Mortgage Refinance Lenders

Deciding to refinance your mortgage with a new lender? Refinancing your home mortgage can save you thousands of dollars a year and choosing the right mortgage lender is the first essential step in the refinance process.

Traditionally, the decision on whether or not to mortgage refinance has meant balancing the savings of a lower monthly payment against the costs of mortgage refinancing. But in recent years, companies have introduced "no cost" and low cost refinancing packages that minimize or completely eliminate the out-of-pocket expenses of mortgage refinancing. (These refinancing packages compensate with a higher interest rate, or by including some of the costs in the amount that is financed.)

With traditional mortgage refinancing, the most often cited rule of thumb is that the interest rate for your new mortgage must be about 2 percentage points below the rate of your current mortgage for refinancing to make sense. However, with the newer low and no cost home refinancing programs, it can be worth your while to refinance to obtain a smaller reduction in interest rates.

How long you expect to stay in your home is also a factor to consider. If you'll be moving in a few years, the month to month savings may never add up to the costs that are involved in a mortgage loan refinancing.

To start the mortgage refinance process, simply complete our short form to receive offers from up to four "best-matched" mortgage lenders.

Federal Reserve Considers New Lending Laws for Sub -Prime Mortgage Lenders

WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Governor Randall Kroszner said recently that the central bank may use its authority to come down on home loan and mortgage-lending abuses.

As pressure builds on the government to do something about the troubled mortgage industry market, the Fed held a lengthy hearing to discuss the possibility of writing new rules and laws to restrict questionable practices in the market for sub-prime home loans. The hearing came one day after Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, threatened to strip the Fed of its authority to write rules against home-lending abuses if the central bank does not act quickly. "We must walk a fine line," Kroszner said. "We must determine how we can help to weed out abuses while also preserving incentives for responsible lending." Kroszner added that improvements are needed in the way home-loan terms are disclosed to consumers.

Actions being considered by the Fed Reserve include:

• Limiting the use of so-called liar loans that do not require proof of a borrower's income.
• Barring subprime lenders from imposing financial penalties for borrowers who make early payments.
• Pushing lenders to require set-aside payments for taxes and insurance.