How To Shop For Mortgage Refinance

Get Your Credit And Debt In Check

To get thebest rate from any lender, you should have a good credit score and a low debt-to-income ratio. Lendersoffer the best rates to borrowers who have a track record of paying their billson time and managing their debt.

These factorsare key. In fact, low credit and high debts are the two main reasons lendersdeny refi applications.

So, youllwant to make sure your financial house is in order by checking your creditreports accuracy and calculating your DTI before you start shopping for thelowest refinance rates.

Keep in mindthat a less-than-ideal credit score or above-average DTI doesnt necessarilydisqualify you from a mortgage refinance. But it means you might not be able toget the best rates and maximize your savings.

How To Refinance A Home Loan

Break Your Existing Mortgage Contract Early

You would consider breaking your mortgage early if you wanted to obtain a lower interest rate or access equity from your home. In this case, you eliminate your existing mortgage and take on a brand new one with any lender. Breaking your mortgage will incur a prepayment penalty from your bank, which is normally equal to around three months worth of interest charges. If you can justify the cost of the prepayment penalty with your new mortgage rate, then breaking your mortgage can still be worth it.

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As Interest Rates Begin To Rise Now Is The Time To Take Action Find Out How To Get The Best Deal

Although record-low interest rates are in the rear-view mirror, and rates have been steadily creeping up, theyre still relatively low . Its still a good time to buy if youre looking to purchase your first home, trade up, downsizeor refinance your current home to lock in a better rate.

The tips below can help you understand how easily you may be able to get a loan with a good rate, what your down payment and monthly expenses may be, and whether now is a good time for you to act.

Assess your mortgage fitness

While loans are more available than they have been, that doesnt mean just anyone can get one. Ask yourself these questions to assess your chances:

Judge your refi readiness

Be sure that refinancing to a lower interest rateand maybe a lower monthly paymentwill actually save you money. Ask yourself:

• How low can I go? Get loan estimates from several lenders to check rates and see how much youd pay in closing costs. Forget the rule of thumb that to refinance your mortgage you need to reduce your rate by two percentage points. The question is whether you will stay in your home long enough to recoup the closing costs with savings on your monthly payments.
• How long will it take to break even? For a rough idea, simply subtract the new monthly payment from your current one and divide that into the total closing costs. You can also use this calculator to get a general idea of whether youre better off if you refinance.

Taking the plunge

Free Up Money To Invest

When you take into account the power of compounding interest, it can be a smart move to free up money and save toward retirement early rather than keep your funds tied to your home. Cash-out refinances give you access to funds that you can use to boost your retirement savings or build up a college fund.

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Lock In The Lowest Mortgage Rate

Dont risk losing a low mortgage refinance interest rate during these unpredictable times. Here are some of the best ways to lock in the cheapest loan rate:

• Shop around: Use Credible’s free online tools to compare multiple lender offers and find out which loan rates you qualify for almost instantly.

• Build credit: Make credit card payments on time, keep your credit card balances low and avoid any new credit applications until you’re confident in your score.
• Act quickly: After youre approved for the loan, go ahead and accept the offer so the rate wont change.

A rate lock typically lasts about 30 days . This helps ensure your rate will remain the same from the time they give you an offer and the time it takes the loan to close.

Boost Your Credit Score

Knowing your credit score beforehand is even more important . Mike Dulla, president of United Home Loans, said that “clients will typically be able to secure the best rates for conforming refinances with a 740 or higher credit score.”

If your score is low, it will be difficult to get approved for a loan. But don’t worry, there are several ways you can boost it fast, including:

• Paying bills on time
• Asking for a higher credit limit
• Keeping your credit card balance low
• Getting added as an authorized user
• Fixing credit report errors

Credible can help you compare lenders and save on interest without impacting your credit score. You can complete the entire origination process from comparing loan rates up to closing all in one place.

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How To Shop For A Mortgage Without Hurting Your Credit

When shopping for a mortgage, many prospective buyers worry about how this might affect their credit score. To avoid any damage to your credit, keep the below tips in mind.

