Tag: refinance your mortgage

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Mortgage

The Reality of Mortgage Repayments

low doc home loans||low doc home loan||alc reality of mortgage repayments

In spite of the loan solution you carefully select, you should comprehend the way in which a loan works, and what it implies. Understanding the reality of mortgage repayments is the first step to making the right decision to fit your financial status.

Understanding Interest

Recently, Australians have benefited from low and attractive interest rates. So, how does this influence your mortgage repayments? Mortgage providers grow or diminish their rates, to mirror the movement exercised by the set cash interest rate. At the moment, interest rates are estimated at around 4.5 per cent, depending on the lender.

Although selecting fixed mortgage repayments over variable ones might seem the right choice, as it protects you from fluctuations, some other aspects should be considered. If you’re locked into a variable home loan, when the cash rate lowers, your interest will also decrease. Even though this is an unmatched advantage, Aussies should know that low rates don’t plan on staying this way forever.

To grasp the way in which this phenomenon influences your mortgage repayments, hear us out. A standard variable rate for a 25-year old loan of $200,000 would have a $1112 monthly payment, with 4.5 per cent interest rate. If this would change with as little as one per cent, it will either rise to $1228 or diminish to $1001.

Also, bear in mind that, over the life span of a loan, fluctuations may reach $100 per month. What we’re trying to say is that you should embrace a repayment plan with the right contingency measures, in the case in which the interest rate spikes.

When the Loan Matures

You should also note that the market conditions are due to change. That is inevitable. In this respect, you should take advantage of whichever opportunity you have to refresh your financial approach. An option might be to discuss with your financial advisor. But, before doing that, there are some solutions for adjusting your mortgage repayments:

  • Refinancing: When the interest rates are low, you can always consider refinancing. That may be a more convenient option. Even though there are exit and entry costs that should be factored in, as a general rule, you’ll recoup those expenses over the life of the loan.
  • Pay ahead: If the interest rates are low and your budget enables you, you should consider getting ahead on your mortgage repayments. If you manage to make a considerable repayment during this time, not only that you will decrease your overall loan balance, but you’ll save a lot on interest rate payments.
  • Fix your loan: If your credit conditions are permissive enough, we advise you to lock in the new low rate.

To conclude, comprehending the market conditions does pay off. When you sign a loan agreement, you should know what it implies, how the market is due to change and how it can affect you.

In spite of your current status, don’t hesitate to refresh your mindset, in the case in which the market alters in your favour. Why shouldn’t you take advantage of it? Nonetheless, bear in mind that you should discuss with your financial advisor before taking the leap.

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Refinance and Refinancing Self Employed

Guide: Refinancing for Self-Employed Aussies

refinance for self employed
refinance for self employed

Being self-employed means that you’re going to have to put in a little more effort into finding the right refinancing solution for you. That’s exactly why we’ve put together a self-employed refinancing guide to help you get a clearer picture of what you should pay attention to, how to choose a loan and most importantly, how to find the best option for your needs.

Self-employed borrowers encounter difficulties when they’re looking to refinance their loan. This happens because financial institutions will take a closer look at their income and are sceptical due to not knowing how their business is going to progress.

This refinancing guide will tell you how to start when you’re self-employed.

Talk to a Lender

Finding the right refinancing package relies on how much you earn. According to your income, you’ll know the amount you can borrow and the limit.

Without taking to time to assess the situation, you may end up disappointed, so start slow and talk to a lender that will be able to give you some points on how to proceed and what you should know.

Do the Math

The second part of this refinancing guide is to calculate exactly how much you’ve made in the last couple of years. Two years is usually the amount of time relevant when discussing self-employed people.

Go through your records and place all your receipts in order.

Fill the Paperwork

Get your paperwork in order by gathering financial statements, a notice of assessments and income tax returns. Unfortunately, having a successful business doesn’t get you a free pass on all of these.

Although it’s time-consuming, without the necessary papers, it would be harder to convince a lender that your business is doing well and you can afford to refinance.

Are You Really Self-Employed?

Many people confuse being self-employed with sub-contracting deals or being a contractor. Some lenders might think that as long as you work for others, you might pass as an employee, which could help you skip some steps involved in this refinancing guide.

Be Honest about Your Expenses

A new piece of equipment, a few more employees or a training course might have raised your expenses the last year. Don’t try to hide them from your lender and explain the situation. There’s always a solution, even though it may not be obvious to you just yet.

Adequate Taxable Income

Unfortunately, this is one of the hardest requirements for a self-employed person. Saying and proving that you can afford to refinance a loan are two different things.

