These lenders can turn your dream home into a reality, with low mortgage rates and good service. Take the deed into your hands, today.
Refinancing your mortgage means applying for a new mortgage to replace the current mortgage on your property. In many cases, homeowners refinance because they can secure a lower interest rate or lower monthly payments with a new loan. That can end up saving you thousands of dollars over the term of your mortgage or make it easier to balance your finances.
You can also borrow cash at the same time as you refinance your mortgage using a cash-out refinance. With this type of loan, you borrow more than the value of your existing mortgage and keep the extra money as cash. You can use the funds for a home improvement project, to pay off other debt, or for anything else you need money for.
A good rule of thumb for refinancing is that you should have at least 20% equity in your home. That means that you have paid down at least 20% of your original mortgage.
However, many lenders look at your loan-to-value ratio instead of your equity. Your loan-to-value ratio is the amount of debt you owe on your mortgage divided by your home’s market value. Most lenders want you to have a loan-to-value ratio of less than 80% to refinance your mortgage.
The process of applying for a mortgage refinance typically varies by lender. The process may be completely digital, it may be mostly online with some mailed documents to sign or require a fully paper application.
Still, the documentation you will need to complete your refinance application is typically the same across lenders. Lenders will typically want to see:
In addition, almost every mortgage lender will want an appraisal of your property. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, you may be able to skip the appraisal process or complete it via a virtual tour if your home has been appraised in the past five years.