Home Refinancing

Have you been thinking about trying to save money by refinancing your home equity loan, home equity line of credit (HELOC) or another second mortgage? If interest rates are lower than they were when you first took out your loan, you can save money by lowering your monthly mortgage payment or shortening the loan’s length...

If you’re a homeowner, you’re probably wondering if there’s a way to get a better deal on your mortgage. After a couple of years of homeownership, you may have better credit and more income than you did when you first bought your home. So why not get a better mortgage than the one you started...

A house is one of the biggest purchases you’ll probably make in your lifetime. Who wouldn’t want to pay off such a big purchase early? Even with low interest rates on 30-year mortgages, if you pay off your mortgage in less time – let’s say 15 years, for example – you’ll owe less in overall...

If you’re thinking of refinancing your mortgage, auto loan or your student loans, you may be wondering if it will affect your credit. The short answer is yes. But the good news is that the impact won’t be major or last too long. Want to refinance and keep your credit in good shape? Read on...

Let’s say you recently sold your home and want to buy a new home. Or maybe you’ve decided to refinance your mortgage with a new lender. In either case, your new lender is going to want to know more about your history with your previous mortgage lender.  To get that information, they may request a...

You may be thinking about refinancing your home for any number of reasons. Maybe you’re hoping to get your hands on some cash (hello, equity!), shorten the length of your mortgage or you want a lower monthly mortgage payment.  Whatever the reason, chances are that you’ll be looking at a refinance appraisal – a refinancing agreement...

Getting an appraisal waiver could help you keep money in your pocket. The waiver lets you skip the cost of an in-person appraisal. That’s the upside. Now, here’s the potential downside: Like many services you might go back and forth on during the home-buying process, appraisal waivers come with some risks, and they can only...

For some home buyers, the existing pool of homes doesn’t meet all their wants or needs. Maybe your must-haves require building the home of your dreams from the ground up. Maybe life in the city has lost its shine, and you want to build a home in a quieter area. It may also be the...

Crack open a finance book, scroll through Instagram, listen to a money podcast or watch a financial pundit on TV. Almost all of them will share a common rule of personal finance management: Pay off your debts sooner rather than later.  While this rule of thumb has its place in everyone’s money management action plan,...

Just because you’ve got a 25-year or 30-year mortgage term doesn’t mean you actually have to take anywhere near that long to pay it off. You can pay off your loan much earlier. And if you’re up to the challenge, you can even pay off your mortgage in 5 years.  It’s true, paying off your...

For many homeowners, their monthly mortgage payment is their biggest recurring expense. Refinancing can be an attractive option if it gets you a lower interest rate or shortens the life of your loan.  In 2020, there was a refinancing boom fueled by a drop in interest rates during the coronavirus pandemic. Refis were such a...

Finding a mortgage lender is a bit like finding the right person to marry. After all, a home loan is probably the largest and longest loan you’ll ever take out. You could be in a “relationship” with your lender for up to 30 years.  But what if things change and you slowly fall “out of...

Interest rates are low and you’ve been paying off your mortgage for a few years. Maybe you’ve started to wonder if refinancing will save you any money. Well, it depends on how much the refinance process is going to cost. The cost to refinance your mortgage might be well worth the effort if you’re looking...

Home loan refinancing is all the rage nowadays.  In 2020, mortgage refinances (aka refis) were so popular that 1 out of every 10 refinances was done on a mortgage loan that had ALREADY been refinanced at least once in the previous 12 months. That’s a lot of refinancing! Historically low interest rates have made refinancing...

Whether it’s a vacation home or a multi-unit rental property with tenants, real estate investors can take pride in their financial savviness. With the right investment property, you not only earn rental income from your tenants but can also build equity in the home.  But owning an investment property isn’t always such an easy moneymaker....

If you’re a homeowner, refinancing your mortgage can be a great way to: Get a lower interest rate (especially if interest rates are low) Reduce your monthly mortgage payments Shorten your repayment period Take advantage of your home equity But before you can enjoy those perks, you have to pay your closing costs. Remember the...

Is it even daytime TV if you don’t catch an ad or two featuring charming, silver foxes like Tom Selleck, Henry “the Fonz” Winkler, or Joe Namath telling you about the benefits of a reverse mortgage? The spokesperson may change, but the message rarely does: “You’ve worked hard to pay down or even pay off...

By the middle of 2021, total U.S. household debt was more than $14 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Credit card debt accounted for $0.79 trillion of that total.  While Americans have paid down their credit card balances by $140 billion between the end of 2019 and the first quarter of...

Cash-out refinancing (or cash-out refi) is a creative way for homeowners to borrow the money they need for big financial goals. Allow us to oversimplify for a sec. It’s kind of like using your house as a piggy bank. Except in this case, you’re finally taking out the money you’ve been putting into it (aka...

Hey, homeowners, you’ve survived the mortgage process at least once already. And, honestly, there was no better training ground to prepare you to refinance (or refi) your current home loan. You may be wondering when it would make sense to refinance your mortgage. And if you’re like so many of us, you’re probably coming up...

One of the great things about mortgages is that if you don’t like your current one, you have the option to refinance and get a new one. As a homeowner, you’d probably refinance for one of these reasons: Lower interest rates: If mortgage rates are low, you may be able to refinance and get a...

After you’ve lived in your home for a few years, it’s normal to start thinking about what’s next for you and your money. Do you want to try your hand at DIY home improvements? Is it finally time to go back to school or maybe pay off student loans? They’re all great ideas — but...

Are you experiencing a sudden financial hardship such as a loss of employment? Discover how refinancing can help reduce your monthly mortgage payment.

Learn how to lower your monthly mortgage payments and the interest rate on your home loan by refinancing.

Compare the pros and cons of refinancing with current low mortgage rates to making additional payments towards the principal and saving on interest.

With growing consumer debts, should consumers refinance their mortgage to pay off debts? Discover some of the pros and cons.