An adequate taxable income is a sort of like your green pass when looking into refinancing. Try to get the necessary paperwork to also prove it.

This guide to refinancing for self-employed contains the significant steps that you’ll have to make to refinance your loan when you are self-employed. There are benefits and drawbacks when you work for yourself, but seek professional advice if you’re having doubts about how to proceed.

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Refinance and Refinancing

Refinancing Analysed: Pros and Cons

pros and cons of refinancing||Pros and Cons of Refinancing

Refinancing can be a convenient option in many cases, regardless if you are hoping to get a better interest rate or attempting to consolidate your existing debts. However, it can prove to be pretty tricky in the long run, which is why you may want to learn everything about the refinancing pros and cons.

This option may be perfect for one borrower and a disaster to another. This is why you need to do your homework and read the points below before switching to another loan system.

When Refinancing is Beneficial

When it comes to refinancing pros and cons, there are definitely some benefits you can reap by making the switch. Here are the main ones:

  • Getting Access to Equity – You can use the equity you collected in your loan for other things such as investing, renovating, buying a new car or going on a vacation.
  • Getting a Better Rate – You can get a better interest rate by refinancing, which means that your payments will also be lower. This could, in turn, save you a lot of money.
  • Increase Your Mortgage Length – By increasing the length of your payment, you will have a smaller monthly fee. However, you may end up with a higher interest, causing you to pay more in the long run.
  • Decrease Your Mortgage Length – The same can apply in reverse if you reduce the mortgage length. Not only will you get rid of the debt sooner, but you will also pay less in interest than before.
  • Eliminate Fees – You can sometimes get out of paying certain fees by refinancing a loan. If your current loan has built-in fees for additional features that you may no longer need, a refinance may help you get rid of some of these charges.

Refinancing can be a great way to make your payments easier, but you need to be aware of all the refinancing pros and cons before proceeding.

The Drawbacks of Refinancing

Just as there are refinancing pros, there are also particular cons. When checking out refinancing pros and cons, here are the few risks that you need to keep in mind.

  • Lender’s Mortgage Insurance – Whenever you get a loan, you need to pay insurance to the lender. If you change your lender, it means that you may have to pay that insurance again, even if you already paid it before. This may undercut most of the savings you hoped to get with the refinancing.
  • Longer Loan Duration – Refinancing means that you may have to pay for longer than you originally had to. This might put a damper on your plans if you had the intention to move out.
  • Extra fees – You may be required to pay certain exit fees from your own pocket, and these aren’t exactly cheap. Plus, you may be forced to pay even more entry fees upon refinancing.

Refinancing can be a great way to save some money due to its benefits. However, depending on the circumstance, this process may get you paying more than you should have if you are not careful enough. Keep in mind all these refinancing pros and cons before deciding.

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Refinance and Refinancing Home Loans

Advantages of Refinancing

Advantages of Refinancing

Refinancing refers to the process of paying off your current loan with a second loan.  If the timing is right for you, refinancing can be a very beneficial exercise and may ultimately save you thousands. Learn the advantages of refinancing here.

When is the best time to refinance your mortgage?

Refinancing your mortgage works best when the interest rates are low.  If they aren’t lower than your current rate, then refinancing is probably not worth your while.  The idea of refinancing your home loan is for the likelihood that the monthly repayment amount will be reduced noticeably resulting in a considerably lower home loan repayment in the long-term.

How do you measure costs and advantages of refinancing my home loan?

There are advantages and disadvantages to refinancing your home loan.  The idea is to understand what you’re in for with your particular situation.  For some people, the best method when considering whether to refinance is a simple comparison.

Compare all the costs of your current home loan to the new loan over a future period.  Since the loan period may vary according to how steadfast your repayments are, just make the best guess as to how long you will have the new home loan.  If the total costs are going to be lower with the home loan, then you should refinance.

How much are you able to borrow by refinancing your home loan?

Most lenders will consider the following four aspects when assessing your home loan refinance application.

  1. Your ability to pay. It is important that you have a regular income.
  2. Your credit history.
  3. All other monetary obligations. It is important for a lender to understand your current financial commitments so that they can determine if refinancing is going to be the best option for you.
  4. The value of your property.  This is usually in the case of home equity loans.

The advantages of refinancing are astonishing, provided that the situation is right for a home loan to refinance.  What makes it stand out is the fact that it can cost you less compared to most loans and refinancing can be very effective to consolidate high-interest debts.

If you would like to speak with a consultant to find out if refinancing is the best option for you, please call 1300 138 188 today, alternatively fill out an enquiry form on the right and a consultant will contact you shortly for a free appraisal.