Common advice tells borrowers they should refinance their adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) to a fixed-rate mortgage. However, there are times when it makes better financial sense to do the reverse. The prime reason is that an ARM provides lower rates.

Low Interest Rates Of An ARM

An ARM’s primary benefit is a lower interest rate. Typically a couple of points lower than a fixed-rate mortgage, an ARM can save you thousands. The downside is that an ARM’s rates can rise.

However, if you are planning to move in a couple of years or expect rates to drop, then an ARM may be worth the risk. If you are worried about rising rates, you can select an ARM with rate and payment caps. There are also ARMs that convert to a fixed-rate after a preset number of years.

Smaller Payments With An ARM

An ARM can also give you smaller payments temporarily through lower rates. Even though these payments may rise, you can expect your wages to increase with the rate of inflation as well.

If you need some temporary breathing room in your budget, you may find that an ARM can help. There is always risk with this option, especially if you are planning on a promotion or career change in the future.

Considering The Costs

While lower interest rates can save you money, the loan costs can eat into your financial savings. Loan fees can easily add up to $3000, in addition to points. The general rule of thumb is that after three years, you will be saving money on the refinance deal.

There are times when you can see a savings earlier, especially if rates are more than two percent lower or you find a low cost refinancing deal.

To really know if you will save by refinancing, you need to research rates. Ask for quotes from several lending institutions. Then figure out your interest payments with the help of a mortgage calculator. Compare these with your current interest charges, and you will know what type of savings to expect. Subtract the loan fees and points, and you will find if you can come out ahead in the end.

To view our list of recommended lenders online for refinancing your home mortgage, visit this page: Recommended Refinance Lenders Online.

Carrie Reeder is the owner of ABC Loan Guide, an informational website about various types of loans.

Why should I refinance and when does it pay to do so?

Refinancing can be worthwhile, but it does not make good financial sense for everyone. A general role of thumb is that refinancing becomes worth your while if the current interest rate on your mortgage is at least 2 percentage points higher than the prevailing market rate.

There are several reasons to refinance your home:

1. To lower the interest rate on your mortgage, reducing your monthly payments and overall cost;

2. To reduce the term or length of your loan, doing so can save you thousands of dollars in interest;

3. To provide a means of consolidating your debt;

4. To draw on the equity built up in the house to get cash for a major purchase or for children’s education;

5. Have an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) and want a fixed-rate loan to have the certainty of knowing exactly what the mortgage payment will be for the life of the loan.

It is better to refinance if you can get an interest rate at least two percentage points lower than what you are currently paying. However, every situation is different. Some lenders are offering reduced fees or no points. Asking yourself a few questions may help you determine if you can save money:

1. How much can I lower my current monthly payment?

2. How much will I pay in refinancing costs?

3. How much will I still owe on the house?

4. How much am I currently paying each month?

5. How much did I initially pay for the house?

There are other considerations, too, such as how long you plan to stay in the house. Most sources say that it takes at least three years to realize fully the savings from a lower interest rate, given the costs of the refinancing. Itemize all the expenses of the refinance and estimate your new monthly payments. Answering these questions can help you to decide if you should refinance.

Talk with mortgage lenders, real estate agents, attorneys, and other advisors about lending practices, mortgage instruments, and your own interests before you commit to any specific loan.

Copyright © 2005. Chileshe Mwape writes for the Mortgage Lenders website at http://banks.lending-guide.org/ and he’s also a regular contributor to the Auto Loans website at http://www.motor-car-loans.org.uk/

Getting a remortgage with adverse credit is a daunting task and it is increasingly becoming a widespread problem in UK. An adverse credit remortgage is a type of mortgage, which is particularly used by people who have adverse remarks in their credit history.

Adverse credit ratings are rising as people are finding it difficult to repay the loans they took in order to remedy their financial exigencies. The credit ratings are remarks given by your previous creditors based on your repayment history. If you are punctual and prompt in repaying the installments they give you a positive remark and a negative rating incurs, if you miss their installments and are erratic in the repayment schedule.

Lenders are wary of this negative or adverse credit rating. They find it risky to lend any amount to such persons and reject their applications in most of the cases.

While, applying for an Adverse credit remortgage, the borrower has to face two kinds of situations. In the first case, although he has an adverse credit rating against him, he can offer something like a house or home equity as a collateral to the remortgage. In second case the borrower with the adverse credit history doesn’t have anything to offer as collateral or the value of collateral is not adequate to guarantee the loan.

