Home Mortgage refinancing is a great option for homeowners who have a mortgage that is a couple years old, have built up some equity, but find themselves struggling with a high interest debt. The entire home mortgage refinancing process is basically getting your mortgage company or another lender to pay off your existing loan, and qualify you for another one with a lower interest rate. Your...

Mortgage Information - Refinancing? Second Mortgage? Home Equity Loan? Understand The Basics

Carrie Reeder

A mortgage is usually the biggest purchase that an individual makes, and because of that, many people tend to get nervous during the process. But wouldn’t it make things easier if you felt that you had a “handle” on the process—or at least the terminology? After all, in order to get the best deal on your mortgage loan, you will need to understand certain things such as points, interest rates and closing costs.

If you feel like you could stand to brush up on your mortgage loan terminology, why not read the following common terms and their definitions?

Points

A point is amount that a borrower will pay in order to reduce the interest rate on their mortgage. One point is generally equal to 1% of the loan amount. For example, if you were taking out a 100,000 mortgage, and wanted lower interest rates, you might have to pay anywhere from 1-3 points (or $1,000-3,000 dollars) to get that rate. It’s important to note that some lenders will advertise very low interest rates, and only when you read the fine print will you learn that you will have to pay points in order to get them.

Interest Rates

When a lender makes a loan, they make money by charging interest on that loan. With a mortgage loan, all of that interest is front-loaded, which means that for the first few years, every payment that you will make will go mostly toward the interest.

When applying for a mortgage, you will have the option of “locking-in,” or “floating” your interest rate. If you choose to lock-in your rate, then you will be assured—for about 60 days—that when you close it will be at that rate. However, if it appears that interest rates will go lower, you can choose to float the interest rate, which means that you can watch the rates carefully, and then lock it in whenever it reaches an amount that you are comfortable with.

Closing Costs

When you go to close on your home at the title company, both the buyer and seller will have to pay a pre-determined amount of closing costs. These are determined by the type of loan you get, and the area where you live. Your lender is required by law to inform you of any closing costs beforehand, so be sure to ask for your truth in lending estimate.

As you can see, mortgage terms aren’t that mysterious! Do some research or read some more articles on this site to become familiar with the lending terms that you need to know.

There are also many mortgage companies online that can help you find direct
mortgage lenders and home loan brokers that will best suit your needs.
This is a quick way to find a good mortgage loan and compare rates and offers
from multiple lenders. When lenders compete for your business, it works to
your advantage. To view our list of these recommended online mortgage
companies, visit this page: Recommended Online
Home Mortgage Lenders.

About the Author

Carrie Reeder is the owner of ABC Loan Guide, an informational website with articles and the latest news about various types of loans.

The latest information and news on Mortgages:

Yahoo! News Search Results for mortgage

Mortgage rates rise for first time in 12 weeks
Mortgage rates for 30-year US loans rose for the first time in 12 weeks as Americans sought refinancings amid record-low borrowing costs. United States - Mortgage - Loan - Financial Services - Business
Mortgage rates edge up; Housing market still slow
Record-low mortgage rates failed to pull the housing market out of its funk. Now rates are inching higher, but don't blame them if home sales stay sluggish.
Mortgage rates edged up a bit last week
Mortgage rates mostly edged up last week as investors' fears about the economy eased. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac says the average rate for a 30-year fixed loan was 4.35 percent, up from 4.32 percent the week before. Applications to refinance home loans fell 3.1 percent last week, their first drop in...
Mortgage rates bounce back
Mortgage rates rose off last week's record lows, while borrowers remain locked in "pause mode."
Avg. mortgage rate up to 4.35 pct. off decades-low
Mortgage rates mostly edged up last week as investors' fears about the economy eased.
Yahoo! News Search Results for refinance

NABARD To Refinance About INR400 Billion Of Loans This Fiscal Year
NABARD To Refinance About INR400 Billion Of Loans This Fiscal Year
Do You Want To Refinance But Can't?
ATLANTA -- Do you want to refinance but you can't because you owe more on your house than it's worth? If you live in metro Atlanta and are willing to go on camera, please email Clark Howard's producer at patti.d@wsbtv.com.
Tata Steel to refinance $5.5-bn loans
Tata Steel is looking to refinance around $4.5-5.5 billion of its European loans. "We are looking at refinancing our European loans. We will refinance around $4.5-5.5 billion while the gross debt is around $9.5 billion," Tata Steel managing director HM Nerurkar said on the sidelines of a CII Metals ...
Refinance plan has its critics
The government will launch a refinance program this month that targets homeowners who are underwater on their mortgage but have not missed a monthly payment.
How To Refinance Your Home: A Personal Journey Part I
In which the writer matches wits with the home mortgage industry.