What is a Streamline FHA Mortgage Refinance?

Streamlining is not really a term that explains the loan product so much as it refers to the amount of paper that the borrower is required to provide to the lender. Generally speaking, the amount of paperwork that is usually demanded during the initial mortgage application is virtually cut in half during a streamline refinance. Appraisals are optional, but in cases where there is little equity built up, the bank may mandate the appraisal of the property prior to issuing a loan. This protects the lender from financing a property that might put the borrower upside down into the property from the get go. Streamlining also refers to the paperwork processing that is required from the lender, and as such the fees associated with a streamline FHA refinance are generally lower than those that are charged for other refinances.

On the flipside, there are some downsides associated with a streamline FHA refinance. For one, this kind of mortgage loan does not permit the homeowner to take out any money. Thus, for homeowners who are hoping to pay off some bills with their built up equity, this is not a possibility. In addition to the foregoing, there are closing costs associated with this kind of loan. They are often a lot less than other loans, and therefore at times give rise to ambiguous advertisements, such as ads which promise no cost refinancing. In fact, these costs may be rolled into the loan – if there is sufficient equity – or they may take the form of a slightly higher than average interest rate to offset the fees.

This kind of semi creative financing makes FHA loans an attractive mortgage for those borrowers who simply want to take advantage of lowered interest rates, but who have no need for any cash-out refinancing. In some cases it shows that the costs rolled into the loan actually add too much money to make this a profitable undertaking and consumers are urged to find alternative means of paying the closing costs. Financing the fees over the course of 30 years adds more eventual costs than the consumer is actually saving. A loan broker or reputable bank can quickly and easily disclose the actual cost of the loan with the help of an amortization schedule that sheds light on the amount of money the consumer is expected to pay as opposed to the amount s/he will expect to save.

Other loan products receive a lot more airtime on radio and television than streamline FHA refinancing, in part because these fiscal vehicles are a lot more profitable for the lender. At the same time, the consumers who actually benefit from a streamline FHA refinance are not as plentiful as you might think. There are plenty of reasons why a refinance should be advantageous to both consumer and lender, and in this case only a select number of homeowners can actually benefit from a redo of their FHA mortgage without the ability to tap into the cash and use it for expenses.

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