The lenders, if they find that they can get something as collateral for the remortgage offer, are prompt in lending as compared to a situation where they have to lend solely on the basis of creditworthiness of the borrower. The lenders are comfortable by the fact that if the borrower defaults in payments, they can repossess the collateral. Depending on the collateral and creditworthiness, lenders fix interest rates, lending amount and the repayment schedules.

Remortgaging involves changing the mortgage without changing the existing house or property. Adverse credit remortgage can be used for getting a better deal on mortgage from a different lender. It can also be used to get an improved deal on mortgage from the existing lender. Adverse credit remortgage may also be used to provide funds or to get a loan on the increased equity in home or property. They are very useful in consolidating existing debts from various sources into one single manageable loan. Emergency expenditures like the purchase of a car, a holiday, some reconstruction or medical bills can be funded by such remortgages.

Getting an adverse credit remortgage to finance these purchases is considered a wise option because remortgage offers lower interest rates and easy repayment options as compared to other methods of borrowing.

People with adverse credit should be very cautious while taking a remortgage. Mortgage lenders in UK are squeezing such people with higher interest rates and unreasonable terms and conditions.

Remortgaging involves many fees, which increase the cost of the process. There are early redemption penalties, re-appraisal of property, solicitor fees, office and conveyance charges, which have to be taken into consideration while taking an adverse credit remortgage. The fact that a borrower has an adverse credit rating makes the situation even worse for him. As the lending market in UK is very competitive the borrower is advised to shop around for lenders, which offer zero product fees, cashback, free basic property valuation and minimum fee for legal and other expenses. A good lender, who provides adverse credit remortgage will negotiate the best possible deal on prepayment penalties for its client. Finding such a lender is not easy but ultimately it will be worth the effort.

For most of us, if we have something to offer as collateral, getting an adverse credit remortgage will be quite easy. The new lender will ask for all the documents and complete the formalities. If everything goes smoothly, it won’t take long to get an adverse credit remortgage.

Andrew baker has done his masters in finance from CPIT. He is engaged in providing free, professional, and independent advice to the residents of the UK.He works for the Secured loan web site uk finance world for any type of uk secured and unsecured loan please visit http://www.ukfinanceworld.co.uk

When going to refinance or get a mortgage loan quote, the internet can be a useful tool to shop around for the best interest rate. The reason the internet is a good place to start applying, is because most mortgage applications online do not typically pull your credit with the first application. Most of the time, the application will ask you to describe your credit. Once you have received an initial offer, then, the mortgage loan consultant who contacts you will ask you if they can pull your credit.

The point is, there is really no risk in applying to many different mortgage companies or lenders online. This can help you compare refinance quotes from multiple lenders.

There are quite a few mortgage companies out there that will submit your pre-approval application to hundreds of lenders and then forward you the 4 best mortgage loan refinance quotes. To see a list of these companies, click on the link below. If you do this pre-approval process with about 3-4 companies, in less than 24 hours, you could have mortgage refinance quotes from about 12-16 lenders. Imagine how comfortable you would feel knowing what all of your refinance options are. If you had over 10 mortgage loan offers, you would not make the mistake of settling for a refinance loan that is not the best you can get.

When refinancing, you absolutely want to make sure of a few things before you settle on an offer:

1. Make absolutely sure that you are getting the lowest mortgage rate possible for your qualifications. With mortgage rates slowly on the rise, you want to make sure that you are not getting a mortgage loan any higher than you can qualify for. If you go direct through the lender and not use a broker middleman, sometimes that can help you get a lower interest rate.

2. Find out what your closing costs are going to be. You may be going back and forth with different lenders to get the lowest interest rate and then get dinged at the closing table with massive closing costs. Ask each lender that makes you an offer to give you an estimate on what the closing costs are going to be and compare the lenders.

3. Make sure the terms of the financing are what you want. If you want to have a variable interest rate, then get one. If you are more comfortable with a 5 year fixed rate, then make sure that you don’t get talked into settling for something less. You can’t refinance as often as you want, so you want to make sure you do it right, because once your done, you are locked in.

Take advantage of the internet and apply to many different mortgage companies that will provide you multiple offers. Do this to make sure you can compare offers from many different companies instead of taking a chance of getting what you don’t want.

To see our list of highly recommended refinance mortgage lenders who can give you quotes from multiple lenders, visit this page: Recommended Refinance Mortgage Lenders.

