Tag - refinancing

Smart Refinance Tips During the Pandemic

You may be considering taking advantage of the current historically low interest rates by refinancing your mortgage to lower your monthly payment, consolidate debt, or move to a 15-year term. The Mortgage Industry is doing an excellent job of processing transactions under shelter in place.  But it’s more important than ever to help the process along by being well prepared. Here are a few tips to set you up for a smooth transaction and help you save money more quickly: 1.Continue making regular mortgage payments during the process 2. Do not take on any new debts.
  • -Taking on new debt will alter your debt to income ratio, which plays a major role I your pre-approval. Resist the urge to open a new credit card or upgrade your car,  until your loan transaction is finalized.
3. If your income or employment does change during the process, notify your lender right away.
  • -Changes happen, but you want to be sure to notify your lender so they can make the appropriate updates to your loan
4. Know that the appraiser may have to come into your home, so be prepared for this 5. Lastly and most importantly, quickly respond with all documentation that is being requested of you!
  • the faster we receive your documents the faster we can get your loan processed. If you documents are requested by our team please respond as quickly as possible.
  By following these tips you will set yourself up for a quick and easy refinance. Not sure how a refinance could benefit you? Reach out today to see how much you could be saving!
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ALV Mortgage Can Help Set You Up For Financial Success

Some look at their mortgage as being a lifelong payment, others look at it as an opportunity for investment that could one day bring in cash flow. In today’s blog we are going to look at two of our borrower’s that took advantage of the current low interest rates to refinance their loans to help set themselves up to achieve their financial life goals.  Firstly, we have Brandon. Brandon’s goal is to buy a new house in a few years and convert his current one into a rental. He wanted to lower his current mortgage payment so that when the house is converted to a rental, there will better cash flow. He reached out to see what we could do to secure him a better rate and lower his monthly payment. His original loan began back in July 2019 with a rate of 3.75%, a monthly payment of $1,358, and total interest over the life his loan was set to be over $143,000. After running the numbers, we found that we could refinance him into 29-year term and not have to reset his mortgage with another 30-year term. We got him an amazing new rate of 2.82%, his monthly payment dropped to $1,267 and his total interest over the life of the loan decreased to $101,491. Thanks to the refinance Brandon now plans to pay off this house before he is 60 so he can use 100% of the rental income to supplement his retirement income. What a fantastic plan that we are happy we were able to help him set into motion! Our second borrower, Shelly, was referred by her brother in law after he told her how much she could save by refinancing into a 15-year loan with me. Shelly originally bought her house in 2017 with FHA rate of 3.875% and a monthly payment of $1,670. Being in an FHA rate meant she would be paying mortgage insurance on top of her interest charges for the life of her loan. That put the total interest over the life of her loan over $166,000. The only way to remove mortgage insurance is to refinance. At first, she was really skeptical and did not think it was possible. However, there was no reason for her be nervous because we were able to get her a great new loan! Shelly was able to refinance into a conventional loan with a 5-year fixed rate of 2.625%. Her new monthly payment was $3 higher than her original payment, but she shaved 12 years off her new loan and after removing the mortgage insurance we were able to lower her total interest paid over life of loan to $45,541. This refinance was able to save her about $121,000 in interest charges! Her house value went up, now at an 80% loan value with no mortgage insurance. Shelly is only 37 years old and is beyond excited that she is now set to have her house paid off before she turns 52!  This completely changes her outlook on her retirement. Both borrowers had completely different stories and completely different loans, but one thing in common; they both needed a refinance option that would help them achieve their financial goals. ALV Mortgage loves helping people achieve their goals. We have a knowledgeable staff that knows the ins and outs of the industry to help get you the best deal possible for your loan. If you too are wanting to set yourself up for future financial success give us a call today. We may know a few tips and tricks to get you into the rate, term, or monthly payment that you are wanting. 801.206.4343, NMLS # 888979
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“She Works Hard for the Money”

