Saturday, July 14, 2007

Calculating the Costs of Refinancing Your Home Loan

With the explosion of adjustable rate mortgages on the real estate scene over the past several years, refinancing the home loan has become a popular move for many home owners. But you should always check out the costs of refinancing your mortgage before you sign.

In many cases, refinancing a home loan makes good financial sense. You can lock in a low, steady rate of interest without the fear of balloon payments. But refinancing a new home loan also comes with several fees that you should be aware of before you complete this transaction. And in some cases, refinancing a mortgage will cost a lot more money that it will save.

Costs of Refinancing a Home Loan

One way you can be sure that you are doing the right thing is to figure out the approximate fees for refinancing your home loan. Here are some of the fees you may encounter when you refinance an existing mortgage.
  • » Application Fees: Your lender will charge this fee in order to begin the mortgage refinancing process and check your credit
  • » Title Search and Insurance: This fee covers the cost of researching the property as well as a policy
  • » Loan Origination Fees: This fee is charged by your lender in order to prepare the new mortgage arrangement

Tips for Refinancing Your Mortgage

There are some things that you can do to lower the amount of mortgage refinancing fees that you will pay to complete this process. Keep these tips in mind when you begin the process.
    Up-Front Fees: One sure way to cut down on unexpected fees is to do business with a lender that announces their fees up front Shop Around: Do some comparison shopping to discover the average amount of the fees you will be paying to your lender
Knowing the cost of refinancing your current home mortgage will go a long way in ensuring that you get the best deal.

About the Author
Kelly Richardson covers the local education and technology scenes in major cities across the country. His articles appear in educational journals, periodicals, and e-zines.