When refinancing a mortgage, as many as 30% of homeowner's cash out part or all of their home's equity. By investing in home improvements or paying off credit cards, this can be a smart. But, if you are borrowing more than 80% of your home's value, you will be hit with private mortgage insurance, costing you hundreds a year.
These days most people request a Good Faith Estimate (GFE), but have no clue what to look for on the GFE. Make sure you request a GFE that has ALL fees estimated and disclosed. This includes: origination points, processing, lender, appraisal, title, escrow... ALL FEES... especially the Yield Spread Premium or YSP.
Get your interest rate and closing costs in writing as soon as you decide on a lender to work with. Get your lender to give you a commitment in advance of all of the costs that will be involved with your loan. Find out if the refinance loan you are getting has a pre-payment penalty as well. Sometimes lenders will leave out important information like this, if they think it might scare you away from refinancing with them.
Be Inquisitive. It's your responsibility to make sure that you understand the terms of your loan. Ask questions and listen carefully to the answers. Don't sign your loan documents until you are satisfied with the information and confident that you have made the right decision.
If you know that you will be moving in 3 to 5 years, you might want to consider refinancing to a 3 or 5 year ARM (adjustable rate mortgage). These loans typically have a much lower rate that a traditional fixed rate loan such as a 30 year fixed, but they do have a fixed rate for the first 3 or 5 years of the loan. This will enable you to benefit from the lower rate, but you won't ever have to worry about the risk of a rate adjustment because you will be selling the home before the fixed-rate period ends.
