1. REFINANCING 101BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE ZING BLOG
Here, we’ll teach you the advantages of refinancing and give you a run-through of several
home loan options. If you’re looking for help in making an educated decision on refinancing
your mortgage, you’re in the right place. Our goal is to arm you with the knowledge
you need to achieve your personal financial goals.
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3. Your Mortgage Interest Rate Is Higher
than the Current Market Interest Rate
Even a small reduction in your interest rate could save
you a lot of money in the long run. A refinance can help
you ensure you’re getting the lowest interest rate possible.
The result? More money in your pocket, for you and
your family.
You’re Planning to Stay in Your Home
for Several Years
There’s no better time than right now to evaluate the type
of home loan you have. When you know you’re going
to stay put for several years, refinancing is a great step
toward setting long-term goals.
You Want to Pay Off Your Mortgage Sooner
When rates fall, you could refinance to a lower rate and a
shorter term, helping you pay off your mortgage sooner.
You Have an Adjustable Rate Mortgage
and You Want to Lock In a Fixed Rate
If your payments are already fluctuating, refinancing
to a fixed-rate mortgage keeps your payments steady.
Your rate will stay constant in a rising-rate environment.
You Have Other Debt You Need to Reduce
Do you have credit card debt, student loans, car loans
or any other high-interest debt? A cash-out refinance could
help you reduce or eliminate your debt. Debt consolidation
is one of the most popular reasons people refinance.
You Want to Make Home Improvements
Would your home benefit from a new kitchen, new windows
or an addition? A cash-out refinance is one of the most
affordable ways you can fund home improvements.
You Have College Tuition to Pay
Refinancing with a cash-out option can help you or your
loved ones reach their educational goals as well. Whether
you’re returning to school or you’re paying for your child’s
college tuition, refinancing could help make it happen.
Talk to your tax advisor when paying for tuition, because
there can even be a tax-deduction benefit for taking
the cash-out option.
Your Credit Score Has Improved
If you’ve worked hard to improve your financial situation
by paying off credit accounts that were weighing down
your score, it’s time to call your Home Loan Expert. You
could qualify for a much lower interest rate if your score
has substantially improved.
PREP SCHOOL: WHY REFINANCE?
Your life changes, and your mortgage should change with it. Whether you’re moving, staying
put, have a lot of expenses, or experience a change in finances, making sure your home loan
is keeping up with you is of the utmost importance. Here are the most common reasons
homeowners choose to refinance.
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4. DO THE MATH: EQUITY + YOU = POWER
How refinancing to use the equity in your home can work for you.
Home Equity, Defined
Home equity is the monetary difference between the value of your home and how much you have left to pay on your
mortgage. For example, if your home is valued at $200,000 and you owe $150,000 on your mortgage, you have
$50,000 of equity in your home.
Straight to the Head of the Class: Getting the Home Equity Advantage
The equity you have in your home can be a powerful tool to help you achieve your financial goals. Home equity can help you
get through a rough financial patch, pay for home improvements, fund college tuition, eliminate high-interest debt — whatever
fits your needs. Using home equity as a means of payment usually means the interest rate is lower than with most credit cards.
What’s more, the interest accrued on a cash-out refinance can be tax deductible.
Refinancing Your Mortgage with Cash Out
If the value of your home increased in the time since you purchased it, you can refinance at its current value.
You’ll receive a lump sum of cash equal to the difference in equity.
Benefits
• Lower mortgage payments
• Access cash to pay off high-interest debt
• You could shorten the term of your home loan
• Lower interest rate
Extra Credit
Get in control of your finances. If you
have debt or upcoming debt, write
down exactly what expenses you need
to cover and when you have to pay
them. It’s easier to gain control of your
debt if you know exactly what you’re
dealing with.
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5. DO YOUR RESEARCH: GO BIGGER OR GO HOME?
You own a home and your family needs more space. Now what? Do you add on to your
current home or do you move to a larger one? These quick tips can help you decide.
What to Consider
If you love your neighborhood, the school system is great, and everything you need is right nearby, consider remodeling.
If you do, consider the costs associated with a remodel and what your neighborhood will approve. It’s also important
to find a contractor you can trust.
Raise Your Hand
Ask your contractor if your home’s style and structure are suited for an addition. Check with your local authorities about land
use and zoning regulations as well.
Is It Worth It?
Next, add up the potential costs of both options. Your Quicken Loans Home Loan Expert can help you crunch the numbers.
Let him or her know what the estimated cost of your remodel will be. By adding the cost of your remodel to your estimated
closing costs, and recalculating your cash-out refinance at the current interest rate, you’ll have a good idea of your projected
monthly mortgage payment.
