Many people with poor credit history look to take out loans from friends and family. While this may be a fairly good short term solution, it might not be the smartest of long term business moves. What you need to do is refinance your mortgage and lower your payment. The best thing you can do for yourself is to shop around. I'd be willing to bet that some banks will give you a better deal on a mortgage refinancing than you think they would. Find out who's got the best rate to get the best deal on your loan. This might take a little legwork, but it could pay off. Finding that right bank to give you the right deal on your refinancing will be worth the effort.
Give yourself plenty of time to close. With most refinancings, your file is turned over to a closing or title company, which dictates the closing details. Like the lenders themselves, these firms are swamped when interest rates are low. Moreover, appraisers get backed up and can be difficult to schedule. So don't expect the closing to happen as quickly as anyone promises.
When you do a cash-out refinance you are leveraging the equity in your home in order to receive a lump sum of cash at closing. Many individuals and families use this type of loan if they want to remodel their home, or they have kids that are attending college soon. Veterans and other military personnel can now take advantage of a 100% cashout refinance thanks to the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2008.
If you are making payments on a long term loan, say, 30 year mortgage for the past 10 to 20 years, then refinancing to another 30 year loan will not be a good option as it may increase your overall payment.
Many financial advisers caution against cash-out refinancing to pay down unsecured debt (such as credit cards) or short-term secured debt (such as car loans). You may want to talk with a trusted financial adviser before you choose cash-out refinancing as a debt-consolidation plan.