Carrie Reeder is the owner of ABC Loan Guide. ABC Loan Guide is an informational loan website with informative articles and lists of recommended lenders for all different kinds of loans.

Do you need cash? Here’s a mortgage for you. If you are not in a good position to take an equity line of credit on your home, because you have not built enough equity or a poor credit situation is making bankers steer clear of you, altogether, there is another option — the cashout refinance. This loan does what the equity line does in most cases, but it is not an interest-only loan, and it has conventional mortgage terms. The advantage for people without enough equity and less than perfect credit is you can get at what little equity you do have by refinancing to a new conventional mortgage, taking cash out at the close of the loan.

Here’s how it works.

Let’s assume you have a home valued at $110,000. You owe $86,000, and you would like to get $8,000 in cash to pay off two small credit cards with high interest and to do some minor rehab work on you home. With your B credit rating, banks won’t give you 100 percent of your equity or even 95 percent, so an equity line won’t work.

However, you will qualify for a 90 percent cashout refinance loan. In order to keep your costs down, you combine this strategy with another one, an adjustable rate mortgage, and this helps you maintain a low monthly payment.

You need about $4,000 to close the loan (remember it’s a conventional mortgage with all the closing costs — equity loans can be closed with no costs at all). The closing costs, though, will be financed into your new loan, so you don’t have to come out of pocket with any money.

So, you get a new mortgage for $99,000, which pays off your old fixed rate mortgage loan, covers the closing costs and, best of all, leaves you with $9,000 in cash — $1,000 more than you actually need.

The ARM rate is probably one percent less than your old fixed rate, so your payment will stay close to what it was. Plus, you eliminate monthly credit debt, so you have created even more cash! This is just an overview of a very powerful loan.

Mark Barnes is the author of the new novel, The League, the first work of fiction, based on fantasy football. He is also an investment real estate and home loan finance expert. Learn more about his suspense thriller at http://www.sportsnovels.com Get his free mortgage finance course at http://www.winningthemortgagegame.com

One of the biggest reasons homeowners refinance their mortgage is to obtain a lower interest rate and lower monthly payments. By refinancing, the borrower pays off their existing mortgage and replaces it with a new one. This can often be accomplished with a no-points no-fees loan program, which essentially means at “no cost” to the borrower.

In the no-points no-fees scenario, the mortgage consultant uses rebate monies paid by the lender to pay off non-recurring closing costs for the borrower. These are “one time” fees such as escrow or attorney fees, title insurance, document preparation, tax service, flood certification, processing and underwriting fees, etc. The borrower is still responsible for recurring fees such as interim insurance, property taxes or insurance policy payments.

Refinancing typically occurs when mortgage interest rates drop significantly, but borrowers with recently improved credit scores (from paying off credit card debt, making mortgage payments on time, etc.) are often candidates for better interest rates as well. If you haven’t checked your credit score in a while, it’s a good time to call a mortgage consultant.

The question most asked is, “But why should I go back into a 30-year loan?”

There are two schools of thought on this subject, and the mortgage consultant should work hand-in-hand with the borrower’s financial planner to determine what works best for their mutual client.

One option is to take the route of the “same payment” refinance, and actually pay off the loan faster and save money on interest fees in the long-run. If refinancing results in a lower monthly payment, the borrower can still continue making the same payment they made in the original loan, and the extra money will be applied to the principal balance.

For example: Let’s say you have 25 years remaining in your current loan, and you refinance back to a 30-year loan with a slightly lower interest rate, resulting in a payment reduction of $200 per month. (Note: This is just an example. The actual amount could vary.) You could then take that extra $200 per month and apply it toward the principal on the new loan. At this rate, the loan will be paid off in 22 years and 4 months, which is 2 years and 8 months less than the original loan.

On the other hand, if the borrower’s financial planner is a proponent of best-selling author and investment guru Douglas Andrew’s philosophies (see Missed Fortune), he or she may suggest investing the extra money in a side-fund that could earn a better rate of return and grow to the amount of the mortgage (and beyond) in even less time. This method provides excellent liquidity, but having more direct access to this money may be too tempting for some homeowners.

Regardless of the reason for the refinance, the mortgage consultant will need to know what the existing loan scenario entails, review the homeowner’s long-term goals, and provide a comprehensive spreadsheet that compares and contrasts the various loan programs available. Bear in mind, refinancing to obtain a lower interest payment could also result in a lower deduction at tax time. The homeowner’s mortgage consultant and financial planner should work hand-in-hand with their mutual client’s best interest in mind.

