Articles by Subject
Refinance Alternative: Mortgage Recast
You can upgrade an outfit from office attire to evening wear by switching out the shoes. What’s even better is to swap an unaffordable mortgage payment for an affordable one—and all you have to do is ask. Read More» |
Reduce Refinancing Closing Costs
Bloggers are wondering what’s next for "The Biggest Loser" tough girl trainer Jillian Michaels. The mortgage industry could use her direct style of conflict resolution to hold lenders true to closing cost estimates. Read More» |
Challenges of Refinancing
The pundits are declaring that mortgage rates are likely to begin an upward trend in 2011. There’s no time like the present to refinance – but can you overcome all the obstacles in your way? Read More» |
Is Refinancing an Option for You?
Santa can deliver many gifts, but a mortgage refinance may not be one of them. If you’re ready to overhaul your mortgage, the first step is to determine whether you’ll qualify. Read More» |
Timing Your Mortgage Refinance
Timing is crucial when you’re planning a meal or planting that first kiss—and refinancing your mortgage. Unfortunately, you can’t always choose the right time to refinance. Sometimes the right time chooses you. |
Refinancing? Quick Credit Fixes
If it’s true that when it rains, it pours, homeowners are getting more than their fair share of inclement weather. There’s a new gloomy forecast – mortgage lenders are raising the bar on their standards. Again. |
Four Worst Reasons to Refinance Your Mortgage
The sting of regret runs deep. You know the feeling if you’ve ever bought a stock because it was hot, and then watched its value go tumbling down. A poorly planned mortgage refinance can end up the same way, and you could be a lot poorer and your ego a lot humbler. Read More» |
Last Chances to Refinance?
Being stuck in traffic is annoying. But it’s devastating if it gets you to the station at 10:26 AM for a train that was scheduled to leave at 10:25 AM. You stand there like a dummy, watching the train pull away – without you on it – and kicking yourself for not leaving... Read More» |
New Appraisal Rules Could Help Free Up Lending
Along with tight credit and unstable home values, a new set of rules governing home appraisals have been blamed for making it hard to buy a home or refinance a mortgage over the past year. Now those rules are being replaced, which hopefully will lead to more accurate valuations and make home... Read More» |
Understand Your Credit Score for a Mortgage Refinance
In Dancing with the Stars, celebrities are paired with professional ballroom dancers to compete for the highest scores for their weekly routines. If the celebrity trains hard and has some skill on the dance floor, he or she is likely to get a high score from the judges. |
Protecting Women from Mortgage Disaster
Calling all women! There’s a little known fact that can have devastating consequences if you’re not adequately protected. If your name is not on the promissory note along with your husband’s when a mortgage loan or refinance closes, you’re potentially jeopardizing your... Read More» |
Find the Right Term for your Mortgage Refinance
There are many terms to describe the process of refinancing your home. Cumbersome and stressful are two that come to mind. But there’s another type of term that you should focus on -- the one that determines when you’ll finally be debt-free. |
Cash-out Refinancing Credit Traps
Once upon a time in the not too distant past, homeowners could snap their fingers and withdraw money from the unused equity in their properties via a cash-out refinance. Since the mortgage crisis, however, doing a cash-out finance has become more like a fairy tale -- both Fannie Mae and Freddie... Read More» |
Taking Advantage of a Cash-in Refinance
When retail stores open early on Thanksgiving weekend, bargain hunters line up for hours to take advantage of great deals. If you follow the trend of those in the know, you, too, can find great opportunities. Mortgage industry professionals are noticing a trend that can help borrowers who have a... Read More» |
Refinancing? Get on Top of the Lock
Canada’s first native-born Prime Minister, Sir John Abbott, was known for telling the following story: “How do you know so much about everything?' was asked of a very wise and intelligent man; and the answer was 'By never being afraid or ashamed to ask questions as to anything of... Read More» |
Saving Money on a Mortgage Refinance
The key to successful financial management is saving money wherever possible. That’s one of the reasons that mortgage refinancing has become extremely popular. Rates are lower than they’ve been in 50 years, and savvy homeowners are taking advantage of this opportunity by jumping on... Read More» |
FHA Short Refinance Offers New Option for Underwater Homeowners
Starting Sept. 7, 2010, underwater homeowners have a new option for refinancing their mortgages. The question is, how many will be able to take advantage of it? Read More» |
Borrowing from a 401k to Refinance an Underwater Mortgage