As the Donna Summer’s song goes, “She works hard for the money.” We want to help you put that money to work for you by exploring the advantages of a cash out refinance on your home. A cash-out refinance may be the key for opening financial doors for you and your family. We have assisted hundreds of clients in putting their equity to work in many ways, including:  
  • Eliminating high interest rate credit cards
  • Finishing a basement, remodeling their home, etc
  • Starting a business without seeking outside lenders and investors
  • Diversifying their investments into such things as stocks, rental properties, etc.
  • Helping with unexpected or major expenses such as medical and education needs
  • Pulling cash out for the purchase of a new primary residence
  I recently closed a loan for a family who had gotten in trouble with their credit cards. The husband had gone on a little shopping spree and neglected to tell his wife that he had opened a few credit cards without her knowledge. Upon the loan application, imagine her shock learning that there was more debt than what she was aware of! This family was in a FHA loan and paying high FHA Mortgage Insurance. Their home had appreciated an astounding $100,000 in the 5 years they had lived here. We decided to complete a cash out refinance and ended up helping them pay off $32,000 in credit cards. We refinanced into a Conventional Loan and removed the FHA Mortgage Insurance. Because we did raise the loan amount, their monthly payment increased, but only by an additional $172 per month. By paying off the $32,000 in credit cards, they saved $1,238 per month in credit card payments. This cash out refinance gave them the freedom they sought by alleviating the heavy debt burden they had been carrying. A family who owned a three-bedroom home with an unfinished basement initially bought the home with two kids, which fit them perfectly. After having their family grow by an additional two kids, they had become completely crammed. We completed a $24,000 cash out refinance, which afforded them the ability to finish their basement, as well as add two additional bedrooms, a bathroom, and a TV room for the kids to do exactly as they pleased with plenty of space to run around. One of our clients, who is a mechanic, had worked for years at large dealerships fixing cars. He decided he was ready to work for himself, so he came to us to complete a cash out refinance for $40,000, which gave him enough to open his dream garage, as well as purchase the lifts and other equipment he needed to be independent. He now works longer hours for himself than before at the dealership, but he followed through with his vision of owning his own business successfully because of his decision to refinance! A client of ours, for whom we did a cash out refinance four months ago, took $120,000 in cash out of his house. He felt that the equity in his home was not working hard enough for him and decided to turn it around by investing. He immediately bought a condo for an investment property and as a result, is now cash flowing $350 per month. He kept half of his cash and is actively looking for another investment property to buy. He is seeking to turn his equity into about $700 in monthly cashflow with additional property, made possible by the services we were able to provide. In 2012, a couple came to us seeking to cash out $50,000 to fund in vitro fertilization treatments and other expenses incurred while trying to expand their family. Having no kids of my own then, I thought they were nuts! I have been blessed not to be in a similar position, but now that I have two children myself, I understand why this was such an important step for them. They have expanded to a happy, healthy family with three children (including a set of twins.) I have been able to stay in touch with them through social media and their decision to refinance is one they would not go back on. They put their equity to work for something that not only helped their future, but assisted with their goals of having a loving family of their very own. In the last 12 months, we have noticed what has become an exponentially growing trend. Many of my clients have sought to purchase a new home by using their equity, keeping their home, while converting it into a rental property as a means of providing future retirement income. This works by pulling the cash out of their current house, then using that as a down payment toward their next purchase. There is only one move here, which eliminates stress about selling their house and trying to buy a new one simultaneously. They utitlize the existing equity to work for the purpose of providing for themselves looking toward the future.. Owning your own home is not just a fundamental aspect of the American Dream. For many American households, the equity in their homes represents as much as 67 percent of their total net worth. For generations, the power of home ownership has created a solid financial base for millions of families, and a little knowledge offers the potential for even more financial independence. We can assist you with the knowledge and expertise to help you not only envision a possible dream, but live it by ensuring money doesn’t stand between you and your lofty goals. You work hard for your money, and we are here to treat you right!    
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