DONT Payoff your Mortgage Club

[DadJokes]

We're at risk of falling off the front page. That would be a travesty!

We refinanced with a VA IRRL less than a year ago to a 30 year 3.875% loan.

However, rates look like they have gone so much lower that it might be worth it to refinance again. We'd have to stick with the VA loan, since I still wouldn't be able to get 20% equity to wipe out PMI (owe 309k - house is worth ~340k).

I really don't want to make my wife sit through the paperwork process again, however, I did find the following offer on Bankrate:

3.25%, reduces payment by $120 per month, and no closing costs.

That's just the online quote. We'll see what they can offer when they reach out to me.

[dandarc]

Be careful - "no closing costs" often means "closing costs are added to your loan balance". Although the math often still works, just something to be aware of.

[DadJokes]

Be careful - "no closing costs" often means "closing costs are added to your loan balance". Although the math often still works, just something to be aware of.

With a VA loan, if you have at least a 10% disability rating, then you are exempt from funding fees.

Over the phone, the loan officer quoted me a 30 year VA loan at 2.875% (full 1% lower), with total fees (mostly title insurance & transfer tax) of $1,700. The payment would be about $200 less per month.

Sounds like a great deal so far. I guess I should wait on actual paperwork before getting too excited.

[YttriumNitrate]

I really don't want to make my wife sit through the paperwork process again, however, I did find the following offer on Bankrate: 3.25%, reduces payment by $120 per month, and no closing costs.

That's basically the loan I just refi-ed into. A 3.25% 30 year loan.

Online mortgage documents are great for disinterested spouses. After spending over an hour or two carefully reviewing the various documents to be signed, I asked my wife to look them over and sign. I think she spent about 45 seconds clicking through where her e-signature needed to be.

[achvfi]

I was just wondering about this thread.
Mortgage rates are hitting the bottom again in US. I am seeing 3% for 30 year fixed and 2.5% for 15 fixed.

Anyone wondering about cash out refinance to invest in market or elsewhere?

I have 100k equity in 15 year fixed mortgage. I am considering 30 year fixed cash out refinance to increase cashflow and put the equity(50k) to work. Anyone care to chime in on my logic. Thank you!

[Kem]

I believe 30 year fixed refi at a low interest rate is the only way to go - it frees up cashflow that can instead be invested. 

If you believe over the next 30 years your investments are going to average more than 3% (assuming thats what you snag)
And if the cash-out does not negatively impact your financials from a cashflow standpoint (going from 15 to 30 even with cash-out your flows may improve)
And if you can stomach investing 50K - and then sitting through a correction at some point without worry & without locking in unrealized losses

Then yes, this is IMHO a great use of capital via converting a non-productive asset into a productive one.

I did this in 2009, 2012, and again in 2019 all on the same home. 
I check the maths on this at regular intervals vs the lump sum payoff impact to FI numbers & In some cases paying off in lump sum can accelerate FI.
My top threshold is that any cash-out refi must have cashflows that allow for me to turn the home into a rental with $100/m cashflow after all expenses (ignoring deprecation & appreciation at point in time)

[nereo]

I was just wondering about this thread.
Mortgage rates are hitting the bottom again in US. I am seeing 3% for 30 year fixed and 2.5% for 15 fixed.

Anyone wondering about cash out refinance to invest in market or elsewhere?

I have 100k equity in 15 year fixed mortgage. I am considering 30 year fixed cash out refinance to increase cashflow and put the equity(50k) to work. Anyone care to chime in on my logic. Thank you!

Frustrates me that we got a 3.7% rate 6 months ago on our new (to us) property.  Rates will have to drop quite a bit further for it to be worth it to refinance, and frankly I’m skeptical they will go that low.  Happy to be proven wrong, though.

[achvfi]

I believe 30 year fixed refi at a low interest rate is the only way to go - it frees up cashflow that can instead be invested. 

If you believe over the next 30 years your investments are going to average more than 3% (assuming thats what you snag)
And if the cash-out does not negatively impact your financials from a cashflow standpoint (going from 15 to 30 even with cash-out your flows may improve)
And if you can stomach investing 50K - and then sitting through a correction at some point without worry & without locking in unrealized losses

Then yes, this is IMHO a great use of capital via converting a non-productive asset into a productive one.

I did this in 2009, 2012, and again in 2019 all on the same home. 
I check the maths on this at regular intervals vs the lump sum payoff impact to FI numbers & In some cases paying off in lump sum can accelerate FI.
My top threshold is that any cash-out refi must have cashflows that allow for me to turn the home into a rental with $100/m cashflow after all expenses (ignoring deprecation & appreciation at point in time)

Wow, three times cash-out refi in ten years in bull market. Sounds like it worked out great for you assuming its invested. Congratulations! 

Thank you for the insights.

It turns out best mortgage rates i have seen so far are 3.25% for cash-out refi vs 3% for just refi for 30 year fixed. Still a good rate.
It improves cash-flow by $200/m and 55K cash out.

[Kem]

It took awhile for me to pull my act together after 'living' myself a nice american dream over the prior decade and as such I had a hole to climb then fill.

The first refi improved cashflow which was used to help eliminate some high-interest bad debt - however I still didn't have a gameplan as my financial advice sources were... terrible... and my cashflow was generally negative. 
 
The second refi was cashout and very minor cashflow improvement.  The cash-out eliminated some more bad debt.  At this point I had a fairly good starting plan to track/optimize spending and invest the difference.  I hadn't found FI literature, but I'd run enough math to know that a path towards FI was possible.  Within a couple of years I was checking refi for investing and was developing a fairly broad understanding of the markets (both stock & real estate).  I went from massive negative networth to a 50+% savings rate over this time constantly seeking efficiency improvements to spending, earnings, and investing.  I made mistakes, but learned a great deal.   