A lot of homeowners would love to refinance at today’s rock-bottom rates but can’t because they’re underwater on their mortgages. One possible solution: borrowing from a 401k plan to pay down the difference. Read More» |
Five Reasons to Refinance Your Home
Winston Churchill once said, “there is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction.” The same reasoning applies to home refinancing. You can improve your financial situation with a mortgage refinance -- as long as you pursue this change for the right reasons. |
Home Refinancing Checklist
Italian composer Gioacchino Rossini once said, “Give me a laundry list and I’ll set it to music.” Imagine the composition he could have been inspired to create with a list of documentation needed for a mortgage refinance! |
Defray College Tuition Costs with a Mortgage Refinance
Horror films like Scream 2, Sorority House Massacre, and Night of the Creeps take place on college campuses. But as frightening as these films are, nothing is quite as scary as not finding enough money to pay for college tuition. With the cost of a four-year education... Read More» |
Shock Protection: Be Prepared for Refinance Settlement Costs
When Oprah Winfrey gave everyone in her studio audience a free car, TV Guide named it one of the greatest moments in television history. But once the recipients got over their amazement, they were in for a different kind of sticker shock – each winner was required to pay up to $7,... Read More» |
Refinancing Mistakes to Avoid
There are lots of facts to focus on when you’re shopping for a mortgage refinance. If you overlook some key points, though, you may be making the same mistakes as many mortgage shoppers before you. You can avoid getting caught in traps now that could have negative consequences later by... Read More» |
Refinancing: Credit Scores can Make or Break You
With mortgage rates at historic lows, it’s tempting to jump on the refinancing bandwagon. It seems unlikely that homeowners will get another chance to take advantage of such desirable rates in their lifetimes. Sure the refinancing climate is challenging, because banks are being very... Read More» |
How Much Is Your Home Worth Today?
What’s your home worth today? That’s a key question if you’re looking to refinance your mortgage or take out a home equity loan. Read More» |
Financial Reform will Benefit Mortgage Refinancing
Back in 1776, John Adams, a member of the Continental Congress, and the future first Vice President and second President of the U.S. wrote, “Each individual of the society has a right to be protected by it in the enjoyment of his life, liberty, and property.” Fast forward 234 years... Read More» |
Can You Really Get a 125 Percent Refinance?
For underwater homeowners, the 125 percent refinance offered through the government’s Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP) sounds like a great deal. But how hard is it to qualify for? Read More» |
Refinancing for the Self-employed
If you’re your own boss, you’re fully cognizant of the benefits – no one telling you what to do or when to do it, no time card to punch, to say nothing of working in your pajamas. That’s the life! But if you want to refinance your mortgage, being self-employed has a whole... Read More» |
Refinance before Window of Opportunity Closes
Many people were kicking themselves last year because they thought they had missed the opportunity to refinance into historically low rates. What no one realized, however, was that mortgage rates would continue to drop, continue to make history, and continue to give people who couldn’t... Read More» |
Does Home Value Affect Your Ability to Refinance?
What are your chances of refinancing your mortgage? Is it going to be a struggle if you’ve got a starter home at the lower end of the market? Are banks more willing to work with someone who has a pricey, custom-built home? |
New Opportunities for Refinancing?
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Letting an ARM Reset Instead of Refinancing
If you’ve got an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM), you may be feeling some pressure to refinance now before your rate resets. However, for some borrowers, waiting may not be such a bad idea. Read More» |
ARMs, 15-Year Loans Offer Big Savings
If you’re looking to refinance your mortgage or buy a home, it’s a great time to consider a 15-year fixed-rate or an ARM for your new loan. Read More» |
Time to Consider a Cash-in Refinance?
Here’s something you may not have considered if you’re looking to refinance your mortgage – a cash-in refinance. Read More» |
Time Running Out on "Underwater" Refinance
Owe more on your mortgage than your home is worth? “Underwater” borrowers have an opportunity to refinance their mortgage, but you need to act soon before the program expires. Read More» |
Mortgage Refinance Options
When refinancing a mortgage, many borrowers focus exclusively on getting a lower interest rate. But interest rates are only part of the picture – there are many other options to consider as well. Read More» |