Should you refinance your mortgage?

Many advise to obtain a cash-out refinance loan when you are in need of cash and you want to obtain inexpensive funding. However, under certain circumstances it is smarter to resort to second mortgages as these loans can provide equally inexpensive funds without altering the conditions of the previous mortgages.

Second mortgages are home equity loans which use the remaining equity on your home to guarantee repayment. Thus, the previous mortgage loan remains unaltered as only the remaining equity is used and not the one used to guarantee the mortgage loan balance. This is particularly important under certain circumstances when the outstanding mortgage loan has very advantageous terms and it makes no sense to refinance it.

Second Mortgages and Home Loans

Second mortgages are loans based on equity that use only the exceeding equity that is not guaranteeing the outstanding mortgage loan as collateral. Thus, with a home equity loan you can obtain additional cash out of your property just like with cash-out refinance home loans but you do not need to touch your outstanding home loan.

Compared to home loans or first mortgages, second mortgages charge slightly higher interest rates and do not offer such advantageous terms. With a home equity loan or second mortgage you will not be able to obtain repayment schedules of up to 30 years like with home loans but you can get up to 15 years without difficulties.

When to Resort to Second Mortgages

Cash-out refinance loans are an excellent option. They provide all the funds you need while refinancing your outstanding mortgage balance. Besides, as home loans they provide very advantageous terms. And you end up with a single monthly payment instead of having two payments like you do with second mortgages.

However, this is true only if your new refinance home loan has better or similar terms as your previous mortgage. Otherwise, refinancing your home loan may not be to your advantage and the cash you obtain from a cash-out refinance home loan may turn out to be significantly expensive compared to getting additional funds with a home equity loan or second mortgage.

For more information regarding refinancing, you can check out Central Bank's Mortgage section or you contact one of our mortgage loan specialists.

This piece was written by Amanda Hash and used with permission.