Refinancing your home loan, step by step
6 Steps to Refinancing Your Home Mortgage
The best way to refinance a mortgage
Typically, mortgage refinancing options are reserved for qualified borrowers. You, as the homeowner, need to have a steady income, good credit standing and at least 20% equity in your home. You have to prove your creditworthiness to initially qualify for a mortgage loan approval.
One of the best reasons to refinance is to lower the interest rate on your existing loan. Historically, the rule of thumb is that refinancing is a good idea if you can reduce your interest rate by at least 2%. However, many lenders say 1% savings is enough of an incentive to refinance.
Taking on new debt typically causes your credit score to dip, but because refinancing replaces an existing loan with another of roughly the same amount, its impact on your credit score is minimal.
A refinance typically takes 30 – 45 days to complete. However, no one will be able to tell you exactly how long yours will take. Appraisals, inspections and other third parties can delay the process. Your refinance might be longer or shorter, depending on the size of your property and how complicated your finances are.
A no-closing-cost refinance can help you finish your refinance without paying thousands in closing costs upfront. However, “no closing costs” doesn't mean your lender foots the bill. Instead, you'll pay a higher interest rate or get a higher loan balance.
9 Things to Know Before You Refinance Your Mortgage
Mortgage refinancing is not always the best idea, even when mortgage rates are low and friends and colleagues are talking about who snagged the lowest interest rate. This is because refinancing a mortgage can be time-consuming, expensive at closing, and will result in the lender pulling your credit score.
More often than not, you don't need to put down money to refinance your mortgage. In the typical rate-and-term refinance, which lowers your interest rate and payments and/or shortens your loan term, lenders generally look for an 80 percent loan-to-value ratio (LTV) or lower and solid credit, not money down.
In general, you'll need a credit score of 620 or higher for a conventional mortgage refinance. Certain government programs require a credit score of 580, however, or have no minimum at all.
When it comes to refinancing, a general rule of thumb is that you should have at least a 20 percent equity in the property. However, if your equity is less than 20 percent, and if you have a good credit rating, you may be able to refinance anyway.
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