Q: I am in my third year of a 20yr mortgage of $138,000 @ 6.375%. I have been offered a 15yr @4.1%. Should I take advantage of the refi? I plan to stay in the home long term. Also is the refi based on the remainder of the loan or the original amount?
A: The refinance is based upon the remaining outstanding balance of your mortgage. Since you'll be cutting a couple of years off of your loan, you'll be able to realize some pretty fair savings from both the interest rate break and not having to make payments for the two years you chop off the term.
It's probably a good idea for you to take advantage of the refinance offer. You do need to be aware of the costs of getting the new mortgage, and you might consider adding them to the loan balance or trading them off for a slightly higher-than--market interest rate. To see how these choices will affect your savings, you should use our Tri-Refi Refinance Calculator which will show you side-by-side comparisons as well as your savings against your existing mortgage.
Two years into a 20-year mortgage. Should I accept this refinance offer?
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