Mical Johnson is affiliate with Rock Financial. For a free copy of The Certified Guide to Credit Scoring contact Mr. Johnson at http://www.TampaMortgageGuy.com

I have written many articles on refinancing a fixed rate mortgage to an adjustable rate mortgage. I have helped people cut as much as $800 off their monthly payments by turning their high fixed rate mortgage loan into a much lower ARM. This may be the time, however, to put the strategy in reverse, especially if your adjustable rate mortgage is coming up on the adjustment period.

If you have an adjustable rate mortgage in the four to five percent range, and it is about to adjust, and if you think you’ll be in the home for more than five additional years, you’ll want to strongly consider refinancing your adjustable rate mortgage to a fixed rate mortgage. Here’s why.

Rates continue to remain very low. Fixed rate mortgages in the five to six percent range are very good loans. So, if you have an ARM at five percent, and it could possibly balloon to six or seven percent, now is the time to fix that rate at between five and six percent. Remember, if you intend to remain in your current residence for more than five years, fixing that rate is a very wise move.

This way, you will keep your payment low for the life of your loan, and you will eliminate the worry of an adjustment.

Mark Barnes is the author of the new novel, The League, a shocking, sports-related conspiracy. Learn more about his suspense thriller at http://www.sportsnovels.com. He is also an investment real estate and home loan finance expert. Get his free mortgage finance course at http://www.winningthemortgagegame.com

So you have a mortgage, and you need to refinance to get your interest rates low. Most people simply walk into their bank, ask to refinance, and then end up paying more money long term than they would have otherwise. Some banks would like everyone who is refinancing to remain ignorant, but I am here to tell you what banks don’t want you to know. Refinancing can be very beneficial, but one has to understand the terms of the deal, and be very careful when choosing a bank.

One mistake many people make is going to the bank and deciding to refinance before actually looking at the home loan. Some think that their interest rates are too high, and they have too many debts, so refinancing is the only option. Be sure to look at the numbers, and then go over those exact same numbers with your financial advisor. After discussing it, you can then decide to refinance. It is always a good idea, even after you go over the numbers, to ask your bank, “Do I need to refinance?” They cannot lie to you, but they can withhold information. Banks do not want you to understand that fact. Asking questions is one of the best things you can do. Banks love to let customers make bad decisions. As a financial advisor, banks are obligated to tell you the best possible course of action, but not required. Unfortunately, some banks simply want profit, and so the customer’s financial situation is not of the utmost importance.

It is up to you then to be informed about all aspects of your financial situation before you walk into the bank. It is advisable to know just as much, if not more than the bank does. Banks take advantage of the uninformed. Some want their customers to be uninformed, because the uninformed individual poses no threat and can be manipulated easily. An uninformed person may accept the banks offer simply because the interest rates are lower. However, some banks try to give lower interest rates for refinancing, but let the consumer end up paying more over the lifetime of the loan. Additionally, banks can expose you, as a borrower, to greater risks than you had with your previous mortgage with a higher risk loan.

Along with understanding your own financial situation, understand the terms being offered by the bank. The bank does not want you to “read the fine print” because you might find something that you don’t like, and they would have to change it, or get a new customer. All aspects of the new loan have to be made available to you. Again, all the information about your loan is made available. You, as the customer, just have to seek it. Most customers simply look over the terms of a new loan briefly, merely focusing on the interest rate. They then sign on the dotted line. Simply “skimming” the terms of a loan is never a good idea. Banks won’t tell you, but it is always a good idea to understand the loan more intricately than even the bank itself.

Refinancing a mortgage is a large financial commitment. It is important to be as informed as possible on all aspects of your own finances and the deal offered in the loan. Banks do not what you to know that they are required to provide all the information to you. Also, as your financial advisor, they are obligated to offer information, but not required. However, when asked directly, if they lie to you, they can be in a whole world of trouble. Knowledge is the single most important thing to have when refinancing. If you know what to watch out for when refinancing, and what banks have to tell you, then you will have the upper hand. Having the upper hand will allow you to refinance your mortgage in a way that is best for you financially.

Paul Ashter enjoys giving advice on personal finance. Learn more at Mortgage Lowdown ( http://www.mortgagelowdown.com ).

