Reasons to Refinance #6: I can't afford my mortgage repayments anymore - Malpass Finance (2024)

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Reasons to Refinance: #6 I can't afford my mortgage repayments anymore

Should I refinance if I can't afford my mortgage?

If you find yourself in this situation, then you definitely need to act quickly to get your finances back under control.

What to do first? Start talking to your broker.

The majority of customers put their head in the sand and hope it will get better or that it won't become a problem. They don't contact their bank when they should. Don't run and hide, you need to address the issue head on to get the best result and relieve your financial pressure.

The biggest drama people have when they are feeling the pinch is that they often don't feel comfortable talking to their lender about having trouble meeting their repayments. Open communication with your lender canavoid heartache later if you are in danger of defaulting on your loan, and help you access help under financial hardship legislation, which is helpfully explained simply on ASIC's MoneySmart financial guidance website:

"If you are finding it hard to meet your loan repayments (for example, because of illness, unemployment or changed financial circ*mstances), you can apply to your lender for a 'hardship variation' which changes the terms of your loan."

Often all you need is an experienced finance broker on your side to offeradvice or speak to your lender on your behalf. Many lenders have hardship teams devoted to helping you if you've run into financial difficulty.

If you've had your loan for a while, then you can seek to extend your mortgage term. This move could shrinkyour minimum repayments to a more comfortable amount. But be aware, if you are paying in just the minimum amount from here, then it will take longer to completely pay off your loan.

Something to consider: If you're refinancing to a longer term to lower your repayments and improve your current cash flow situation, then you need to know that you may end up paying more interest overall than on your original arrangement. Now, that can be a false economy or a blessing depending on your situation, so it's best to get qualified financial advice before doing anything drastic.

Or instead of adjusting the loan term, it may be appropriate to refinance altogether to access a deal that better suits your current financial situation. You could switch to a more basic loan with a lower interest rate. Sure, the more complex features of a more sophisticated loan (such as redraw facilities and offset accounts) allow you access to your funds more easily, but these features are not really needed if there's no extra money to work with.

What's the catch? Be on the look out for exit fees and upfront costs that might reduce some of the savings of switching to a lower interest loan. Your broker can help you work out if the short-term repayment savings outweigh the cost of making the switch.

Longer-term, but starting now, there are two sure-fire ways to get your household finances back on track:

  1. Be honest with yourself about whether and how you can earn more; and/or
  2. Work out where you can spend less.

So, create or review your budget, reassess your income and expenses, and prioritise your bills and debts in order of importance to get you through until your financial situation improves.

Pro BudgetingTip: Spend less. Be ruthless. Be honest with yourself. Be committed. It will pay off. ASIC's MoneySmart budget planner is a great place to start.

If you'd like help with assessing your personal and financial situation, as well as comparing the loans in the market to see if you're truly getting the right deal for you, then call Bob Malpass now on 0431 862 136, email [emailprotected] or send us a message via our website for a quick response.

Bob Malpass 0431 862 136 or [emailprotected]

Thanks for reading,

Bob

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Reasons to Refinance #6: I can't afford my mortgage repayments anymore - Malpass Finance (2024)

FAQs

Which of the following is a potential reason for refinancing? ›

There are many potential reasons to refinance your mortgage, including: -Reducing your interest rate to save money on your monthly mortgage payments. -Reducing your term to pay off your mortgage quicker and pay less interest over the life of the loan. -Extending your term to reduce your monthly mortgage payments.

Can you pause home loan repayments? ›

A repayment holiday can pause your principal and interest repayments for a period of time. Repayment holiday policies vary lender to lender, Eg. Some lenders may grant a repayment holiday for three months, with an option to review and extend to six months.

When can you back out of a mortgage refinance? ›

If you are buying a home with a mortgage, you do not have a right to cancel the loan once the closing documents are signed. If you are refinancing a mortgage, you have until midnight of the third business day after the transaction to rescind (cancel) the mortgage contract.

