Thinking of getting a new home mortgage? Here is some essential information you need to know before refinancing your way to financial relief.

Considering getting a new home mortgage to get better interest rate, lower monthly payment or shorter loan term? Well, you might just be in the right track. Put simply, a home mortgage refinance is only a sound financial decision if you save a good amount of money out of it. When is it a good idea to refinance?

Refinancing is sound if you have an existing adjustable rate mortgage which is increasing in a pace too fast for you to carry on, or about to make a balloon payment you are not ready for. Refinancing also makes sense if you need some extra cash for a big expenditure such as a much needed house renovation or college tuition. Before these circumstances put you in deeper financial trouble, it may be a good idea to get a new home mortgage and refinance your problems away.

There are a good number of online tools available to help you determine whether or not you are viable for a new home mortgage or refinancing. These calculators often take into consideration most of the factors which are important during the entire process which includes your current balance, monthly payments, interest rates, application fees, closing fees which include documentation, legal fees, appraisal, and so on. All these are useful, and will help you avoid underestimation or overestimation of the new mortgage you are planning to take on.

Getting a new home mortgage through refinancing usually involves paying off your original mortgage and signing up for one which is based on better conditions. If you are to pay off your first mortgage early, expect some pre-payment penalties to be charged against you. Also, you need to expect closing fees which will be charged by your lender.

With these in mind, you have to properly compare your existing loan and your new mortgage loan based not only on a short-term basis (monthly payments to be made) but in the long term as well (the mortgage term). This means that the total cost of your new mortgage (considering all monthly payments) should be less than your existing mortgage.

You must also look into annual rates and fees to make sure that the total costs you need to take on when financing a new home mortgage is less than your total savings in interest rates. There are lenders which do not require you to pay upfront closing costs, but charge you higher for your interest rate, with higher monthly payments. You will need to carefully consider these factors and do your own calculations to make sure you actually save when refinancing.

Getting a new home mortgage is a big decision that you should carefully think about and consider. Be sure to have your lender inform you of everything you need to know to avoid unpleasant surprises along the way. Lenders are always ready to be of help should you need any form of clarification. Remember though that in order to get a good deal, you should be well-informed and educated in the entire decision making process.