Archive for Conforming Refinance

Dec
07

Home Refinance Help

Posted by: Refinance Professor | Comments (0)

There has been a lot of talk of record low mortgage rates and home refinance programs, but millions of Americans continue to search for mortgage refinancing help. According to iServe Lending’s Al Pereida, “Unfortunately millions of Americans still need refinancing help because they don’t qualify for today’s lending guidelines.”  The California lender continued, “We are seeing many applicants fail to qualify because of low credit scores and late mortgage payments.”

In 2011 all indications point towards even tighter guidelines.  Conforming, VA and FHA loan programs are requesting increased documentation and higher criteria for qualifying.  Mortgage Refinancing Buzz continues to report great refinance rates for qualified borrowers.

  • FHA Streamline Refinance
  • Cash Refinancing
  • VA Mortgage Refinance
  • Low Conforming Rates
VN:F [1.9.7_1111]
Rating: 9.3/10 (3 votes cast)
VN:F [1.9.7_1111]
Rating: +3 (from 3 votes)

Today when you refinance mortgage loans above 80% loan to value it requires the borrower to pay additional mortgage insurance.  Whether the borrower is refinancing conventional or FHA loans, mortgage insurance will be required.  Monthly mortgage insurance has risen over the last few years due to the increase in loan defaults.  FHA Loan Pros recommends making sure you have included PMI into the loan payments when comparing mortgage refinance offers from conventional and FHA lenders. In addition, homeowners that refinance FHA must pay an additional 2.25% of the FHA loan amount up-front to cover the mortgage insurance premium. FHA is trying to get Congress to pass a bill to increase for the annual mortgage insurance premium rate.  It is important that borrowers consider all of the costs when considering the benefits of home refinancing.

VN:F [1.9.7_1111]
Rating: 9.5/10 (2 votes cast)
VN:F [1.9.7_1111]
Rating: +1 (from 1 vote)

There is no question that 2010 has opened up some great mortgage refinancing opportunities for many homeowners to save money.  Home refinancing is not always the answer though, because some borrowers already have low rates and some borrowers simply do not meet the refinance requirements. We recommend considering your mortgage refinance options carefully.  Home mortgage rates fell this week to their lowest point on records that mortgage company Freddie Mac has kept since 1971. Today’s mortgage refinance rates when averaged around 4.625%.  These rates are for 30-year fixed rate terms.  The previous record of 4.71 % was set in December. 15-year mortgage rates average at 4.375% and the 5-year hybrid ARM average 3.875%.

Here are some answers to common questions that come with home refinancing.

Question: How much are the mortgage refinance costs?

Answer: In most cases, a refinance loan will cost $2 -$3,000 in closing cost.  The common lending fees are underwriting, processing, escrow, title and appraisal.  Many lenders will also charge origination fees, also known as “points.”

Question:  Do I qualify for a no cost refinance?

Answer: It depends… Many lenders are offering no cost mortgage refinance loans, but the credit score minimums typically range from 720-740.

VN:F [1.9.7_1111]
Rating: 7.7/10 (3 votes cast)
VN:F [1.9.7_1111]
Rating: +1 (from 1 vote)

Mortgage rates fell to a record-low last week, with the rate of a 30-year fixed loan dipping to 4.69 %.  Borrowers who have been waiting for the best time to refinance their home find themselves in a good position.

Is Your Home Mortgage Rate Higher than 5%?

Some economists anticipate that mortgage refinance rates will remain low for at least another six months.  However, if you are considering mortgage refinancing and you qualify under the 2010 refinance guidelines then you should not wait.

The current mortgage refinance rates are the lowest they have been since 1971 so the chances of them getting lower are slim.  The chances of mortgage lenders tightening home refinance guidelines are much greater.  If you are eligible to refinance today, take advantage of these record low interest rates and lower your mortgage payment.

Many home finance analysts feared how the mortgage market would once the tax credit for homebuyers expired on April 30th.  A recent published report released earlier this week indicated that new home sales plunged nearly 33% last month.  Compare lenders so you can get the best mortgage refinance rates online!

Let’s compare mortgage refinance rates: A year ago, the average mortgage refinance rate was 5.22% and 10 years ago, people were refinancing at 8.15%. Today, the average 30-year mortgage rate is 4.675% and the average 10-year mortgage is now at 3.875%.  The banks continue to extend low mortgage rates because to the instability in the market and the European debt crisis.

_

VN:F [1.9.7_1111]
Rating: 10.0/10 (1 vote cast)
VN:F [1.9.7_1111]
Rating: +2 (from 2 votes)

Home mortgage refinancing can be an excellent opportunity to get a lower interest rate and more financial security for your home during these turbulent times.  Getting the best mortgage refinance rates is imperative to maximize monthly savings.  That is why homeowners should shop for a refinance loan and negotiate the closing costs. Market insiders have been reporting higher loan fees from mortgage lenders today.  Since the housing crisis we have seen fewer mortgage lenders and brokers.  Loan companies may be in a better position to offer you a no cost refinance option, but your credit must be stellar.

According to Steve Brown, CEO of Pacific Coast Bankers’ Bank, in San Francisco, mortgage lenders are trying to make up for loan default losses by raising revenues in closing costs on new refinances transactions.  The era of no income verification loans is long gone amid tightened regulations.

According to Yahoo Finance, the top 5 mortgage lenders today are Bank of America, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, U.S. Bancorp and Citigroup, “These banks represent the vast majority of all loans in the U.S.,” Brown said. But these banks sell home loans with largely the same set of borrowing requirements, as nearly all mortgage today are backed by the Federal Housing Administration, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  But borrowers should still shop for the best mortgage refinance rates and look for the lending deals. Most mortgage bankers say a borrower should plan for a 30 to 60 day process when home refinancing.  With dropping property values and stricter appraisal guidelines, getting an appraisal can be an obstacle for mortgage refinancing.  “They might have to have the home appraised a couple of times to get a solid valuation.” 

A spokesman for the Mortgage Lead Vault, a mortgage lead company recommended “making sure that you are comparing apples to apples.  Verify the interest rate, term and of course the closing costs when comparing lender quotes.”  According to Zillow the survey indicated that borrowers spend about 5 hours shopping for a home loan online, yet they spend 10 hours shopping for a car.  31% of borrowers spent less than 2 hours researching their refinance loan. About 50% of all borrowers “only got one or two mortgage quotes.”  Many loan professionals suggest getting four refinance quotes.

VN:F [1.9.7_1111]
Rating: 7.5/10 (2 votes cast)
VN:F [1.9.7_1111]
Rating: +1 (from 1 vote)

Polls

Will Mortgage Refinance Rates Rise in 2011?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Free Mortgage Info

Loading...Loading...