Alan Lim asked: A home mortgage refinance may just be the best financial decision you can make. However, refinancing is not for everyone. It is mostly a matter of right timing. This result to the unending question for homeowners everywhere: when is it exactly right to refinance?
There are many guidelines which can determine whether now the best time to get a home mortgage refinance is. However, despite all these guidelines, what actually determines “right timing” is dependent on your own financial situation. There are a number of signs which are indicative of ideal refinancing conditions. Here are some of them:
Refinancing to cut costs. When interest rates are dropping, it may be good to take on a new mortgage. The rule of thumb states that a difference of at least 2% should be followed for a home mortgage refinance to be worth it. Refinancing will result to either lower payments you need to pay monthly, or a shorter loan term to repay the entire money you owe. Either of these can save you money in the long term. However, take note that interest rates should never be the sole determining factor to influence your decision. Make sure you consider closing costs, fees and charges and find out if you will be end up paying more in the long run.
Home mortgage refinance for better loan terms. Many homeowners decide to refinance in order to get out of their current loan. If you have a pending balloon loan payment due soon but do not have the means to pay for it, or if you have an adjustable rate mortgage which is increasing, you may resort to refinancing to spare yourself of an even bigger trouble. You can choose to revert to a fixed rate mortgage to minimize risks.
The decision to take on a home mortgage refinance should also depend on how long you intend to stay in your home. If you expect to sell your home soon, refinancing may not make sense at all. Also, if you are already halfway through your existing loan, you will barely save anything with a new mortgage loan. However, if you plan to stay in your home for at least the next five years, you will probably have enough time to recoup the refinancing costs you have incurred and actually save you money.
Ultimately, finding the right time to refinance is mainly a matter of proper calculation and estimation based on your individual circumstances and parameters. It should depend on how long you will stay in your home, your financial goals, the current interest rates and good deals offered by lenders.
This is not to say that ideal conditions assure you of a risk-free decision. Refinancing does take some risk as all financial decisions do. However, as in all risks, you can minimize losses if you do your own research and make a wise assessment of how your home mortgage refinance will lead you to. Refinancing is indeed more than just a matter of timing.
Maria
