Home Refinance
A refinancing loan occurs when one applies for a secured
loan to replace an existing loan using the same assets. It is common to refinance
an auto loan, a home loan, and one or more student loans. Each type of refinancing has its own particular
requirements, restrictions, advantages and disadvantages, and process, but in concept they are all
similar.
The reasons to home refinance could be reduction of the
interest costs by locking into a lower rate or extending the payment period or to reduce the risks involved in a
variable interest rate by securing a fixed interest rate. The money saved could then be applied to the principal of
the loan, thereby further reducing the indebtedness. Alternatively, the refinance loan may be used to pay down
other types of indebtedness.
Risks involved in home refinancing include the existence of
penalties applied to early repayment of the loan. Application, closing and transaction fees are usually
associated with the restructuring, adding to the ultimate cost. It is important to ascertain that the savings
generated outweigh the costs. One must also ensure that the total interest costs over the life of the
refinanced loan do not nullify the savings of initial lower payments.
Lenders who offer refinance loans
often require a lump sum upfront payment representing a percentage of the total loan amount. This amount is
expressed in "points" or "premiums" with each point representing 1% of the total loan amount. More points are
usually associated with lower interest rates so the borrower is, in effect, paying a higher upfront cost in
exchange for a lower monthly premium later on.
Consider avoiding a home refinance loan that is designed primarily
to create more debt. For instance, it is risky to pay off credit cards with part of the principle of a
refinanced loan and then continue to use the credit cards to incur further debt
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