Analizing The Benefits Of Refinancing

Interest rates on mortgages and loans are extremely low. These rates are the lowest they have been in decades. Along with this low interest rate comes enormous opportunity for real estate investors to reduce their principal and interest payments. Determining whether or not it makes sense to refinance is dependent on your unique situation, as well as if you can save enough money through the refinance to justify the expense. The analysis is a relatively straightforward, but you should understand the procedure so that you may benefit from renewing your mortgage.

When trying to decide if refinancing your mortgage is a good idea, you first need to look at what you owe and how much you pay each month. Then you need to evaluate the costs and payment associated with the new loan. If refinancing will reduce your payment and not add years or significant cost, then the refinancing your mortgage makes sense.

The simplest way to see if changing your mortgage makes sense from a quantitative point of view is to make a list that includes your payoff, your monthly payment, and the number of payments that have yet to be made. Multiply the number of residual payments by your current payment and record this number.

Now record the amount that you will need to refinance, the new refinance term, and the approximate new mortgage payment. Simplify the calculations by using a spreadsheet, or mortgage calculator. Include your refinance costs as part of the total amount that you will be financing, bank fees, appraisal fees and transfer and escrow costs. Now repeat the same calculation as before, multiply the total number of payments by the monthly payment amount.

If you are updating your mortgage, but not pulling out any equity, the refinance makes the most common sense if you can lower your periodic payment, and if the entire amount paid (number of payments multiplied by the monthly payment) after the refinance is lower than the overall amount to be of the payoff your current mortgage. If the periodic payment is lower than your current payment, but the full amount is more, you have to decide if paying lower monthly outweighs the greater amount you will need to disburse. The opposite decision is needed if your payment increases but the full amount due decreases. In either case, check your calculations carefully as you come to a decision.

One think to take into consideration as you go through the above analysis is that the current mortgage must equal the amount that you are refinancing. If the refinance amount exceeds the amount presently due on the mortgage then a much more complicated analysis is required. For this type of analysis, you will need a spread sheet with present value and amortization calculations. If you are not comfortable with these types of calculations, consult a financial adviser or accountant to assist with quantifying your decision.

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