Can You Refinance 1st Mortgage Only

Do You Skip A Mortgage Payment When You Refinance

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It may seem like you skip a payment when you refinance a mortgage, but you actually dont. Thats because after refinancing, the first payment isnt due the month after you close its due the following month. For example, if you close on June 12, the refinanced mortgages first payment would be due on Aug. 1, not July 1.

Some lenders actively advertise that you can skip a payment when you refinance. But you arent actually getting a free month youre just getting a month free of mortgage payments. Youll still owe the money, and youll eventually pay it.

• Can you skip two mortgage payments?

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Could Your Second Mortgage Ruin Your Refinance

Second mortgages can create difficulties when you refinance. By subordinating your second mortgage to your new first mortgage, these challenges can be overcome.

When might your second mortgage pose refinancing problems?

Ideally, you replace your first and second mortgage with a new first mortgage when you refinance. That generally gets you the lowest mortgage rates. But you might not always want or be able to do that. For example:

• Your home equity loan or line of credit might have an ugly prepayment penalty.
• You may prefer to keep a HELOC open for business purposes or other reasons.
• Your new first mortgage would have to have mortgage insurance .

You can resolve these issues by keeping your second mortgage and subordinating it to your new first mortgage.

What is mortgage subordination?

Here’s how mortgage subordination works, and why it’s required:

Home equity loans and HELOCs are often called second mortgages because their lien holders are in second position, behind the lien holders of the first mortgage. This means that should you default on your home loan and end up in foreclosure, the first lien mortgage lender is paid from the proceeds of the foreclosure sale before anyone else. Other lenders are called “junior lien holders” and are repaid only after the first mortgage lender’s claim is fully satisfied. Often, there is no money left to repay junior liens. So home equity lenders take a riskier position, which explains why these loans don’t carry the best mortgage rates.

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Change Your Term Or Get A Different Mortgage

Sometimes your needs change and you may have to pay off your mortgage faster or switch your mortgage type. If you get a bonus at work and want to put it towards your mortgage, consider refinancing into a term with more prepayment privileges, such as an open mortgage. Or, if interest rates have dropped, and you plan to stay in your home for the long haul, you can refinance to a fixed-rate mortgageOpens a popup. to lock in the lower rates.

Get Documents In Order

Your lender will look at your credit score and DTI ratio to determine what type of terms to offer for your refinance. If you have a second mortgage through a company different from your first mortgage, youll need documentation from both.

You should also expect to provide proof of income , proof of certain assets and the like. Gathering these documents early can save you time and energy later.

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Resubordinating A Second Mortgage

Your home equity loan or home equity line of credit could dash your dreams of reducing your monthly mortgage payment through a refinance. Blame a complicated mortgage-lending quirk known as resubordination.

When you refinance your first mortgage loan, the holder of your second mortgage – whether it’s a second loan or a line of credit — has the legal right to move to the front of the line to receive any funds if you should lose your home to foreclosure. And if this lender doesn’t agree to pass on that right and remain in second place – when the holders of second loans do this it is known as resubordination — your refinance might be scuttled.

The good news? Lenders holding second mortgage loans are usually willing to grant a resubordination request.

What Is A Harp Loan

The HARP refinancing program was started in April 2009. It goes by several names. The government calls it the Home Affordable Refinance Program.

The program is also known as Making Home Affordable, the Obama Refi, A Better Bargain For U.S. Homeowners, DU Refi Plus, harp mortgage and Relief Refinance.

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Home Equity Loan Or Heloc

Home equity loans and HELOCs rely on the equity in your primary home as collateral to obtain money, either as a lump sum loan or with a credit line that can be used over time. With a loan, youre receiving the money all at once and pay a fixed interest rate. HELOCs have variable rates and are more often used for a variety of expenses over time.

With both options, you might be allowed to take out a higher loan-to-value than you would for a cash out refinancepossibly 85% to 90%.

If you want to pay for the second home in cash, a combination of refinancing funds plus savings, a personal loan or a 401 loan could provide all you need. However, if thats not enough, a second home mortgage is the likely best option.

You Might Be Able To Refinance Right After Closing

With mortgage rates at historic lows, many homeowners find themselves wondering, How soon can I refinance?

Maybe you just bought a house, or even refinanced recently. But it might not be too soon to refinance again.

Many homeowners can refinance into a lowerrate loan with no waiting period. And others need to wait as little as six months. So theres a good chance youre eligible to refinance at todays low rates.