In comparison, you could sell your current home and use the proceeds to pay the upfront costs of a larger home.
Your Home Loan Expert can also help you calculate the cost of making the move. Have a ballpark price range in mind
for an accurate comparison and don’t forget to factor in moving costs, closing costs and real estate agent costs, when
applicable. The cost of moving can be around eight to 10 percent of your current home’s value, according to the
American Homeowners Foundation. And consider these costs wouldn’t be included as part of a remodeling project.
Extra Credit
Crunch your numbers! Don’t guesstimate
when it comes to big financial decisions.
You can save a lot of money by pricing
out additions instead of just picking up and
moving. If you need help with the numbers,
your Quicken Loans Home Loan Expert
can help you find out what’s right for you.
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6. STUDY GUIDE: THE SHORT COURSE IN HOME LOAN OPTIONS
Quicken Loans knows everyone has a specific financial situation. That’s why we offer so many flexible loan options.
Take the YOURgageSM
, for example. With the YOURgage, you get the flexibility to choose the term of your loan,
anywhere from 8–30 years, to fit your needs.
Whether you’re a first-time home buyer, looking for a way to lower your monthly payment, or looking to pay off some debt,
your Quicken Loans Home Loan Expert is ready to help you find the right mortgage for you. Here are a few of the loan options
and term lengths you might talk about when you call us:
Long-Term Mortgages: 20–30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgages
Getting a mortgage term that’s 20 years or longer is a great option if you plan to stay in your home for 10 or more years,
and you expect your income will stay the same. With a long-term, fixed-rate home loan, your payments will never change
and your interest rate will stay constant over the life of the loan. The downside? You’ll be paying interest over a longer
period of time, which means you may end up paying more over the life of the loan. If you choose a long-term mortgage,
you’ll also want to pay close attention to changing interest rates in the home loan market. If interest rates drop below
your fixed rate, you’ll want to refinance to take advantage of them.
Shorter-Term Mortgages: 8–15-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgages
If paying off your mortgage quickly is a priority for you, a shorter-term mortgage could be the right choice. The advantage?
You’ll pay off your mortgage in less time, and you’ll typically pay less interest because your term is shorter. Most importantly,
you’ll build more equity in a shorter period of time, because more of your monthly payment goes toward paying off your
loan’s principal. And of course, your fixed interest rate and payment amount will never change over the life of the loan.
Talk to your tax advisor about whether a shorter-term mortgage would affect your deductions.
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7. LEARNING FROM OTHERS:
CASE STUDIES IN REFINANCING AS THE SOLUTION TO FINANCIAL HURDLES
Case Study #1: Credit Crunch
Paul and Karen were in a short-term financial crunch. They were having
a hard time paying their bills every month and meeting deadlines. They
felt like they had a lot of credit cards to keep track of and were only able
to pay the minimum payment on most of them.
SOLUTION: Paul and Karen consolidated their debt by refinancing
and lowering their mortgage payment. Now they’re able to pay off
the balances on their credit cards much faster.
Case Study #3: Tuition Fruition
With their daughter starting college in the fall, Deon and April needed
to pay tuition throughout the school year.
SOLUTION: Deon and April refinanced their mortgage with cash out.
They used the cash they took out to make large tuition payments every
semester. Because the interest rate on the cash they’d taken was lower
than using a credit card, they paid less in interest.
Case Study #2: Uneven Income, Smooth Refi
Cari is a successful equipment sales agent, but her income is cyclical. She has an influx
of cash during some months, but other months are too slow to make ends meet.
SOLUTION: Cari refinanced to 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, which helps her manage
the peaks and valleys of her finances. When her commission income is up, she pays
down the principal of her loan by paying more than the minimum monthly payment.
When her income is down, she continues to make the minimum payment, but since
it’s a 30-year mortgage, her payment is spread over the 30-year term of her loan,
making the payments as low as possible. She can now count on a low, fixed monthly
payment when sales are down, and the flexibility to pay down her principal when
sales are great.
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8. NEVER STOP LEARNING: COUNT ON QUICKEN LOANS FOR LIFE
Your Quicken Loans Home Loan Expert is not only here to help you manage your home financing today,
but also to help you to achieve long-term goals. After all, life changes and your mortgage should change
with it. Quicken Loans keeps you informed of industry trends and new home financing options long after
your closing. We’re always tracking current mortgage rates, and we alert you if market moves could benefit
you in any way.
If you ever have home financing questions, contact your Home Loan Expert. From your first call to closing
and beyond, Quicken Loans gives you outstanding client service for the life of your loan. And if you had
a great experience with us, tell someone you know. A referral is the best compliment we could ever receive.
In fact, nine out of 10 clients would refer us to their friends and family.* We’d be glad if you would, too.
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