Refinancing

Refinancing is often used to lower your mortgage interest rate. If mortgage rates have dropped since you last financed your home, you may want to consider refinancing. Common reasons to refinance include: lowering your mortgage interest rate, lowering your monthly mortgage payment,  reducing the term of your mortgage, converting an adjustable rate mortgage or a balloon mortgage to a fixed rate mortgage, dropping Private Mortgage Insurance,  or to extract cash equity in your home (cash out).  A few reasons for cashing out include: home improvements, providing for educational expenses, and consolidating debts.

Another way to convert equity in your home to cash is a "home equity" loan. A "home equity" loan is an alternative to refinancing if your home mortgage has a very low interest rate compared to current interest rates or if you have a prepayment penalty on your mortgage.