Ohio Refinance Loans – Should You Pay Points on Your Refinance?

admin — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 17:43:22 +0000

Points can be confusing for anyone who isn’t a mortgage or lending expert. This is why most people overlook the option of paying points on their Ohio refinance loan. The problem is, they also miss out on the opportunity to save money over the life of their loan. The information below can help you determine whether or not you should pay points on your refinance.

What are Points?

There are two different types of points that can be paid with an Ohio refinance loan: origination points and discount points. Origination points are required to pay for part of the closing costs and are paid to the originating lender. Discount points are optional points that can be paid to lower your interest rate. One point is equal to one percent of the loan. Paying these points does not change the amount you borrow, but it does buy down the rate used to calculate your monthly mortgage payments.

Reasons to Pay Points

If you have the money to pay discount points, there is no good reason not to do it. Interest rates on 30-year Ohio home refinance loans currently average 5.77 percent. For each point you pay, you lower your interest rate by approximately a quarter of an interest point. If you would be paying 5.77 percent, paying 2 discount points can lower your interest rate to 5.27 percent. This will in turn lower your monthly payments, as well as the total cost of the loan.

Reasons Not to Pay Points

If you don’t plan on keeping your home for much longer, paying points on your Ohio refinance loan can be a serious waste of money. Points come with an initial upfront cost. You will need to stay in the home for a certain amount of time for the interest savings to be worthwhile.

By: Jane A. Hale

Refinancing Mortgage Loan Options – How to Refinance and Keep Your Terms

admin — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 13:05:20 +0000

Refinancing can save you money, but the downside is that you have to restart amortization. Once again you are paying mostly interest at the beginning of your loan. But there are ways you can get around this, keeping your original pay off period and saving on interest charges.

Short-Term Refinance Loans

Lenders offer a variety of terms – 30, 25, 20, or 15 years. By refinancing for a shorter term you can closely match your original pay off date. Unfortunately, lenders don’t fraction year terms – such as 22 years and 4 months.

However, by choosing a shorter term, you may qualify for even lower rates. You can also pay off your loan sooner, further increasing your interest savings.

Self Increasing Your Payment On Refinance Loans

Another option is to refinance your mortgage for 30 years. Then make an additional principal payment each month to pay off your loan at the original date. You can use a mortgage calculator to determine this amount. You can also make one extra payment a year to reach the same results.

With this approach, you have control over your payments. For some this can be seen as a negative, since there isn’t the required payment. You can also pay off your loan earlier by increasing your principal payment even more.

Pre-pay “Cash Out” Refinance

The third option is to take out the original loan amount. Then prepay the principal amount to what you currently were at with your original loan. That way you will pay off your loan on your original terms.

This option gives you more control over the pay off date. But, you may be charged a higher rate for cashing out part of your equity.

Selecting the Right Refinance Option

Each approach has its own advantages and disadvantages. Mostly it comes down to a matter of preference and what works for your budget. However, do ask for rate quotes to see the difference in interest costs. Not only will you have a better understanding of the numbers involved, but you will also find the best APR.

By: Carrie Reeder

Refinancing loan » Interest Savings

Ohio Refinance Loans – Should You Pay Points on Your Refinance?

Refinancing Mortgage Loan Options – How to Refinance and Keep Your Terms