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How To Lower Your Mortgage Rate Without Refinancing

Mortgage interest rates have seen record lows for the better part of this year, thus encouraging a surge in mortgage refinancing. However, we must still acknowledge that not everyone wants to replace their current home loan. Borrowers often wonder whether there’s a possibility of lowering mortgage interest rates without necessarily refinancing. Yes, you can lower your mortgage interest rate without refinancing, although the options available may be very limited. If you are facing financial downtime, you may qualify for a mortgage rate reduction. But most times, you’ll either need to turn to a new route to cut your mortgage costs or work towards getting a refinance approval. Here, let’s review some steps that you could leverage to lower your mortgage rate without refinancing.

1. Simply Call and Request a Lower Mortgage Rate

This may not necessarily be a conventional step, but it has worked for many people. We’ve heard of several cases where folks obtain lower interest rates just by calling their mortgage lender and requesting one.

Of course, you’ll need to indicate during your call that you do not want to refinance with them; otherwise, they may take you towards that route. Perhaps, it won’t be as easy as you probably want, but sometimes it’s just a matter of being direct with your request if you want a lower mortgage interest rate.

2. Speak to an Expert To Help You Do a Rate Review

Another option that you could try is speaking to an expert about your chances. Most South Florida mortgage lenders would be ready to look at your situation and offer recommendations based on current trends. Here at Pacific Lending Group, we have experts that can walk you through the rate reduction process by conducting a rate review for you. You can leverage our lender review service to compare your interest rate to new customers’ rates. This service helps you to assess your likelihood of being eligible for lower mortgage rates.

3. Hire a Mortgage Broker to Help You Negotiate

If you would feel more comfortable leaving the negotiation to an expert, then do. Mortgage brokers would usually help to conduct a rate review and tell you your chances. They’ll also justify to your lender why you should get a lower rate. However, we recommend opting for a professional broker. The best way to know whether a mortgage broker can help you handle the job is by looking at their records. Check what past clients are saying about their services. Ask about their success rates and how they go about the process.

4. Look Into a Recast as An Alternative For Refinance

Loan recasts are not as popular as refinancing, but they can also lower the monthly payments on your mortgage. The only difference is that you’ll need to adjust the amortization schedule of your loan. One of the most significant benefits of choosing non-refinance options is that you won’t need to reset the clock on your mortgage.

Conclusion

That’s it, some practical steps to follow if you want to lower your mortgage rates without necessarily refinancing. It’s often not as difficult as you think, as long as you are willing to follow the right route. Contact the experts at Pacific Lending Group to learn more about the possibilities. Call 954-227-4727

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5 Things to Know Before Purchasing Your First Home

Buying your first home in South Florida can be a meaningful time in your life. Not everyone reaches the point where they can afford a home, and when you’re finally at that point, you want everything to be perfect. However, a lot goes into buying a home, and you must ensure that you know all aspects before you begin buying one. Here are five things you should know before you start looking at homes to potentially buy:

Your Budget

Before looking at homes in your area or another town, you need to know what budget you can work with. Regarding your budget, it’s not the money you have in your bank account currently but all the money you would be able to invest in your home in the future too.

You might want to think about getting a loan or looking for a home mortgage to go along with your property purchase. You need to think about several aspects before looking at homes. Once you have settled on a budget, you can narrow down your search for homes using that budget as a starting point.

Mortgage Rates in Your Area

South Florida has varying mortgage rates, depending on which mortgage provider you’re approaching. You can find a provider available throughout the area, so you can work with one lender no matter where you’re looking to buy your home.

When you know your mortgage rates, you can plan better and find homes that fit the bill and your budget too. Mortgage rates will also ensure you know how much you will be paying in the future for your home.

Timeline for Possession

Once you are in the process of discussing the purchase of a home, you need to know what the exact timeline would be. Sometimes, the seller will need additional time to move out of the home or might want to rent it from you for a while. In these cases, you must know when you can move in.

From the time you put a down payment on the home, the process of purchasing the property officially starts. Ensure you know when you can move into the property before you start the process.