• Keep your mortgage shopping to within a 45-day time period to avoid having multiple credit inquiries reported on your account.
• Prequalify for a mortgage before looking at houses. This will only require a soft pull of your credit, rather than a hard pull, which can lower your score.
• Have a strong understanding of your credit score ahead of time, and try to remedy any issues that you find on your report.
• Limit other borrowing activities that could cause your score to drop during this time.

Get A Lower Interest Rate

If you put an unexpected bill on a variable credit card, you might pay a high amount of interest the prime rate thats tied to the federal funds rate set by the Federal Reserve, plus a certain number of percentage points on top of that. Mortgage and refi rates are generally lower than credit card interest rates often significantly lower. If you have enough equity in your home to cover your bill, you may save thousands in interest over time.

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How To Refinance Your Mortgage

Refinancing a mortgage shouldnt be a quick decision. After weighing the pros and cons, you can determine your goals and take the necessary steps toward lowering your payment or taking cash out to achieve your financial goals.

Set a Goal for Your Mortgage Refinance

Before starting toward refinancing, its important to set a goal for starting a new mortgage. Are you interested in saving money on your monthly payment? Or is taking out cash to consolidate debt or fund a big project more important? By setting a clear-cut goal, you can decide the best way to move forward with a refinance.

Check Your Credit Score

As with any transaction involving credit, you should know your credit score before talking to lenders. Checking your credit report can help you understand how lenders perceive your risk, and it allows you to fix any erroneous information before requesting rates. Although you can refinance with bad credit, you may not qualify for the best rates.

Shop for Mortgage Refinance Rates With Multiple Lenders

Once you understand your credit, you can now shop for mortgage refinance rates with several lenders to see which gives you the best options. You can request multiple quotes from lenders within 14 days of your first request without negatively impacting your credit. If you qualify for a VA mortgage refinance or FHA mortgage refinance, you will want to work with lenders who can help you explore those options.

Select a Mortgage Refinance Lender and Lock Your Refinance Rate

Hot To Be A Fast Efficient Rate Shopper

Now lets talk about smart rate shopping moves.

Yes, it takes some work to find the best mortgage rate. But the time and effort you put in should pay off nicely.

There could potentially be thousands of dollars worth of savings on the line. So the time you spend searching for a lower mortgage rate could net the best hourly rate youll ever earn.

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Picking The Best Lender

When choosing a lender, customer service is key. After all, applying for a loan requires substantial paperwork and information collection. Having a reliable point of contact to answer questions goes a long way toward easing this onerous experience. This will also ensure approval schedules stay on track, and that all final documentation is signed and executed by all relevant parties in a timely and efficient manner.

Dont Use Advertised Rates To Choose A Lender

Plenty of banks and mortgage lenders show their current mortgage rates online. You could easily check these advertised rates in just a few minutes, choose the lowest one, and call it a day.

But its almost guaranteed this strategy wont find you the best deal.

Why? Because advertised rates dont reflect your situation. In fact, online rates almost always represent a perfect borrower one with excellent credit, low debts, and a 20 precent or larger down payment.

Unless you meet these criteria exactly, your own interest rates will be different from the ones you see online.

To find your real best interest rate, you need to apply for rate quotes with at least 35 lenders. This involves filling out a preapproval application and providing:

• Personal contact information
• Personal ID like a drivers license or Social Security number
• Details about the property youre purchasing or refinancing
• 23 months worth of bank statements
• Statements for retirement accounts, investments, and other assets
• W2 or 1099 forms
• Recent pay stubs

Your lender will also run a credit report and pull your credit score. Your credit history has a big impact on the rate youre offered, so polish up your report and score before you apply if possible.

You can typically apply for a rate quote online, which makes this part of the mortgage process relatively quick and easy.

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Shop And Compare Rates

Even if youre quarantined at home, you can still shop and compare rates without stepping foot into a bank. Whether you use a new lender or a mortgage broker youve worked with before, choose one you trust. Shop around and compare refi rate offers from multiple lenders to ensure youre getting the best deal.

McBride advises its worth it to do the research, but beware of low advertised rates. Depending on your credit history you may not qualify for what you see. In addition, sometimes advertised rates may have hidden terms attached.

