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When will it be a good time to refinance?

DDA Mortgage • Jun 27, 2022

Now is not the best time to refinance with rates going up.


However, if you need cash to pay off high-interest adjustable debt that is climbing or if you want to take on a home project because of the increased equity of your home, cash-out refinancing is still a good option. Remember, you can always refinance again, when the rates are lower.


If you don't need the money, I suggest waiting until rates come back down. Here's why.


I've been in the mortgage industry for over 35 years. I've seen this cycle many times. The Fed is raising rates. Eventually, this will slow down the economy and lead to a recession. The Fed will lower rates to recover from the recession. Once this happens, it will be a good time to refinance, cash-out, pay down debt, and take on home projects.


When rates drop, it will be a great opportunity to take advantage of all that equity you've built up.


Rate drops are hard to predict for several reasons, but the cycle is consistent. Mortgage rates rise and fall based on a number of factors like:


Changes In The Bond Market Affect Mortgage Interest Rates

The bond market is a huge part of the mortgage rate equation. And that's because bonds are what most lenders use to fund their mortgages. When interest rates rise in the bond market, lenders have to pay more for their funds, which means they can't afford to offer as many mortgages at a lower rate as they could before. That makes it more expensive for borrowers to get a loan.


Changes In The Secured Overnight Finance Rate

Another factor that can affect mortgage rates is the Secured Overnight Finance Rate (SOFR). It's the rate banks charge each other overnight for short-term loans. The Federal Reserve sets this rate every morning and adjusts it throughout the day based on how well banks are doing financially. When SOFR rises or falls, so do other rates like LIBOR and T-bill yields — all of which impact mortgage rates.


The Constant Maturity Treasury Rate Affects Rates

This is another important factor that can affect your mortgage rate: The Constant Maturity Treasury Rate (CMT) is a benchmark used by lenders to determine how much interest they'll pay on bonds they buy from investors — such as those issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. When CMT rises or falls, so does your mortgage rate.


The Health Of The Economy Affects Rates

When the economy is strong and growing, it's likely that mortgage rates will decrease as well. This is because lenders are more willing to lend money when they're confident that they'll be repaid. In addition, homebuyers tend to have more job security when jobs are plentiful and salaries increase, so their ability to repay their loans is better than if they were unemployed or underemployed.


The Health Of The Economy Affects Mortgage Rates

When the economy is strong and growing, it's likely that mortgage rates will decrease as well. This is because lenders are more willing to lend money when they're confident that they'll be repaid. In addition, homebuyers tend to have more job security when jobs are plentiful and salaries increase, so their ability to repay their loans is better than if they were unemployed or underemployed.


Inflation Affects Mortgage Rates

Inflation is another factor that affects mortgage rates. Higher inflation leads to higher interest rates because lenders know that they will be paid back with less buying power than they lent if inflation continues at its current pace.


The term structure of interest rates is another factor that affects mortgage rates. This refers to the difference between short-term interest rates such as three-month Treasury bills and long-term ones such as 30-year mortgages. The yield curve refers specifically to this spread between short-term and long-term yields on government bonds or home loans. When investors want higher returns from longer maturities, they usually require a higher yield on those investments. When all this will happen is hard to predict for several reasons, but the cycle is consistent.


I'm Didier at DDA mortgage. I always want to give you options, so you can get the best loan with the best terms to fit your situation.


If you have any questions about refinancing your home, call DDA Mortgage at (727) 784-5555, or use the form below to send us your questions.


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By Didier Malagies 25 Mar, 2024
Home equity levels among homeowners aged 62 and older are at record levels following the end of the pandemic. As a result, reverse mortgages may no longer be considered a “loan of last resort” as financial planners aim to highlight their uses as part of a comprehensive financial plan in retirement. This is according to a column published this week by Investment News, soliciting input from planner professionals well known to the reverse mortgage business, including Wade Pfau. But other data suggests convincing borrowers of the benefits remains very challenging. Reverse mortgage use as part of a broader financial plan “is really the intention in the financial planning space,” Pfau told the outlet. While reverse mortgage customers benefit greatly from low rates, the current high-rate environment doesn’t fully cancel out their potential use as a planning tool, he explained. “It’s all about the sequence-of-returns risk in retirement planning […] Spending from the home equity helps you preserve more investments, so there is going to be a bigger legacy at the end,” Pfau told the outlet. “The beneficiaries can get more. They can pay off the loan and still have a net windfall.” This perspective is consistent with prior statements Pfau has provided to other outlets, including to RMD . Other financial planners adjacent to the reverse mortgage space offered their own thoughts, including Steve Resch, vice president of retirement strategies at Finance of America Reverse (FAR). “The goal is for the client or the family to always retain an equity position in that property. […] Years ago, that wasn’t the case,” Resch said in the story, describing the housing crisis of 2008 as a “reckoning” for the reverse mortgage industry as well as the larger housing ecosystem. Resch explained that the ballooning length of retirement in America contributes to the potential utility of a reverse mortgage for qualifying borrowers. “It’s simply a matter of demographics,” he told Investment News. “We have an enormous population that is moving into retirement. We’ve got a massive amount of equity available. We’re looking at 20- to 30-year retirements. Bringing home equity into that plan really makes sense.” Another financial planner, Gateway Wealth Management founder David Foster, cited Pfau’s work in particular as helping to bring him around on the product category as a planning tool for clients, but convincing them to take a closer look at a reverse mortgage remains a major challenge. “I think reverse mortgages might be the single most underutilized retirement planning tool,” he told the outlet. “I have found it extremely difficult to have a rational conversation with my clients about reverse mortgages. Most people who’ve paid off their house just cannot fathom the idea of going back into debt. “No amount of logic will be able to convince them that it is wise to borrow against their house in retirement after having worked so hard to pay off their home prior to retirement,” Foster added. “I’ve even had people get borderline angry with me for even suggesting the idea.” Last year, Mutual of Omaha Mortgage released survey data suggesting that education hurdles remain very steep for the reverse mortgage industry when aiming to connect with a variety of different borrowers on multiple potential use cases. 
By Didier Malagies 25 Mar, 2024
You have Conventional Mortgages, FNMA/FHMC, FHA, VA, Reverse Mortgages, Bank Statement loans, DSCR, Reverse Mortgages, and 1099 mortgages. Depending on your particular situation, could be a choice based on credit scores, income, funds to close Buying a home using Bank statements to qualify for a mortgage Buying a home using a 1099 only to qualify for a mortgage Using rental income to qualify for a mortgage Or being a first-time home buyer with just 1% down to purchase a home tune in and learn more at https://www.ddamortgage.com/blog didier malagies nmls#212566  dda mortgage nmls#324329
By Didier Malagies 18 Mar, 2024
What if you refinanced your lower-rate first mortgage into a higher rate but consolidated all of your debt into one low payment. Getting rid of credit cards, car loans, installment loans, and student loans. What would your savings be a month and how much would you save? Then if property values were ever to plummet and rates came crashing down. Just go back to 2007 when we were able to refinance everyone on the HARP program. I just break things down to worse-case scenarios and how you can stay ahead of the game with your finances no matter what. I think it is time to get the house in order and save money, doesn't seem like food , medical or anything is going down but instead still going up Maybe everything we are told is not exactly correct tune in and learn https://www.ddamortgage.com/blog Didier Malagies nmls212566 DDA mortgage nmls#324329
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