Most Homeowners Maintain or Reduce Mortgage Debt When Refinancing

Most homeowners maintain or reduce mortgage debt when refinancing their loan, continuing the trend since the housing bust when most homeowners took money out when refinancing. In the fourth quarter of 2012, a whopping 84 percent of homeowners either maintained or reduced their mortgage balance in a refinance analysis released by Freddie Mac.

Millions of homeowners in a position to refinance have taken advantage of record low refinance rates to reduce their monthly mortgage payments by refinancing. Refinance mortgage rates today on 30 year conforming loans are averaging 3.59 percent, just above record lows set late in 2012.

In the refinance report, 84 percent of homeowners who refinanced their first-lien mortgage either maintained almost the same loan amount or lowered their principal balance by paying in additional money at closing. The record was 85 percent during the fourth quarter of 2011, 84 percent is just one percent shy of the record set the previous year.

Loan Type

Purchase Refinance with Cash out Refinance

State

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District Of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

FICO Score

Superior (780-850) Exceptional (760-779) Excellent (740-759) Very Good (720-739) Good (700-719) Above Average (680-699) Average (660-679) Fair (640-659) Need Improvement (620-639) Poor (350-620)

Loan Amount

$

Points

Up to 0 points Up to 0.5 points Up to 1 points Up to 1.5 points Up to 2 points Up to 2.5 points Up to 3 points

LTV

%

Loan Term

 15-Year Fixed  20-Year Fixed  30-Year Fixed  5-Year ARM  7-Year ARM  10-Year ARM

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The lenders whose rates and other terms appear on this chart are ICB's advertising partners. They provide their rate information to our data partner RateUpdate.com. Unless adjusted by the consumer, advertisers are sorted by APR from lowest to highest. For any advertising partners that do not provide their rate they are listed in advertisement display units at the bottom of the chart. Advertising partners may not pay to improve the frequency priority or prominence of their display. The interest rates, annual percentage rates and other terms advertised here are estimates provided by those advertising partners based on the information you entered above and do not bind. Any lender Monthly payment amounts stated do not include amounts for taxes and insurance premiums. The actual payment obligation will be greater if taxes and insurance are included. Although our data partner RateUpdate.com collects the information from the financial institutions themselves, the accuracy of the data cannot be guaranteed. Rates may change without notice and can change intraday. Some of the information contained in the rate tables including but not limited to special marketing notes is provided directly by the lenders. Please verify the rates and offers before applying for a loan with the financial institution themselves. No rate is binding until locked by a lender.