Land Record and Location

While South Florida is one of the most earthquake-free zones in the world, it doesn’t mean you don’t check the land your home was built on. Wildfires, tropical storms, and hurricanes can happen in the area, and you want to ensure that you know what you will be exposed to.
Once you know the location and the land record, you can also get started on disaster insurance for your property if required.

Hidden Charges

You will need to be reading all documents relating to the purchase of the property in detail to ensure that you’re not paying any hidden fees. You might need to pay estate charges or processing fees that you were unaware of. Ensure you’re reading everything, including the fine print, to save yourself from unnecessary expenses.

Looking to Finance Your Home? We Can Help

When you’re looking for a mortgage to help you buy your first home, Pacific Lending Group can help. You need to know your options as a first-time buyer and what you should be watching out for. Our experts can help you be more financially prepared to buy your first home without any hassles. Contact us at 954-227-4727 to get started on your home mortgage process with us.

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A Refinance Mortgage Can Affect Your Credit Score?

Refinancing may seem like a viable credit financing option in many circumstances. It involves replacing an existing loan with a new loan using the fresh mortgage to pay off the first one. Borrowers often choose loans with lower interest rates to refinance old loans. Also, a refinance mortgage allows borrowers the freedom to channel more savings into their savings account. Read more

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Difference Between 15-Year Vs. 30-Year Fixed Loans

When you take out a mortgage, options are to choose between fixed-rate mortgages and adjustable-rate mortgages. Fixed-rate mortgages interest stays the same for the entire life of your loan. In contrast, adjustable-rate mortgages have interest rates that change according to external market conditions.

Virtually all home loans are “fixed rate,” but they can be either short- or long-term loans. If you’re planning to buy a property, refinance your current mortgage, or consolidate debt, knowing the difference between 15-year fixed vs. 30-year fixed loans can help you make an informed decision.

Key differences between these two mortgages:

Length of the Repayment Period

Your monthly repayments will be higher than with a 30-year loan, but you’ll pay less total interest throughout the loan. This means you’ll own your home sooner and can potentially make a much larger payment towards equity, as the interest will build up over a shorter time.
A 15-year loan is often referred to as a “half-a-loan” because you’ll make half the number of payments you would with a 30-year loan.

Interest Rates
The interest rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage is always lower than that on a 15-year fixed mortgage. That’s because a borrower who opts for a 30-year term commits to paying the loan off in half the time so that they can expect a lower interest rate as compensation for the increased risk of such a long-term loan.

The interest rate on a 15-year fixed mortgage, by contrast, is generally higher than that charged on a 30-year fixed mortgage. That’s because the shorter term makes it less risky for lenders, so they are willing to charge a higher interest rate.

Mortgage Insurance
If you take out a 30-year fixed mortgage, your monthly repayments will be lower than an equivalent 15-year fixed mortgage. That means you’ll have more money available each month to pay your property taxes and insurance premiums at the start of your mortgage term, which will significantly reduce the amount of mortgage insurance you’ll need to pay.
However, this comes at a cost: Longer-term mortgages are riskier for lenders, requiring mortgage insurance. Your mortgage payments will include monthly MIP premiums, also called private mortgage insurance or PMI.

Why Bother With 15-Year Fixed vs. 30-Year Fixed?
As you can see, fixing the interest rate on a home loan for longer-term will result in a lower monthly repayment. This can be of major benefit to many borrowers.

One significant advantage is that you can afford a larger home by stretching out the loan term and still keeping your monthly repayments low enough to manage.

The biggest benefit of a 15-year fixed mortgage for many borrowers is that your monthly repayments will be lower than if you took out a 30-year fixed loan.

Banks typically require you to pay higher MIP premiums when you don’t have much to put down as a down payment or if your credit history is marred. A 15-year term allows you to put off paying higher premiums in the short term, even though your monthly premiums will be larger in the long term.

Contact Pacific Lending Group to Make the Right Choice

Pacific Lending Group has an extensive track record delivering competitive interest rates for 15-year and 30-year fixed loans to all credit profiles. Contact us today at 954-227-4727