Should you refinance?

Have you thought of refinancing? The option is becoming more of a possibility for many borrowers as housing values across the country continue to increase. The real question is whether homeowners should follow through with the cash out refinancing option.

A cash-out refinance means you refinance your mortgage for more than the current outstanding balance and keep the difference between the old and new loans. For instance, you want $25,000 to start a business. But you still owe $100,000 on a $200,000 house. You can refinance the mortgage at $125,000 and use the $25,000 in equity you pulled out for your business venture. Depending on the rate you started with, you could end up with a lower rate and a lower payment on the new mortgage, too.

Here are some Pros of Cash-Out Refinances:

— Satisfy big expenses: A cash-out refi is a way to access money to pay off big bills such as college tuition, medical expenses, new business funding or home improvements. It often comes at a more attractive interest rate than those on unsecured personal loans, student loans or credit cards.
— Improve your debt profile: Using a refinance to reduce or consolidate credit card debt is also considered a cash-out refinance and is a popular option.
— More stable rate: Many of borrowers choose to do a cash-out refinance for home improvement projects because they want a steady interest rate instead of an adjustable rate that comes with home equity lines of credit, or HELOCs.

Here are Cons of Cash-Out Refinances

— Worse terms: While you may get a lower interest rate than your current mortgage, your cash-out refi rate will be higher than a regular refinance at market rate. Even with a credit score is 800, you will pay a little more, usually an eighth of a percentage point higher, than the market rate on a regular loan.
— Cumbersome, and sometimes pricey, process: Gathering many of the same documents you did when you first got your home loan: past two years of tax returns; past two years of W-2 forms; 30 days’ worth of pay stubs; two most recent bank statements; and possibly more, depending on your situation.
— You’ll also have to pay closing costs at the end of the refinance, which can range from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars, depending on a variety of factors.
— Home at greater risk: Taking out equity puts you at greater risk of owing more than your home is worth when housing values go down.

So, is it for you?

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Adjustable-Rate Mortgages Regain Popularity as Prices, Rates Rise

Adjustable-rate mortgages, which all but vanished during the housing bust, are again gaining popularity. Home prices and interest rates rose last year, and adjustable mortgages can help keep the monthly payment affordable — at least temporarily. Such mortgages offer a lower initial rate, but that rate can rise over time with market changes.

With interest rates expected to rise this year, the proportion of ARMs could increase further. Last week, lenders offered, on average, a 3.05 percent interest rate for a 5/1-year ARM — which means a borrower receives that rate for five years, before the loan starts to adjust annually with the market. That’s compared with 4.53 percent for a 30-year fixed loan, according to mortgage giant Freddie Mac.

Mortgage brokers say borrowers who plan to move after a few years, or those with considerable, but irregular, income could be well-suited for an ARM. ARMs have been most popular in some higher-priced communities. That’s a contrast to last decade’s housing bubble, when lenders flooded working-class communities with extremely risky mortgages. One such product — known as the option ARM — allowed borrowers to pay even less than the interest owed, swelling the size of the loan as unpaid interest was added on to principal.

Many borrowers who took such loans bet home prices would continue to rise, allowing them to easily refinance or sell before the first adjustment. Many got burned when home prices plummeted, preventing any refinancing.

Largely gone are option ARMs and loans with very low “teaser” rates that quickly exploded into payments that borrowers couldn't afford. Lenders during the bubble years also qualified borrowers based on teaser rates, increasing the likelihood of default. New federal regulations taking effect this month should further curtail some of the riskier ARMs, including interest-only products and those with balloon payments. Of course, rates could adjust downward in favorable market conditions. But ARMs are still riskier than fixed-rate loans — especially when rates remain at historical lows but are expected to rise.

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