Mortgage can last a lifetime and that extra 1% can add up to literally thousands of dollars over the years. I have friends that are in their 70s and still paying off their home loans. It'll pay off in the long run to make sure you find the best deal possible. Don't let poor credit stop you from refinancing your home.
Homeowners who want to refinance but can't because they owe more on their home than their home is worth (also known as "upside down") should focus their time and energy on making more money. Adding a part-time job or starting a side business will bring extra income into the household, income that can be used to make extra payments a mortgage.
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.
Make sure that your original mortgage does not have a pre-payment penalty or early payoff penalty of any kind. Sometimes people will get into their mortgage with the mortgage having a pre-payment penalty and they will not even know about it. Pre-payment penalties usually range from 6 months to 3 years with a penalty for an early payoff. The penalty is usually about the amount of 6 months worth of your mortgage loan interest, but this varies. You would have to be able to have some significant payment and interest savings on your refinance loan to justify refinancing a mortgage loan with a pre-payment penalty.
If your monthly payment on a fixed-rate loan includes escrow amounts for taxes and insurance, your payment each month could change over time due to changes in property taxes, insurance, or community association fees.
