Refinancing vs. Buying Another House

Owning a home is a major financial commitment. Aside from the cost of house maintenance and upkeep, there are the monthly mortgage obligations. If you are a new home buyer, you’ve the cost of shopping for a home and making a deposit. To help facilitate expenses or enhance living conditions, refinancing an existing mortgage or selling and moving to another house can be good options in certain scenarios.

Reasons

One of reasons for looking into refinancing or moving is an alteration in the household. The coming of children generates a demand for extra space. On the other hand, when older children move out a couple’s house abruptly can be overly big. Another reason to refinance or purchase a new house is to benefit from changes in the home market, specifically to acquire a lower mortgage interest rate.

Options

When it comes to refinancing, a new mortgage might have a fixed or an adjustable interest rate. Adjustable rate mortgages, or ARMs, are best for homeowners who intend to sell their house within a few decades, before the interest rate on their loan adjusts upwards. Purchasing a new house provides you the option of updating, or downsizing. Transferring to a similar house in a more convenient location might not have a substantial financial impact, aside from a new mortgage fee and also the down payment and loan closing costs.

Cash-Outs

Refinancing when reduced interest rates are accessible is generally a good idea for homeowners who face financial stress, an uncertain job future or extra debt. Cash-out refinancing allows homeowners to combine non-mortgage debt into a new mortgage, making it easier to create monthly payments without even letting accounts to fall into delinquency.

Market Factors

Purchasing a new home to take advantage of a market where prices are reduced or to lock in lower interest rates can be a larger financial risk since there’s no way to be sure that interest rates and house values won’t continue to fall. But homeowners who see that the value of their home increase could possibly have the ability to understand the greatest profits by selling and purchasing a new house in a place where the market is less inflated.

Lifestyle

In the end, the choice between refinancing a house and purchasing a new one has to do with life in addition to finance. Homeowners who plan to remain in an existing house for many years or face financial strain are generally better off insolvency. On the other hand, homeowners who need a bigger or smaller house, or one at a different location or with various features, should consider purchasing a new house only when they can manage it.

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