay off the loan earlier and avoid additional charges.
Check with your lender to determine how often they make loan recalculations. Yearly recalculations are disadvantageous to you, so when comparing mortgage refinance rates, look for companies that recalculate frequently – daily if you can find them or at the very least, monthly.
Why is this important? In the future, you could have the opportunity to get a good amount of cash from a bonus or a promotion and would like to use that to pay off your loan. If your lender does not recalculate often, you could be stuck on the old interest rates, regardless of how much money you put in. If your lender recalculates often, you could start paying for your loan at newer, lower interest rates.
Lock it in.
Take advantage of a good mortgage refinance rate by having it locked in by your lender. A lock period is the period of time in which the current or agreed-upon rate is honored by the lender. Meaning, the rate will stay that way within a specific amount of time. This can range from a minimum of 15 days to a maximum of 60 days.
The lock-in period you choose will of course depend on how long you want to keep the interest rate and on how much you can afford to pay. Shorter lock periods will have more affordable mortgage rates while longer periods will charge higher rates. When comparing mortgage refinance rates, try to compare the lock-in periods as well.
by BlondieWrites on May 20, 2009
Bad credit creates really bad memories, specifically in the minds of creditors and lenders. And they’re not about to forget any time soon. Access to information regarding your credit standing is easy for the people you need money from. And you know that if your credit report comes out a little less than ideal, you might not always get the loan you need. But the emphasis is on ‘might not’ because even with bad credit, it’s still possible to obtain a mortgage refinance loan. The catch just simply rides on the refinance rate.
Don’t look too low
If you’re trying to obtain a mortgage refinance loan at low rates and you have bad credit, forget it. Bad credit makes you different from the rest of the consumers, particularly those who have decent to good credit standing. The best you can expect is a decent (meaning a moderately high) mortgage refinance rate.
The reason is that lenders are very wary about consumers with a problematic credit history. They’re giving you money, after all and if you can’t pay it back, that spells a loss to their business.
Consider the types of programs available from your lender
Not every mortgage broker can offer you loan programs that are advantageous to you, which means, they probably can’t say for sure which types of loans you qualify for. When looking for budget-friendly mortgage refinance rates, try to find out which loans your lender has. A few you might want to look at:
- FHA financing, which don’t have stringent guidelines. Plus, you’ll like the fact that you won’t get charged a significant downpayment.
- Conventional mortgages (Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac), which could offer you good refinance rates even with bad credit depending on the type of property you want, how much downpayment you can pay and of course, your credit rating.
- Subprime mortgages, another name for bad credit mortgages, typically the type of loan you’ll get if your credit score dips to under 600. The rates you get will depend on the criteria set by your lender and on your credit standing.
Where to find mortgage refinance rates if you have bad credit
The best thing to do is to find out what your credit score is, bad as it may be. This will help give your creditors a more useful figure to use as a basis on which to calculate your refinance rates. You can then talk to your creditor to find out what types of rates you qualify for. Just make sure to get quotes from multiple lenders to identify which one gives you the best deal. Remember that it’s not necessarily just the rate but also the overall package being offered to you.
Another option for finding information regarding mortgage refinance rates you qualify for even with bad credit is to use online sites. Many creditors offer calculators and other resources on their websites that you can use. Simply enter the required information and the tools will calculate your refinance rate for you.
Don’t let bad credit stop you from finding the best deals that will help save you money. Historically, consumers who have taken advantage of mortgage loan refinancing have enjoyed its benefits. Make sure that you obtain all the information you need so you will be able to make the right decisions regarding your finances. Remember that a mortgage loan is something you will be dealing with for a long time.
If you have bad credit, you should be focusing on getting the most advantageous deal possible.
by BlondieWrites on May 20, 2009
No matter where you look at it, there will be always ways to save money if the person has the will do so. If you are one of those who are trying to come up with ways to save money in this unstable economy, it is best to start with developing a simple lifestyle. When you are able to do this, the rest will follow. But, if you are one of those who are not sure where to start, here are some eight simple ways to save money.
1. Cut down on grocery or shopping sprees. Although buying groceries is a necessity, this doesn’t mean that there’s no opportunity for you to save. The best thing that you can do before going to a supermarket is to conduct an inventory on your supplies. This will help you determine how much more you have and can help you estimate the period of time that these supplies will last. After knowing what are the things that you need, make a list to prioritize the items that are of utmost importance. The same thing can be applied when shopping for clothes and other accessories.
To save money, the key is to limit expenses on the items that you really need and keep whatever cash you have at hand. Try not to buy something that just tickles your fancy and if possible, limit your trips to the supermarket or boutiques to veer away from the temptation of buying something. If you are able to do this, you will save at least $20 every time.
2. Make adjustments to your withholding. People who are getting tax refunds every, they are the ones who are giving a free loan to the government. To save some money, you can adjust your withholding so the difference can be taken for your home pay.
3. Get as many coupons as you can. These days, coupons are not only applicable to just groceries only. In fact, major establishments such as restaurants, cinemas and even boutiques accept and give out coupons to its customers to offer a discount. If you keep these coupons, you can get a little discount on establishments that you usually go to.
4. Avoid using your own car. With the gas price hike, you can save lots of money if you take advantage of public transportation or even carpools. Aside from saving some money on gas, you can also save some since you wont have to pay for the car’s maintenance and parking anymore.
5. Take time to audit your own bills. Before, people are used to just paying whatever amount the bill states. But since there can be major discrepancies in these, it is best if you audit your charges once in a while. Auditing is best for telephone bills since some charges are being repeated, thus, making you pay for calls you didn’t actually make. Auditing can also be applied for your credit card bills since many companies add hidden charges.
6. Conserving energy means saving money. Many people do not realize it but one of the best ways to save money is to save energy. It is unfortunate that many people still don’t realize that leaving an electric appliance plugged to the electricity outlet means that appliance still consumes almost 20 percent of the electricity it consumes while it is turned on. So, to save money as well as energy through electricity makes it a habit to unplug cables from their outlets when not in use.
by BlondieWrites on May 20, 2009
