3 Things to Consider Before Refinancing

Reading Time: 3 minutes
3 Things to Consider Before Refinancing

Getting your finances in order can be hard. If you have a mortgage on your house, then this is the best time to refinance it. There are so many benefits that will come with your doing so. One thing you need to remember, however, is that various factors will come into play when you refinance your home. If you do not put these into consideration, you might end up in debt. Here are a few things you need to put in mind before refinancing

Know Your Home’s Equity

One of the options is a cash-out refinance. More often than not, this happens when your home’s value has increased. You need to know what your property is valued at before you refinance. By the end of the first quarter of 2020, the value of houses was still increasing. However, the pandemic made the value of homes go down, as was seen by the third quarter of 2020. If you would like to refinance your mortgage, you will first need to ensure you have adequate home equity, which is around 20%. It makes it easier for you to access a loan. The higher the value of your home, the more likely you will get a loan on it.

The good thing with home equity is, you can increase it. You do not need to do much for this to happen. Renovate the house and add some state-of-the-art features. Additions to your lighting or home appliances are a great and easy way to increase your home’s value. The higher your equity, the more likely you are to get a refinance.

Your Credit Score

Having a good credit score increases the chances of you getting a loan. As time goes by, stricter measures are being enforced by lenders when looking at loan applications. Before you go ahead to refinance your mortgage, take the time to find out about your credit score. It should not be less than 760. If you have a poor credit score, then it would help if you worked on that first. Pay off any of the smaller loans you might have and ensure you are up to date regarding tax payment. Doing this will ensure that the bank considers you for a loan. Paying your bills on time might seem like such a small issue, but it will go a long way to improve your credit score. In case you have any credit card debts, it would also help if you cleared those as well. Having a good credit score might also increase the chances of you getting a bigger loan. The loan terms might also be favorable for you. Ensure you maintain a good credit score, especially if you plan on taking a loan.

The Cost of Refinancing

Even though you will be getting a loan, some fees come attached to it. Before you start applying for refinancing, find out what fees come with it, and if it is something you can afford. Most of the time, you will pay between 3-5% of the overall lending amount. You can choose to have these fees deducted from the amount of money you plan on borrowing. Either way, you will have to factor into this, so you do not get disappointed after going through all those steps. The lender might also choose to add other fees to your loan, so find this out. The only way to ensure you get a clean deal is to get the right details on whatever loan amount you want. If you are unsure about the fees added to the loan you are applying for, get financial advice from a professional. They are better placed to let you know if you are getting a good deal or not. Do not get into an agreement with a lender without reading the fine print. You might end up paying for more than you had anticipated.

A refinance on your home can be a great way to help you out in case you are in a tight spot. To ensure you get the best, do your research before applying for the refinance. It will make the whole process easier for you.

Was this article helpful?

You may also like...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *