Mortgage Refinance Rates: Lifting the Weight of Financial Pressure

Mar 1
09:54

2013

Donna Hammond

Donna Hammond

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When a mortgage becomes too expensive to maintain, renegotiating terms is the best way forward. Securing low mortgage refinance rates is the key to the success of the strategy.

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Anything can happen in the future. Not only can a dream job be secured,Mortgage Refinance Rates: Lifting the Weight of Financial Pressure Articles but a current job can be lost. If the latter occurs, then meeting current debt obligations can be very difficult, and a mortgage can become practically impossible to pay. Thankfully, mortgages can be made affordable again, with lower mortgage refinance rates reducing repayments significantly.Refinancing home loans is one of the most effective ways to deal with mounting financial pressure emanating specifically from a mortgage debt. While the deal was affordable when it was initially agreed, fluctuations in the economy may have changed things dramatically. So, striking up a new and more affordable deal becomes necessary.Thankfully, there is little trouble in finding mortgage refinancing schemes with most mortgage providers offering the option. In fact, your own mortgage provider is probably the best port of call. And, so long as the rate charged is good, then saving money and lowering financial stress are both guaranteed.What Does Refinancing Mean?As the name suggests, a refinancing deal effectively changes the terms of a financial agreement in an attempt to make it more affordable. When it comes to mortgages, the only way to ensure that this is the outcome is to have lower mortgage refinance rates than those charged in the original mortgage agreement.Refinancing home loans effectively means buying out the remaining balance with a second mortgage that boasts a lower interest rate. Lowering the interest is always good news for borrowers. While perhaps just $50 or $100 may be saved on the size of a mortgage repayment, over the lifetime of the mortgage, it can translate to tens of thousands of dollars.For example, on a good mortgage refinancing scheme, if the mortgage balance is $165,000 after 5 years of a 30-year term and monthly payments of around $580, a refinancing loan of $165,000 is used to buy out the balance. The repayments over 30 years then falls to $460.Key Benefits to Choosing a Refinancing LoanThere are several benefits available to those mortgage holders that opt to secure lower mortgage refinance rates. The lower repayments means there is extra cash available for other bills and expenses, so borrowers find themselves in a very strong financial position over just a few months.Another key benefit is that, because refinancing home loans means paying off the original mortgage, the credit score of the borrower is improved greatly. It does not matter that a loan was used to clear it, the fact is the mortgage was paid off in full. A high credit score means lower interest rates in future loan deals.However, it is important to keep in mind that even with a good mortgage refinancing scheme, the term of the refinancing loan will extend the debt to the original term at least. So, a 30-year mortgage with 10 years paid up, reverts to a 30-year term when the refinancing deal is done. The interest paid is, therefore, much higher over time.Securing The Best RatesFinding the best mortgage refinancing rates is not too difficult, but it is important to know where to find the right refinancing loan. The current mortgage providers are the best place to start, with their interests served by having the original mortgage paid off in full. Also, getting a lower rate is more likely here.However, the Internet is also a great resource, with comparison sites providing the fastest identification method for the lowest rates out there. Keep in mind though that refinancing home loans are a major investment, so accurate information is essential to find the right deal.And, of course, as with all deals done over the Internet, check out the reputation of the likely lenders before signing up to a mortgage refinancing scheme. So, consult the Better Business Bureau website or the Verify1st site first.