Mortgage & Refinancing Information


Refinancing vs Line of Credit


Refinancing vs line of credit are two popular options you have when deciding the best way to take equity out of your home. Sometimes it makes sense to establish a line of credit. But in other situations it's better to get a cash back refinance mortgage loan.

You can find out which loan is best for your situation by doing some simple math. The amount of money you need to borrow and the length of time you need to pay it back really determines if refinancing vs line of credit loan makes the most sense.

Home equity lines of credit are based on adjustable type mortgage rates and move up or down when the Fed raises or lowers the prime rate. If you don't need to borrow much money and plan to pay off the loan in a short amount of time, an equity line of credit may work best for you because you pay the least amount of interest.

An advantage of a home equity credit line is banks offer their lowest interest rates on adjustable mortgage rate type loans. Also, equity lines of credit usually come without the typical closing costs you pay with a cash back refinance mortgage loan.

Average closing costs on a refinance loan usually amount to several thousands of dollars. So when you are trying to decide between refinancing vs line of credit that should factor into your decision.

Another advantage of a home equity credit line is they are more flexible than a cash back refinance mortgage loan. With a home equity credit line you only pay interest on the amount you borrow. The remainder of the credit line is available at any time without paying any interest.

Home equity credit lines work well for smaller loan amounts, but if you need a large amount of money, say $75,000 to $100,000, you may want to consider a cash back refinance mortgage loan.

A cash back refinance mortgage loan is a first mortgage and most are amortized over a 30 year payment schedule. That keeps your payments more affordable on a larger loan amount. Most home equity lines amortize over 10 years or 15 years because they are a second mortgage loan.

Another consideration when trying to decide between refinancing vs line of credit is the interest rate you currently have on your first mortgage. If you have a low interest rate on your first mortgage you may want to take advantage of a home equity credit line so you can keep your low rate on the first mortgage.

If you have a high interest rate on your first mortgage, a cash back refinance mortgage loan with a lower interest rate might make more sense. Just remember to do the math because the average closing costs on a refinance loan will amount to several thousands of dollars.

Until you repay the loan closing costs you won't be saving any money even if your monthly payment is lower. Figure the number of months it takes in payment savings to cover the typical closing costs of a cash back refinance mortgage loan to see if this makes sense for you.

These simple tips should help when deciding if you should establish a line of credit or get a cash back refinance mortgage loan. Do the math to find out if refinancing vs line of credit makes the most sense for your situation.

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MORE RESOURCES:

USA TODAY

Pros and Cons of a Mortgage Refinance
FreeRateUpdate.com
Many homeowners are jumping on the opportunity to save money with a mortgage refinance at the current low mortgage rates. With mortgage rates at historically low levels, some homeowners have refinanced more than once in the past several years which is ...
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Lenders say mortgage refinance deal will bolster Manatee market
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By JOSH SALMAN - jsalman@bradenton.com MANATEE -- A new refinance program to help underwater homeowners will uplift the local economy by putting extra cash into the pockets of those who will spend it, area lenders predict. The deal struck with five of ...

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Mortgage-refinance bill a dangerous deal
Arizona Republic
by Robert Robb, columnist - Feb. 10, 2012 12:00 AM State Sen. Michele Reagan wants to help out underwater homeowners in the worst way. And she has succeeded with SB 1451 -- it's hard to imagine a worse bill. Reagan proposes to establish a state agency ...

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Housing Wire

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Fox News
WASHINGTON – President Obama is rallying support for his plan to expand government assistance to homeowners, pressuring Congress to help lower lending rates for millions of strapped homeowners. Obama, in his radio and Internet address Saturday, ...
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New Obama mortgage refinance plan to near $10 billionHousing Wire
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MonitorBankRates.com

Mortgage Refinance Rates: 15 Year Refinance Mortgage Rates at 3.29%
MonitorBankRates.com
Mortgage refinance rates on 30 year conforming home loans are averaging 3.98%, unchanged from yesterday's average 30 year mortgage refinance rate. Mortgage refinance rates today on 15 year home mortgage loans are averaging 3.29%, down from yesterday's ...

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Harney: Reviewing Obama's mortgage refinance plan
The Seattle Times
Though it was pronounced dead-before-arrival by opponents on Capitol Hill, President Obama's new mortgage-refinancing package contained... By Kenneth R. Harney Mortgage refinancing is an outstanding plan particularly as the home mortgage rates are.

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Fox News

Obama Proposes Mortgage-Refinance Plan
Wall Street Journal
By NICK TIMIRAOS President Barack Obama called on Congress during Tuesday's State of the Union address to approve new legislation that would give all homeowners who are current on their mortgages the opportunity to refinance at record low mortgage ...
Will Obama's Mortgage Refinance Plan Be D.O.A.?U.S. News & World Report
Obama proposes mortgage refinance programPolitico (blog)
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Daily Caller
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International Business Times

FOX 11 News Discussion: State of the Union
MyFox Los Angeles
And he aimed a pitch at homeowners, announcing a new mortgage refinance program with "historically low interest rates" that "gives every responsible homeowner the chance to save about $3000 a year on their mortgage." He added, "A small fee on the ...
Winning Words, But Not a WinnerU.S. News & World Report
Obama State of the Union 2012: Mortgage Refinance Changes Face ObstaclesInternational Business Times

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CBS Local

Six Questions on Obama's Mortgage Refinance Proposal
Wall Street Journal (blog)
By Nick Timiraos President Barack Obama said Tuesday night in his State of the Union address that he would send a plan to Congress to allow all homeowners who are current on their mortgages to refinance. Here's a quick look at the proposal: How is this ...
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Bloomberg

HARP Refi May Delay PMI Cancellation
NASDAQ
The federal HARP mortgage refinance program can be a huge boon for underwater homeowners. But if you have PMI, there's a little hitch you should know about. While refinancing a mortgage through HARP can cut your interest rate and save you money, ...
New HARP Could Help Up to 6.7 MillionMortgageLoan.com

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