Should I Refinance My Home?

Should I Refinance My Home?

With the recent lower interest rates, many homeowners are wondering if they should refinance. There are several factors to consider such as how long you plan to stay in your home and how much are the refinancing costs?

refinance

To decide if refinancing is the best option for your family, start by asking yourself these questions:

Why do you want to refinance?

There are many reasons to refinance, but here are three of the most common ones:

  1. Lower your interest rate and payment – This is the most popular reason. If you have a 5% interest rate or higher, it might be worth seeing if you can take advantage of the current lower interest rates, hovering below 4%, to reduce your monthly payment and overall cost of the loan.
  2. Shorten the term of your loan – If you have a 30-year loan, it may be advantageous to change it to a 15 or 20-year loan to pay off your mortgage sooner.
  3. Cash-out refinance – With home prices increasing, you might have enough equity to cash out and invest in something else, like your children’s education, a vacation home, or a new business.

Once you know why you might want to refinance, ask yourself the next question:

How much is it going to cost?

There are fees and closing costs involved in refinancing, and Lenders Network explains:

“If you were to refinance that loan into a new loan, total closing costs will run between 2%-4% of the loan amount.”

They also explain that there are options for no-cost refinance loans, but be on the lookout:

“A no-cost refinance loan is when the lender pays the closing costs for the borrower. However, you should be aware that the lender makes up this money from other aspects of the mortgage. Usually pay charging a slightly higher interest rate so they can make the money back.”

If you’re comfortable with the costs of refinancing, then ask yourself one more question:

mortgage ratesIs it worth it?

To answer this one, we’ll use an example. Let’s assume you have a $200,000 home loan. A 4% refinance cost will be $10,000. If you want to lower your interest rate from 6% to 4%,  then refinancing is going to save you $244 per month. To break even ($10,000/$244), you need to continue owning your home for over 40 months.

Now that you know how the math shakes out, think about how much longer you’d like to own your current home. If you plan to stay for more than 3 years, then maybe it is advantageous for you to refinance.

If, however, your current home does not fulfill your present needs, you might want to consider using your potential refinance costs for a down payment on a new move-up home. You will still get a lower interest rate than the one you have on your current house, and with the equity you’ve already built, you can finally purchase the home of your dreams.

So, there are many opportunities for growth in the current real estate market. To find out what’s right for your family, let’s get together to help you understand your options and guide you toward the best decision.

Bottom Line:

If you’re looking for a focused and goal-oriented real estate representative in Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero or Fort Myers who will help you achieve your Real Estate needs, please reach out to us directly. Additionally, if you are looking for a golf community expert or you are considering buying or selling a home, a luxury home, vacation home, golf home or dream home, call us or text us at 239-370-0892 or email Matt at Matt@NaplesGolfGuy.com

About Naples Golf Guy


Naples Golf GuyThe above information was provided by Naples Golf Guy, Matt Klinowski PA, an expert in Southwest Florida real estate.  When you are ready to buy or sell a single-family home or condo in Naples, Bonita Springs or Estero, contact me. With almost 20 years of experience, I can help provide the market information and insights into individual communities to help you find the perfect home.  Most importantly, I will handle all the negotiations to make your real estate transaction as smooth as possible.

Contact Matt:  Matt@NaplesGolfGuy.com

or at 239-370-0892

July 16th, 2019, Posted by NaplesGolfGuy