Refinancing your home mortgage can come with some great perks. If you do it with no money out of pocket, you can skip one to three mortgage payments. You can save money on your payment or pay off your entire mortgage faster when you have better terms. Here are a few things to pay attention to when you refinance your mortgage loan, to make sure that you don’t overlook anything that you might regret, or that can cause you problems later:

1. Apply for a pre-approval to many different lenders to make sure you are getting the lowest rate possible. When you do this, make sure that with the initial pre-approval application, the lender is not pulling your credit history. You will want to reserve your credit pull for the lender that you are most likely to work with. You can decide that after you have gone through the preliminary pre-approval process with a few lenders. Each time your credit is pulled, it docks your credit score just a little. If you have too many inquiries, it could keep you from refinancing your mortgage loan with the lowest rate possible. When you pre-apply for home mortgage loans online, most lenders or mortgage service companies will not initially pull your credit. Check for information about this on their website. They will usually tell you whether or not they are going to pull your credit. Also, if on the application you do not give them your social security number, they cannot pull your credit. If, on the application, they ask you to describe your credit, they are probably not pulling your credit.

2. Make sure that your original mortgage does not have a pre-payment penalty or early payoff penalty of any kind. Sometimes people will get into their mortgage with the mortgage having a pre-payment penalty and they will not even know about it. Pre-payment penalties usually range from 6 months to 3 years with a penalty for an early payoff. The penalty is usually about the amount of 6 months worth of your mortgage loan interest, but this varies. You would have to be able to have some significant payment and interest savings on your refinance loan to justify refinancing a mortgage loan with a pre-payment penalty.

3. When evaluating different lender offers, in the mortgage loan pre-approval process, pay closest attention to the interest rates they are offering & the closing costs. These are the two biggest factors that will help you figure out which lender is right for you. If one of these two factors is too high, it could offset the benefit of refinancing for you.

4. Get your interest rate and closing costs in writing as soon as you decide on a lender to work with. Get your lender to give you a commitment in advance of all of the costs that will be involved with your loan. Find out if the refinance loan you are getting has a pre-payment penalty as well. Sometimes lenders will leave out important information like this, if they think it might scare you away from refinancing with them.

To view a list of highly recommended refinance mortgage lenders, most of which will not pull your credit in the initial application, visit this page:Recommended Refinance Mortgage Lenders.

Carrie Reeder is the owner of http://www.abcloanguide.com. ABC Loan Guide is an informational loan website with informative articles, the latest finance news and lists of recommended mortgage lenders.

If you are looking to refinance in New York, it helps to get the facts before you begin the refinancing process. If you have an existing high interest mortgage, refinancing now could be the best choice for you. You can choose to refinance with cash out to make home improvements or to consolidate bills, or to simply refinance your existing mortgage to a lower interest rate that will save you a lot of money over time. New York real estate is always a booming business. Mortgage lenders in New York and throughout the country are competing for your business. You can get quotes from several lenders with one quick online application. Online lenders are offering the same great terms as traditional lenders and will give you the professional service and attention that you expect.

New York lenders will give you expert advice and superior customer service when you apply for a refinancing loan. If your existing mortgage has a high interest rate, refinancing now could dramatically lower your monthly payments. New York is a diverse state that offers rural living and a bustling city atmosphere. Owning a home in New York is an excellent investment. Real estate values rise continually and the current low interest rates make it easier than ever to refinance your New York home. Mortgage lenders online normally provide mortgage loans all states, including New York. When you apply online for a refinancing loan, you can get multiple quotes from one simple application and you will be contacted within hours by lenders that provide loans in your area. You do not need perfect credit to refinance your mortgage. There are many subprime lenders through online mortgage companies. You can even be pre-approved for a loan from an online lender.

Refinancing your New York home could be the best decision you can possibly make if you want to help secure your financial future. Extremely low interest rates and low monthly payments will give you more freedom to save for college, make home repairs, or simply live life the fullest extent possible. New York lenders are offering previously unheard of terms for refinancing loans. Contact a lender in your area or complete a short online application. You loan could be approved very quickly and you could begin saving money immediately. Mortgage lenders who service the New York area are anxious to help you realize your financial dreams. Get rid of your high interest mortgage and start paying less money on mortgage payments each month. Online nationwide mortgage lenders can provide loans to all areas of the country and can give you low rates on refinancing your home.

To view our list of recommended second mortgage refinance lenders, visit this page: Recommended 2nd Mortgage Refinance Lenders.

Carrie Reeder is the owner of ABC Loan Guide, an informational website with articles and the latest news about various types of loans.