When you refinance a mortgage, do you skip a payment? ›

It may seem like you skip a payment when you refinance a mortgage, but you actually don't.

What is not a good reason to refinance? ›

Key Takeaways. Don't refinance if you have a long break-even period—the number of months to reach the point when you start saving. Refinancing to lower your monthly payment is great unless you're spending more money in the long-run.

What is the main reason people refinance a home mortgage? ›

There are many reasons why homeowners refinance: To obtain a lower interest rate. To shorten the term of their mortgage. To convert from an adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) to a fixed-rate mortgage, or vice versa.

What can I do if I can't make my mortgage payment? ›

What options might be available?
  1. Refinance.
  2. Get a loan modification.
  3. Work out a repayment plan.
  4. Get forbearance.
  5. Short-sell your home.
  6. Give your home back to your lender through a “deed-in-lieu of foreclosure”
Mar 28, 2024

How long can you freeze your mortgage for? ›

A mortgage payment holiday is an agreement you might be able to make with your lender that allows you temporarily to stop or reduce your monthly mortgage repayments. For example, depending on your circ*mstances and previous payment history, you might be able to take a break for up to 12 months.

Can I take a break from paying my mortgage? ›

A payment holiday gives you a short break from paying your mortgage. This can help when money is tight, but it is important to only take it if you really need it.

What is the 3 day right to rescind a mortgage? ›

The three-day cancellation rule permits borrowers to renege on certain mortgage agreements within three days without financial penalty. This right applies when the borrower's principal residence is used as collateral and is provided on a no-questions-asked basis.

What is a mortgage rescission? ›

In other words, a rescission, in mortgage speak, is your chance to back out and cancel the agreement with your lender. The caveat is that you only have three days to take advantage of your right of rescission, and it only applies to certain home financing agreements.

What happens to old mortgage when you refinance? ›

Refinancing the mortgage on your house means you're essentially trading in your current mortgage for a newer one – often with a new principal and a different interest rate. Your lender then uses the newer mortgage to pay off the old one, so you're left with just one loan and one monthly payment.

At what point is it not worth it to refinance? ›

Moving into a longer-term loan: If you're already at least halfway through the loan term, it's unlikely you'll save money refinancing. You've already reached the point where more of your payment is going to loan principal than interest; refinancing now means you'll restart the clock and pay more toward interest again.

How to skip 2 mortgage payments when refinancing? ›

So, what's this about skipping payments? In short, there is no payment the month you close and no payment on the final month of a mortgage when refinancing. So, if you close on November 10th, you're not making the December payment. In this case, you're basically rolling the interest into a payoff.

What do you lose when you refinance? ›

You don't have to lose any equity when you refinance, but there's a chance that it could happen. For example, if you take cash out of your home when you refinance your mortgage or use your equity to pay closing costs, your total home equity will decline by the amount of money you borrow.

What are the purposes of refinancing? ›

You'll have an opportunity to renegotiate your interest rate and term, and you won't need to re-apply. When you refinance, you are paying out your existing mortgage in order to negotiate a new mortgage loan agreement. This is usually because you want to access the equity in your home or lower other borrowing costs.

Which of the following is a reason a borrower may want to refinance? ›

Lower interest rates—If mortgage rates have dropped since you first took out your loan, you could secure a lower rate by refinancing. Lower monthly payment—Lowering your interest rate could have a dramatic impact on your monthly payment.

Why should you refinance? ›

A refinance can allow you to lengthen the term of your mortgage and lower your monthly payments. For example, you can refinance a 15-year mortgage to a 30-year loan to lengthen the term of your loan and make a lower payment each month.

Why would a bank want you to refinance? ›

Your servicer wants to refinance your mortgage for two reasons: 1) to make money; and 2) to avoid you leaving their servicing portfolio for another lender. Some servicers will offer lower interest rates to entice their existing customers to refinance with them, just as you might expect.

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