Thats why some consumers prefer a broker. A mortgage broker acts as a middle man between lenders and clients. Brokers come with a fee, but they understand your credit situation and will be able to shop lenders and rates on your behalf.

If you decide to do the legwork yourself, to help you decipher each offer the Federal Reserve Board provides this handy mortgage refinance shopping checklist with 13 questions to ask each lender.

Is It Better To Refinance With My Current Lender Or With A New One

It depends. If you value convenience, then you might prefer using your current lender. You’ll already know how the company works and be familiar with its customer service operations.

However, just because a lender offered the best rate or lowest fees when you got your initial mortgage doesn’t necessarily mean it will offer the best deal when you refinance. Your financial situation also may have changed since you got your first mortgage. For example, if your credit score has dropped, then you may need to find a lender that has a lower minimum credit score.

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Get Qualified With Castle Rock Mortgage Llc

The final step is to get qualified for your mortgage! After going through all that hard work, if your numbers look good, your lender should approve you for a mortgage, and you can move on.

And it is a lot of hard work applying for a mortgage, especially for self-employed people who need to provide more paperwork.

Castle Rock Mortgage makes the whole process easier for you by finding the best rates for you based on your needs. We are mortgage brokers serving the entire state of Arizona.

Get in touch with us today to tell us about yourself and put us to work for you!

The Cons Of Carrington:

• The minimum credit score for a conventional loan is a little higher than with some of our other picks.
• You can’t apply for preapproval online.

The bottom line:New American Funding is a strong mortgage lender overall, especially if you need to apply with alternative forms of credit.

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Know The Mortgage Basics

Whats a mortgage?

A mortgage is a loan that helps you buy a home. Its actually a contract between you and a lender to lend you money to buy a home. You repay the money based on the agreement you sign. But if you default , the lender has the right to take the property. Not all mortgage loans are the same. This article from the CFPB explains the pros and cons of different types of mortgage loans.

What should I do first to get a mortgage?

How do mortgage brokers work?

A mortgage broker is someone who can help you find a deal with a lender and work out the details of the loan. It might not always be clear if youre dealing with a lender or a broker, so if youre not sure, ask. Consider contacting more than one broker before deciding who to work with or whether to work with a broker at all. Check with the National Multistate Licensing System to see if there have been any disciplinary actions against a broker youre thinking about working with.

A broker can have access to several lenders, so they may be able to give you a wider selection of loan products and terms. Brokers also can save you time by managing the loan approval process. But dont assume theyre getting you the best deal. Compare the terms and conditions of loan offers yourself.

Can I negotiate some of the terms of the mortgage?

Dont Be Afraid To Negotiate

Believe it or not, lenders have control over the rates and fees they offer and theyll often negotiate to get your business.

Lets say Lender A gives you a lower rate, but Lender B has far lower upfront fees. Theres nothing to lose by showing Lender A the competing loan offer and asking if they can match or beat it.

Even if a lender cant go much lower on the rate, they may be able to provide other discounts or incentives that make the loan worth it.

A lender could potentially lower your origination fee, for example, which could reduce your closing costs significantly.

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Have The Cash To Pay Closing Costs Or Roll Them Into Your New Loan

Closing costs generally range from 2% to 5% of the loan principal. On average, the closing costs on a mortgage refinance are about $5,000, according to Freddie Mac. While you dont have to have cash on hand to cover your closing costs, paying the costs upfront could help you save money on interest charges over time.

If you dont have enough cash saved to cover your closing costs, you might be able to take advantage of a no-closing-cost refinance.

There are two types of no-closing-cost refinancing:

How much could I save by paying my closing costs upfront?

That means you could have saved over $3,000 by paying your closing costs upfront.

What Is A Mortgage Refinance

A mortgage refinance is the act of rolling over your current mortgage into a new home loan. During this process, your home loan provider will assess your homes current market value, go through your credit and tax return history and verify your credit. If everything is successful, your home mortgage lender will present you with several options to lower your monthly payment, take equity out on your home or reduce the number of years on your home loan.

Refinance Savings for a $300,000 Mortgage

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