Alan Lim asked:
More and more people are opting to get a new home mortgage to replace their existing ones. This should not be surprising considering the potential for getting better deals when you refinance your loan. You can lower your interest rates to a favorable extent, and you can save up quite a lot to pay off your principal sooner than if you still with your existing loan.
However, some people still choose to wait it out or look for the right timing before they jump right in and get some mortgage refinancing. This is primarily because interest rates have seemed to slowly increase in the recent years, and home owners who refinance seem to face the risk of getting even higher interest rates later on. So the question still remains, should you refinance or not? Should you get a new home mortgage now or wait a little more for a better time?
For the longest time, the 2% formula in refinancing has been believed by many people. It basically says that home owners should only refinance if they can improve their current interest rate by at least 2%. Nowadays, this formula may not be the rule of thumb any longer. Today, the points (sometimes including the fees) you pay at closing are just as important as the interest rates. Normally, the more points you pay, the lesser the interest rates, and vice versa.
When is it a great idea to refinance? Well, to be specific, it is best to refinance if you can improve your interest rate at very little, or no cost at all. No fee, no point loans have been very popular in the recent years. So, if you qualify for such, then you will surely get a great deal when you get a new home mortgage. It may also be wise to refinances if you have a balloon payment due soon. This can naturally be catastrophic if you do not have any other option to cover your debt, except your home equity. (If you need to tap right into your home equity, make sure you do so for the right reasons.) In addition, it is wise to get a new home mortgage and change into a fixed rate mortgage if you have an adjustable rate loan which is just about to spike up.
When is it not great to refinance? If you have stuck with your loan for quite a while now, say more than half-way to your mortgage terms, it may not be a good idea to get a new home mortgage. This will only re-extend your terms and may only cost you more. A pending pre-payment penalty on an existing loan or a maxed out home equity loan or credit line are not great reasons for a new home mortgage, so try not to put yourself at even greater risk. Furthermore, if your credit rating or score has recently gone through a hit, try not to refinance soon as you may not get the best market rate that you are aiming for.
Vicki
