Wednesday, January 28, 2009

A Mortgage Refinance Primer

By Ned Dagostino

A time comes when you begin to consider refinancing your mortgage. Maybe you want to take advantage of a downturn in the market rates, and save on the interest you are paying. Or you are faced with a number of small debts and the repayments are becoming unmanageable. It will be worth your while to consider some important points when you debate this issue.

Maybe you have a number of small monthly repayments and these are becoming increasingly difficult to manage. You can refinance the mortgage and get a loan large enough to pay off all the small debts at once. You can then concentrate on paying a single monthly repayment. This makes things more manageable.

Most people think that the interest they pay on mortgages is unjustifiably high, and seek ways and means to reduce the interest burden. This is intelligent thinking. The point to consider is whether the market rate is showing every intention of reaching for the sky. If it is, and if your present mortgage is based on the variable market rate, then this is a good time to opt out of the present mortgage and refinance the mortgage with a fixed interest plan, where the interest rate is lower than the average market interest rate computed over the duration of the mortgage.

Whether refinancing is advisable for you depends on your particular situation. Let's consider some situations where refinancing is not a good option.

The problem is that when you go to a refinancing agency they fail to mention the actual expenses you will have to incur to refinance your mortgage. Their excuse is that these are 'external' expenses and not their concern. Therefore you may be lulled into believing that the refinance scheme is going to save you a hefty sum over the mortgage period. Too late you find that you have to pay a number of incidental fees, charges and penalties, which can set you back quite a lot, and may nullify the savings you've counted on. There is no point in changing your financier if it is not going to save you any money.

When you consider refinancing, the first thing to do is to survey the market. Find out all the plans and schemes being offered by different companies. Make a comparison chart showing all the salient features and savings of each plan. Don't restrict your survey to just your local companies. Go online and get information on various plans offered in your area.

Find out the total amount you'll have to pay upfront just to kick start the mortgage refinance. Some brokers conveniently forget to mention that brokerage fees will be taken before the refinance kicks in. Financial advisors fail to tell you that you have to pay a penalty when you pay off a mortgage before the maturity period. Forgetting to mention these fees and penalties is not a problem except that these are really hefty amounts we're talking of here. The total upfront costs can wipe out all your expected savings, and, in some cases, can actually make you incur a loss.

Refinancing will be beneficial for you if you are able to save more than you spend on all the fees and penalties involved in refinancing. One very important factor that you must consider is whether there are chances of your moving out before the refinanced mortgage expires. If there are good chances of your moving out soon, then, far from saving you money, the refinance is going to cost you a packet!

Refinancing your mortgage can be very helpful indeed. It can save you quite a bit. You should survey the refinance market very carefully and minutely. Find out all the options available to you. Find out all the fees and charges that will be taken upfront. Compute the savings you expect to make and then deduct the upfront fees to determine whether taking the refinance is a good idea. A wrong decision here, a single point overlooked, can mean ending up losing money with the refinance. Remember, refinancing is a very serious financial decision. The benefits differ from situation to situation, and sometimes even within the same situation. - 16003

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