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Refinance Home Loan: 3 Home Loan Refinancing Pitfalls to Avoid

admin — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:26:52 +0000

If you are in the process of refinancing your home loan, there are a number of common mistakes you need to be aware of. Here are three home loan refinancing pitfalls you need to keep an eye out for when refinancing your mortgage.

Watch Out For Prepayment Penalties

A prepayment penalty is a clause in your loan contract that requires you to pay a penalty if you refinance or sell your home before the penalty expires. Prepayment penalties can be expensive, mortgage lenders often charge up to six months worth of interest on 85% of the original loan balance. Predatory mortgage lenders include excessive fees in their loan contracts to discourage you from refinancing the loan. If you have good credit there is no reason to accept a home loan with this penalty.

Never Agree to Arbitration

Predatory mortgage lenders often ask you to agree to arbitration as a condition of having your loan approved. If you agree to arbitration you are forfeiting many of the rights and protection you receive under the law. Agreeing to arbitration means that you agree to a third party arbitrator resolving any legal disputes you have with the lender. Never agree to arbitration with any mortgage lender.

Watch Out for High Interest Rates and Fees

Predatory mortgage lenders often try and sell subprime mortgages to homeowners with good credit. This means you are taking out a bad credit mortgage regardless of your credit rating and will pay higher interest rates, lender fees, and points. The only way to know for sure that what you’re paying is fair is to shop from a variety of mortgage lenders and compare all aspects of the loans. You can learn more about comparison shopping for the best mortgage by registering for a free mortgage guidebook.

By: Louie Latour

Home Mortgage Refinance Loan Costs – What You Can Reasonably Expect to Pay When Mortgage Refinancing

admin — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 10:52:31 +0000

If you are a homeowner considering mortgage refinancing, it is important to know what reasonable fees you can expect to pay. Comparison shopping for a home mortgage refinance loan will save you thousands of dollars if you know what reasonable rates and fees are. Here are several tips to help you avoid overpaying fees when taking out a home mortgage refinance loan.

Mortgage refinancing can save you thousands of dollars when done correctly. When comparison shopping for a home mortgage refinance loan, it is important to compare lender fees, closing costs, and interest rates using the Good Faith Estimate. Many financial advisors tell you to pick a mortgage based on the Annual Percentage Rate; however, the APR does not give you enough information to make an informed decision.

Home Mortgage Refinance Loan Origination Fees

Origination fees are paid to the Mortgage Company or broker that completes your home mortgage refinance loan. Your home mortgage refinance loan origination fees should not be higher than 1-1.5% for a home you live in. If you are refinancing an investment property you can expect your origination fees to run 2-2.5%.

Home Mortgage Refinance Loan Junk Fees

The next fee to locate on your Good Faith Estimate is the home mortgage refinance loan processing fee. Do not pay more than $400 for loan processing; anything more and the mortgage company is gouging you with the processing fee. Lastly, look for anything on the home mortgage refinance loan Good Faith Estimate that resembles a broker origination or courier fee, application fee, loan submission fee, or lock fees. These are mortgage company junk fees that you should never agree to pay.

You can learn more about home mortgage refinance loans and avoiding costly mistakes by registering for a free mortgage tutorial.

By: Louie Latour

Mortgage Refinancing: What is Loan to Value Ratio?

admin — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:33:52 +0000

If you are in the process of mortgage refinancing, one important part of your application approval and the interest rate you receive is the Loan-to-Value ratio or LTV. Here are the basics of Loan-to-Value ratio and what you need to know to qualify for the best mortgage loan.

What is the Loan to Value Ratio?

Your Loan to Value Ratio is calculated by dividing the balance of your outstanding mortgage by the appraised value of your home. The more equity you have in your home when refinancing, the lower your LTV ratio will be. The lower your LTV the better your mortgage interest rate will be, saving your money with a lower mortgage payment.

Problems with High LTV Ratios

If your Loan to Value Ratio is high, you can expect to pay more for your mortgage loan. Having a high Loan to Value ratio means you are more of a risk for the lender. Lenders pass this additional risk on to you in the form of higher interest rates and lender fees. If your Loan to Value ratio is greater than 80%, the lender could require you to purchase Private Mortgage Insurance as a condition of approval.

Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) is expensive and does nothing for you but drive up your cost. PMI only protects the lender from losses due to foreclosure on your home. This costly insurance could drive your monthly payments up several hundred dollars and negate any benefit you might receive from mortgage refinancing.

You can learn more about your mortgage refinancing options and how to avoid costly homeowner mistakes by registering for a free mortgage guidebook.

By: Louie Latour