Lender

APR / Rate

Fees / Points

Payment

NMLS #2473786

4.914%

15-Year Fixed

4.750%

$4,379

Includes 0.821 points for $3,284

Lender Fees: $1,095

$3,112 /mo

Next >

NMLS #2126430

4.941%

15-Year Fixed

4.750%

$5,195

Includes 0.975 points for $3,900

Lender Fees: $1,295

$3,112 /mo

Next >

NMLS #2562839

4.942%

15-Year Fixed

4.750%

$5,125

Includes 1.000 points for $4,000

Lender Fees: $1,125

$3,112 /mo

Next >

NMLS #1928741

4.995%

15-Year Fixed

4.875%

$3,172

Includes 0.793 points for $3,172

Lender Fees: $0

$3,138 /mo

Next >

NMLS #1085173

5.037%

15-Year Fixed

4.875%

$4,370

Includes 0.750 points for $3,000

Lender Fees: $1,370

$3,138 /mo

Next >

NMLS #757416

5.129%

15-Year Fixed

4.990%

$3,684

Includes 0.921 points for $3,684

Lender Fees: $0

$3,162 /mo

Next >

NMLS #1067

5.137%

15-Year Fixed

4.990%

$3,892

Includes 0.973 points for $3,892

Lender Fees: $0

$3,162 /mo

Next >

NMLS #324599

License: 324599

5.189%

15-Year Fixed

5.000%

$5,070

Includes 1.000 points for $4,000

Lender Fees: $1,070

$3,164 /mo

Next >

NMLS #1954591

License: 60DBO-113383

5.292%

15-Year Fixed

5.125%

$4,455

Includes 0.837 points for $3,348

Lender Fees: $1,107

$3,190 /mo

Next >

NMLS #2433973

5.328%

15-Year Fixed

5.125%

$5,465

Includes 0.875 points for $3,500

Lender Fees: $1,965

$3,190 /mo

Next >

NMLS #2126430

5.365%

5-Year ARM

5.250%

$5,259

Includes 0.991 points for $3,964

Lender Fees: $1,295

$2,209 /mo

Next >

NMLS #1312186

5.365%

15-Year Fixed

5.250%

$3,000

Includes 0.750 points for $3,000

Lender Fees: $0

$3,216 /mo

Next >

NMLS #6606

5.400%

15-Year Fixed

5.250%

$3,928

Includes 0.982 points for $3,928

Lender Fees: $0

$3,216 /mo

Next >

NMLS #2473786

5.462%

5-Year ARM

5.375%

$3,883

Includes 0.697 points for $2,788

Lender Fees: $1,095

$2,240 /mo

Next >

NMLS #1025894

5.502%

15-Year Fixed

5.375%

$3,328

Includes 0.657 points for $2,628

Lender Fees: $700

$3,242 /mo

Next >

NMLS #1928741

5.829%

30-Year Fixed

5.750%

$3,440

Includes 0.860 points for $3,440

Lender Fees: $0

$2,335 /mo

Next >

NMLS #2562839

5.847%

5-Year ARM

5.750%

$4,213

Includes 0.772 points for $3,088

Lender Fees: $1,125

$2,335 /mo

Next >

NMLS #1085173

5.862%

5-Year ARM

5.750%

$4,958

Includes 0.897 points for $3,588

Lender Fees: $1,370

$2,335 /mo

Next >

NMLS #2473786

5.944%

30-Year Fixed

5.875%

$3,007

Includes 0.478 points for $1,912

Lender Fees: $1,095

$2,367 /mo

Next >

NMLS #2126430

5.946%

30-Year Fixed

5.875%

$3,195

Includes 0.475 points for $1,900

Lender Fees: $1,295

$2,367 /mo

Next >

NMLS #2562839

5.947%

30-Year Fixed

5.875%

$3,125

Includes 0.500 points for $2,000

Lender Fees: $1,125

$2,367 /mo

Next >

NMLS #1067

5.952%

30-Year Fixed

5.875%

$3,316

Includes 0.829 points for $3,316

Lender Fees: $0

$2,367 /mo

Next >

NMLS #1312186

5.958%

5-Year ARM

5.875%

$3,596

Includes 0.899 points for $3,596

Lender Fees: $0

$2,367 /mo

Next >

NMLS #1085173

5.963%

30-Year Fixed

5.875%

$3,870

Includes 0.625 points for $2,500

Lender Fees: $1,370

$2,367 /mo

Next >

NMLS #757416

5.966%

30-Year Fixed

5.875%

$3,916

Includes 0.979 points for $3,916

Lender Fees: $0

$2,367 /mo

Next >

NMLS #324599

License: 324599

5.990%

30-Year Fixed

5.875%

$5,070

Includes 1.000 points for $4,000

Lender Fees: $1,070

$2,367 /mo

Next >

NMLS #1954591

License: 60DBO-113383

6.087%

5-Year ARM

5.990%

$4,219

Includes 0.778 points for $3,112

Lender Fees: $1,107

$2,396 /mo

Next >

NMLS #2561451

6.088%

30-Year Fixed

5.999%

$3,830

Includes 0.770 points for $3,080

Lender Fees: $750

$2,398 /mo

Next >

NMLS #324599

License: 324599

6.097%

5-Year ARM

5.990%

$4,682

Includes 0.903 points for $3,612

Lender Fees: $1,070

$2,396 /mo

Next >

NMLS #1954591

License: 60DBO-113383

6.097%

30-Year Fixed

5.990%

$4,655

Includes 0.887 points for $3,548

Lender Fees: $1,107

$2,396 /mo

Next >

NMLS #2433973

6.124%

30-Year Fixed

6.000%

$5,465

Includes 0.875 points for $3,500

Lender Fees: $1,965

$2,399 /mo

Next >

NMLS #1312186

6.207%

30-Year Fixed

6.125%

$3,500

Includes 0.875 points for $3,500

Lender Fees: $0

$2,431 /mo

Next >

NMLS #1025894

6.212%

30-Year Fixed

6.125%

$3,716

Includes 0.754 points for $3,016

Lender Fees: $700

$2,431 /mo

Next >

NMLS #399799

6.214%

30-Year Fixed

6.125%

$3,943

Includes 0.654 points for $2,616

Lender Fees: $1,327

$2,431 /mo

Next >

NMLS #6606

6.329%

30-Year Fixed

6.240%

$3,792

Includes 0.948 points for $3,792

Lender Fees: $0

$2,461 /mo

Next >

NMLS #2433973

6.383%

5-Year ARM

6.250%

$5,733

Includes 0.942 points for $3,768

Lender Fees: $1,965

$2,463 /mo

Next >

Rate data provided by RateUpdate.com. Displayed by ICB, a division of Mortgage Research Center, NMLS #1907, Equal Housing Opportunity. Payments do not include taxes and insurance premiums. Actual payments will be greater with taxes and insurance included. Rate and product details.

Of these borrowers who refinanced, 46 percent maintained about the same mortgage loan amount, and 39 percent of refinancing homeowners reduced their mortgage loan balance. With current mortgage rates just above record lows, homeowners who refinanced got a much lower interest rate on average.

The average mortgage interest rate reduction was almost 1.8 percentage points, or a savings of about 33 percent in the interest rate. This is the largest percent reduction recorded in the 27 years of analysis by Freddie Mac. If you are in a position to refinance your mortgage by having enough equity in your home, you should refinance.

If you refinanced and got the average 1.8 percent reduction from your current rate, you would save a lot in interest payments. In the first 12 months you would save you $1,800 on every $100,000 borrowed. Over the life of the loan, you would save tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest payments, depending on the loan amount.