If you are planning to refinance your mortgage there are a number of mistakes to be made that can cost you thousands of dollars. Doing your homework and preparing before you apply for a mortgage will help you avoid these common mistakes. Here is what you need to know to get started refinancing your mortgage loan. Mortgages used to be fairly simple; your grandparents had two choices when it came to their mortgage: 30 years or 15. Today it seems there are as many types of mortgages as there are borrowers. To find the right mortgage you need to research mortgages, evaluate your financial goals, and shop for a mortgage offer that is in line with those goals. There is preparation to be done before you start shopping. This preparation will help you avoid making costly mistakes; here is how to get started. Review Your Credit Reports Before you do anything else make sure your credit reports are accurate. The contents of these reports (and there are three of them), is what determines your credit score. This credit score largely determines what interest rate you will qualify for. Fortunately it is easy to request all three of these reports without spending a dime. Most credit report sites offering free access to your credit reports are trying to sell you services. Congress recently enacted legislation requiring credit agencies to provide you access to your credit reports for free. The website annualcreditreports.com will allow you full access to all three of your credit reports (Experian, Trans Union, and Equifax) at no charge. Once you have all three credit reports carefully review them for errors. If you find errors you will need to dispute them. Pay close attention to your record of on-time payments. You will want to have at least six months of on-time payments before you start shopping for your new mortgage loan. Stop Spending Never make large purchases prior to refinancing your mortgages. Anything that is financed, right down to a television or kitchen appliance will impact your credit. Avoid making purchases, pay down your credit cards, and put money in the bank for at least six months prior to refinancing your mortgage. Shop Around for the Best Mortgage Do not make the mistake of signing the first mortgage offer your receive. You need to shop from a variety of mortgage lenders and compare all aspects of the loan offer, not simply the interest rate. To learn more about shopping for the best mortgage loan while avoiding mortgage pitfalls, register for a free mortgage guidebook using the links below. |
