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Tuesday, January 15, 2008

How to Refinance a Mortgage

Introduction

There are many reasons that homeowners choose to refinance their home. Some of the most common reason are to get a better interest rate, lower the monthly payment, get a different type of mortgage, or draw out some built-up equity. Here is a step-by-step guide of things to consider in the process of refinancing your mortgage.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You'll Need

  • Your financial information (including W2s, bank statements, investment account statements, and 2 months of pay stubs)
  • Your current mortgage information to provide to your new prospective lender.

Steps

1

Step One

Assemble your financial information so you have a clear picture of your finances to provide to the lender you would like to refinance your mortgage. Be sure to gather the information on your current mortgage, which is easily done with a copy of your most recent mortgage statement.
2

Step Two

Have a clear understanding of your current credit score for your new lender so you know the types of mortgage products you qualify for. These are easily obtained for a small fee from one of the three major credit bureaus: Transunion, Experian, and Equifax.
3

Step Three

Interview prospective lenders to refinance your mortgage. You should be comfortable with your lender and they should act as a consultant. A good mortgage broker will assist you in choosing the right mortgage product to meet your needs.
4

Step Four

Once you've chosen a lender, they will need to pull your credit report and order an appraisal of your home. They will also verify your financial and employment information and make sure your property taxes are current.
5

Step Five

Be sure to speak with you lender about all of the fees you will incur through refinancing. Quite often, these fees will be very much the same as you paid on your original mortgage in closing costs, such as origination fees, title search fees, and appraisal fees.
6

Step Six

Once the lender has verified all of the information they require to approve your loan, you will go through the closing process again. The closing process will pay-off your existing mortgage and generate a new one through the refinance process.
7

Step Seven

Congratulations! You've refinanced your mortgage!

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