Home Refinance vs Home Equity Loans
Refinancing is to pay off your existing mortgage with another one at a lower rate.
A cash out refinance is refinancing your existing mortgage and borrowing some of your equity in a lump sum to use for other purposes. Such as home improvement, college tuition, family vacation, etc.
Other reasons people use a cash out refinance is to use the equity in their home to invest in real estate, or start their own business.
The cash out refinance are very good tools when used for the right reasons. It is not wise to do cash out refinancing if you are going to receive a higher interest rate than what you already have on your current mortgage.
If you have a really good rate on your current mortgage, it would be wise to leave it alone.
However, if you are looking to tap into the equity you have acquired in your home without touching your current mortgage, you may want to consider a Home Equity Loan.
The home equity loan allows you to borrow the equity you have acquired without touching your first mortgage. The home equity loan is also referred to as a second mortgage.
For instance, if you have acquired $50,000.00 worth of equity in your home, you can borrow up to about 90% of that equity, without your first mortgage being affected.
The cash out refinance and the home equity loan can be very similar and serve almost the same purpose, your situation should determine the right choice for you. The cash out refinance is a first mortgage where you will receive all of your cash upfront when you close your mortgage. The payment will remain the same throughout the rest of the term of the loan. With a home equity loan you are not required to take all of the cash you are needing at the time of close. You can draw on the line like a credit card to take only as much cash that you need. The payment for the HELOC will fluxuate until you fix the term with the bank.
With this all being said, I want to leave you with this reminder. Do your homework, educate yourself, and shop around for the best deal. The best place to shop around for a mortgage refinance is at www.geniusrates.com. There you will find one form that you can fill out and receive back multiple offers from several different mortgage brokers and banks.