• Refinance FAQ

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Am I A Good Candidate For An Interest Only Loan

Although many risks exist, interest only mortgage payments may be the right one for the borrower if the following apply:

• The current income is rather modest and is certain that income will increase in the future.
• The equity in the home is sizeable and the borrower will use the money to go toward other investments or principal payments.
• Income is irregular and the borrower wants the flexibility of making interest only minimum payments during times in which income is low, and makes larger payments during periods in which income is higher.

Government Loan Refinance Rules

The rules are a little different if you have a governmentbacked mortgage. This includes FHA, USDA, and VA loans.

With a government loan, you have the benefit of being able to use a Streamline refinance. Streamline refinancing such as the FHA Streamline Refinance or VA IRRRL program cuts down the time and paperwork associated with a refi so you can get a lower rate faster.

However, you have to wait six to seven months before using a Streamline refinance to replace your original mortgage. And you must have a recent history of ontime mortgage payments.

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How Soon Can You Refinance A Mortgage Know The Waiting Periods

Mortgage Q& A: How soon can I refinance my mortgage?

With mortgage rates marching toward new all-time lows again, a lot of recent home buyers are probably asking this question, even those who just closed on their mortgage weeks ago.

After all, if your mortgage interest rate is a half-point or more above todays new low levels, you might be leaving a considerable amount of money on the table.

And because you havent yet made a dent in your mortgage, theres no fear of resetting the clock and starting all over.

There are of course closing costs to think about, including those you may have paid on your previous mortgage such as discount points, along with third-party costs like title insurance and appraisal fees, and so on.

But it could be a smart move to grab a new mortgage while rates are low, even if yours is still in its infancy.

My Home Is Gaining Value As The Housing Market Improves Will This Hurt My Ability To Use Harp To Refinance My Home

In general, no. As your home increases in value, its loantovalue decreases. So long as your loantovalue remains above 80 percent, you should remain HARPeligible. In the event your homes loantovalue falls below 80%, you may have difficulty finding lenders to refinance your home. As always, remember to shop around. If the first bank you ask says no, it doesnt mean that all banks will say no, too.

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My Mortgage Is Backed By Bank Of America Am I Eligible For Harp

Bank of America does back some of its own loans, but the more likely answer is that Bank of America is your mortgage servicer the bank that collects your monthly mortgage payments. Bank of America backs very few of its own loans. For most loans for which payments are sent to Bank of America, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac are the actual loanbackers. Doublecheck with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to make sure Bank of America doesnt hold your loan.

Is Subordination A Difficult Process

Whether your first mortgage is with Wells Fargo or another lender, we’ll work with that institution on your behalf to make the process as simple as possible. Often, all the information needed will be available from your mortgage lender and the title company. The process usually takes approximately 25 business days.

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Alternatives: Refinance Into A Second Heloc Or Home A Equity Loan

Before you commit to paying off a HELOC with a cash-out refinance, explore a couple of alternatives.

You may be able to refinance the HELOC itself, either to another HELOC or to a home equity loan with a fixed-interest rate and payment.

Both these HELOC repayment options typically have the advantage of lower closing costs and less hassle than a cash-out refinance. But theyll likely come with higher interest rates. So do the math before you make your choice.

Maybe I Wasnt Clear I Am Really Really Far Underwater On My Mortgage Are You Sure I Can Use Harp

Yes, I am sure. The new HARP mortgage program specifically has no loantovalue restriction so that homeowners in Florida, California, Arizona and Nevada can take advantage of it. You can have 300% loantovalue, and still be HARPeligible. HARP is now unlimited LTV for fixedrate loans with 30year terms or less.

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Qualifying For The Refinance

This refinance is like any other mortgage application, with complete credit checks, income verification and debt evaluation. For the best rates, you’ll need a good credit score, over 620. Make sure your overall debt-to-income ratio falls below 40 percent, meaning your debt bills aren’t more than $400 per $1,000 of monthly income to qualify for loan programs.

References

Youll Need To Conduct Research And Get Advice

There are many factors that could make the difference between a second home being a solid investment or a financial disaster. Here are some questions to ask yourself, your family and advisors, like financial and tax experts:

• Will you use the home enough to make it worth the purchase?
• Is it less expensive to stay at a nearby hotel or rental home rather than buying a home for your vacations?
• If your employer is going to allow remote working, do you really need a second home for business purposes?
• Is your income level enough to support two mortgages for another 5, 10, 20 years or more?
• Can you handle the second home mortgage payments along with other major expenses or debtssuch as college education, auto purchases or major home repairsthat may arise?
• What are the start-up costs for the new homesuch as furnishings and upgradesas well as the ongoing costs, including maintenance, major repairs and travel to and from the house?
• Are there any tax breaks you can get from owning a second home?

