Homeowners who are considering re-financing their home may have a wealth of options available to them. However, these same homeowners may find themselves feeling overwhelmed by this wealth of options. This process doesn’t have to be so difficult though. Homeowners can greatly assist themselves in the process by taking a few simple steps. First the homeowner should determine his refinancing goals. Next the homeowner should consult with a re-financing expert and finally the homeowner should be aware that re-financing is not always the best solution.
Determine Your Goals for FHA Refinance
The first step in any re-financing process should be for the homeowner to determine his goals and why he is considering re-financing. There are many different answers to this question and none of the answers are necessarily right or wrong. The most important thing is that the homeowner is making a decision which helps him achieve his financial goals. While there are no right or wrong answer to why re-financing should be considered there are, however, certain reasons for re-financing which are very common. These reasons include:
* Reducing monthly mortgage payments
* Consolidating existing debts
* Reducing the amount of interest paid over the course of the loan
* Repaying the loan quicker
* Gaining equity quicker
Although the reasons listed above are not the only reason homeowners might consider re-financing, they are some of the most popular reasons. They are included in this article for the purpose of getting the reader thinking. The reader may find their mortgage re-financing strategy fits into one of the above goals or they may have a completely different reason for wanting to re-finance. The reason for wanting to re-finance is not as important as determining this reason. This is because a homeowner, or even a financial advisor, will have a difficult time determining the best re-financing option for a homeowner if he does not know the goals of the homeowner.
Consult with a VA Refinance Expert
Once a homeowner has figured out why they want to re-finance, the homeowner should consider meeting with a re-financing expert to determine the best refinancing strategy. This will likely be a strategy which is financially sound but is also still geared to meeting the needs of the homeowner.
Homeowners who feel as though they are particularly well versed in the subject of re-financing might consider skipping the option of consulting with a re-financing expert. However, this is not recommended because even the most educated homeowner may not be aware of the newest re-financing options being offered by lenders.
While not understanding all the options may not seem like a big deal, it can have a significant impact. Homeowners may not even be aware of mistakes they are making but they may here of friends who re-financed under similar conditions and receive more favorable terms. Hearing these scenarios can be quite disheartening for some homeowners especially if they could have saved considerably more while re-financing.
Consider Not Refinancing as a Viable Option
Homeowners who are considering re-financing may realize the importance of evaluating a number of different re-financing options to determine which option is best but these same homeowners may not realize they should also carefully consider not re-financing as an option. This is often referred to as the “do nothing” option because it refers to the conditions which will exist if the homeowner does not make a change in their mortgage situation.
For each re-financing option considered, the homeowner should determine the estimated monthly payment, amount of interest paid during the course of the loan, year in which the loan will be fully repaid and the amount of time the homeowner will have to remain in the home to recoup closing costs associated with re-financing. Homeowners should also determine these values for the current mortgage. This can be very helpful for comparison purposes. Homeowners can compare these results and often the best option is quite clear from these numeric calculations. However, if the analysis does not yield a clear cut answer, the homeowner may have to evaluate secondary characteristics to make the best possible decision.
Check us out @ www.AmericanWideLoans.com for more mortgage refinancing information.
The Federal Housing Administration grants structured, yet flexible loans and refinance options for the homeowners. Though the requirements are more lenient than most traditional banking and financing associations, the FHA requires you to meet some requirements for your FHA Refinancing.Income and credit are large factors when determining eligibility for FHA refinancing. Everyone must show they are able to meet the monthly costs of the home with all expenses and debts. The monthly housing costs must not exceed 31% of the monthly income. In addition, the income-to-debt ratio for all monthly expenses, including housing, must not exceed 43% of the monthly income.
The credit history and score of the applicant must meet the minimum requirements of the FHA lender. In most cases, lenders require a minimum credit score of 640 for an FHA Home Loan. However, some lenders will accept lower scores. The overall credit history should show a pattern of regular, on-time payments with no defaults or collection activity. A couple of FHA lenders still accept some derogatory history if the borrower can show that some agreements have been made.All borrowers must be U.S citizens and residence to be approved. candidates must provide proof U.S. residency, a valid Social Security Number and meet the legal minimum age requirements for their state. Substitutions for a valid Social Security Number will not be accepted.
If you meet the criteria for a FHA loan, your lender still has to approve the loan. The bank is not getting paid during the foreclosure process, especially during a sluggish housing market. The lender would be holding on to that property for a long time. This is a good incentive for the lender to agree to FHA Refinance.
FHA refinancing loans are designed for owner occupied properties only. The homeowner is required to maintain residency within the home during the duration of the loan. You can only have one FHA loan on your credit report. FHA refinancing options are available for single family homes, as well as condominiums, manufactured homes and multi-family residences.
FHA refinancing requires that homeowners have established equity in the home. The equity amount required varies based on the type of refinancing option that is selected. Some FHA refinance options have equity requirements as low as 3.75-5.00%, while other FHA refinance options require minimums of 15 to 25%.
Several types of FHA refinancing options exist. Depending on what type of mortgage you select, you might need to have more requirements met. Homeowners who hold a first mortgage through FHA meet the requirements for a streamlined refinancing option. This option is designed to cut down on additional paperwork. In this, appraisals, credit underwriting, debt ratios and income verifications are not required.
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For more information, please feel free to call us at 1-866-928-9174, or visit our website http://www.americanwideloans.com
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