Evaluating your finances, creating a budget and talking to those most important to the transactionnamely, your familycan go a long way in preparing you to purchase a second home.

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I Am Unemployed And Without Income Am I Harpeligible

Yes, according to official HARP guidelines, you can be unemployed and use the HARP loan to refinance. Applicants will not need to be requalified on income unless their new principal + interest payment increases by more than 20%. If the new payment increases by less than 20%, or falls, there is no requalification necessary.

Refinancing With A Heloc

Before you can refinance a first mortgage with a HELOC, first find out whether the issuer of the HELOC will allow it. The lender holds the key as they hold an equity position in your property as well as the mortgage lender. The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau suggests that you may have to pay off the HELOC prior to applying for a mortgage refinancing.

If you have substantial equity in the property, consider refinancing that allows the outstanding balances on both the mortgage and HELOC to be wrapped into one mortgage. This is called a cash out refinance. According to The Mortgage Report, this is the way to go if your HELOC is nearing its 10-year interest-only payment mark. That payment then converts to a fully amortized mortgage payment, and the monthly installment skyrockets.

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Harmful Home Equity Practices

You could lose your home and your money if you borrow from unscrupulous lenders who offer you a high-cost loan based on the equity you have in your home. Certain lenders target homeowners who are older or who have low incomes or credit problems and then try to take advantage of them by using deceptive, unfair, or other unlawful practices. Be on the lookout for:

• Loan Flipping: The lender encourages you to repeatedly refinance the loan and often, to borrow more money. Each time you refinance, you pay additional fees and interest points. That increases your debt.

• Insurance Packing: The lender adds credit insurance, or other insurance products that you may not need to your loan.

• Bait and Switch: The lender offers one set of loan terms when you apply, then pressures you to accept higher charges when you sign to complete the transaction.

• Equity Stripping: The lender gives you a loan based on the equity in your home, not on your ability to repay. If you cant make the payments, you could end up losing your home.

My Lender Denied My Harp Mortgage Because Credit Scores Are Too Low What Do I Do

Some banks are making variations on the official HARP program guidelines. The changes are subtle, but theyre enough to cause some people to get denied who should otherwise have been approved. If youve been turned down for HARP program because of your credit scores, apply with a different bank and you may get a different outcome.

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How Many Types Of Refinancing Are There

Homeowners can choose to refinance for a variety of reasons including:

Cash Out Home Equity

Homeowners can extract equity from the homes. The extracted equity can be used as a low-cost source of business funding, to pay off other higher-interest debts, of fund home renovations. If the equity is extracted to pay for home repairs or major home improvements the interest expense may be tax deductible.

Change Loan Duration

Homeowners can shorten duration to pay less interest over the life of the loan & own the home outright quicker lengthen the duration to lower monthly payments.

Lower Interest Rates

If mortgage rates decline homeowners can refinance to lower their monthly loan payments. A one to two percent fall in interest rates can save homeowners tens of thousands of dollars in interest expense over a 30-year loan term.

Change Loan Structure

Borrowers who used an ARM to make initial payments more afforadable could shift to a fixed-rate loan after they built up equity & have progressed along their career path to increase their earnings.

Remove Mortgage Insurance Requirements

The following graphic explores examples of why a home owner may choose to refinance.

Refinancing To Consolidate Credit Card Debt

A viable way to consolidate high-interest debt and lower your monthly payments is by tapping your mortgages home equity. When you take a cash-out refinance, you can consolidate your first and second mortgage and replace it with a new loan for more than you owe on your property. The difference goes to you in cash, which can be used to finance important costs or consolidate other debts. Likewise, you can simply take a cash-out refi even without consolidating your mortgage.

Unsecured debt such as credit cards typically come with high-interest rates. The average APR for a new credit card is 16.04% as of November 2020. Unsecured debts do not come with collateral, which means lenders have no means to recoup losses if borrowers fail to repay. Thus, banks impose much higher interest charges on credit cards, making it harder to pay off large balances. As your debt increases, your interest charges keep growing larger.

In contrast, the average mortgage rate for a 30-year fixed-rate refinance is only 2.750% in November 2020, while a 15-year fixed-rate refinance is at 2.375%. Because mortgages are secured debts, they have much lower interest rates compared to credit cards. Refinancing your mortgage to consolidate unsecured debt will substantially lower your rate. This results in considerable interest savings over the life of your loan.

Beware of the Risks

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