This last refi, the cash-out was invested.  The cashflow allowed, for the first time, a cashflow positive REI option.  I also stepped away from my historical industry to help build a business from scratch as my spending was optimal enough that my investments could cover years of an attempt.

[YttriumNitrate]

Frustrates me that we got a 3.7% rate 6 months ago on our new (to us) property.  Rates will have to drop quite a bit further for it to be worth it to refinance, and frankly I’m skeptical they will go that low.  Happy to be proven wrong, though.

I just refinanced a 3.7% 30-year loan down to 3.25% with a payback period of under 18 months. Are you sure it's not worth while? Yes, it's annoying that you refi-ed six months ago, but please don't let sunk costs impact your decision.

[nereo]

Frustrates me that we got a 3.7% rate 6 months ago on our new (to us) property.  Rates will have to drop quite a bit further for it to be worth it to refinance, and frankly I’m skeptical they will go that low.  Happy to be proven wrong, though.

I just refinanced a 3.7% 30-year loan down to 3.25% with a payback period of under 18 months. Are you sure it's not worth while? Yes, it's annoying that you refi-ed six months ago, but please don't let sunk costs impact your decision.

Hmm... maybe I should re-think?  Wasn't a re-fi; this was the mortgage on our new place.
One factor working against us is that our mortgage overall is small ($140k) given the LCOL area.  So payments are already pretty low.  Going from 3.7% to 3.2% saves < $40/mo.  Not sure what our re-financing costs would be but given the fees on our origional morgage I'm guestimating about $2,900.  Which would be a payback period of 6.2 years.

problem is - our best guess is we'll be in this house for 5 more years... and possibly as few as 3.  So my rough-ass calculation of $2,900 in closing costs means rates would need to be below 3% for us to make it back in 4 years. 

Maybe I've way overestimated what it would cost to refinance.  Perhaps I'll make some inquiries.

[talltexan]

@Kem, your story is one of the reasons I'm surprised that interest-only loans haven't become more popular. As mustachians, getting something like 40% down should be within reach, and we could just sit at that position in perpetuity.

[nereo]

@Kem, your story is one of the reasons I'm surprised that interest-only loans haven't become more popular. As mustachians, getting something like 40% down should be within reach, and we could just sit at that position in perpetuity.

Could be wrong, but wasn't interest-only loans one of the things which was made much harder by Dodd-Frank, following all the craptastic loans made which led to the Great Recession? 

[freya]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/03/economy-coronavirus-rate-cuts/

Wow.  Half a percent!!!   I can't wait to see what that does for mortgage rates.

Which brings me to a dilemma.  I'm getting my kitchen redone, so I could refinance not only the mortgage principle but also the renovation costs.  I had planned to pay cash, but...a refi would let me sink that cash into the market instead, probably during/just after a correction.  Should I do it???  My mortgage is currently 3.875% for an amount that's ~35-40% of my home value (I'd been paying it down aggressively).

[nereo]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/03/economy-coronavirus-rate-cuts/

Wow.  Half a percent!!!

I can't wait to see what that does for mortgage rates.  A drop to the low 3%'s for a 30 year refinance would be amazing.  Can rates get down that low?

They have in the past.  Others are seeing rates down to 3.25% already.  IIRC five or six years ago one could get a 30y for 3.1% in my area, and 2.49% in Canada (where we previously lived).

Rates do tend to drop much more slowly, but rise quickly.  Banks calculate that the average 30y loan will last only ~7 years before the occupant either moves or refinances.  So the question becomes whether the bank can get more in interest from the mortgage loan or from bonds or similar low-risk investments on average over the next 7 years.

[Kem]

@Kem, your story is one of the reasons I'm surprised that interest-only loans haven't become more popular. As mustachians, getting something like 40% down should be within reach, and we could just sit at that position in perpetuity.

I've considered it a number of times - however I could only find 5-7 year terms and with rates so low it has been... emotionally... hard to give up a 30 year lock reset.  If I could find a 30 year interest only loan below 4% interest - I would pounce.   

Instead, I've looked to optimize the home's capital and leave the asset in my control as a potential rental (not so much for cashflow, but for tax efficiency( deprecation ) & principal paydown opening the door for cheap future leverage).  Everytime I've run the numbers - so long as the property cashflows $150/month after expenses including a long term maintenance sinking fund (ignoring depreciation & appreciation) then the reward over vacancy/bad tennants/etc is in my favour. 

My view is that I never own the home anyway as the gov via taxation or eminent domain will always be the #1 lien holder - they sure like to give an illusion of home 'ownership'.

[nereo]

@Kem, your story is one of the reasons I'm surprised that interest-only loans haven't become more popular. As mustachians, getting something like 40% down should be within reach, and we could just sit at that position in perpetuity.

I've considered it a number of times - however I could only find 5-7 year terms and with rates so low it has been... emotionally... hard to give up a 30 year lock reset.  If I could find a 30 year interest only loan below 4% interest - I would pounce.   

Instead, I've looked to optimize the home's capital and leave the asset in my control as a potential rental (not so much for cashflow, but for tax efficiency( deprecation ) & principal paydown opening the door for cheap future leverage).  Everytime I've run the numbers - so long as the property cashflows $150/month after expenses including a long term maintenance sinking fund (ignoring depreciation & appreciation) then the reward over vacancy/bad tennants/etc is in my favour. 

My view is that I never own the home anyway as the gov via taxation or eminent domain will always be the #1 lien holder - they sure like to give an illusion of home 'ownership'.

I guess I've never understood or bought-into this notion of permanent, irrevocable ownership of a piece of land.  Seems enormously presumptuous as a species and as a culture to think 'this is my land forever'. 

I wonder how our attitudes might change if we instead had no ownership but merely paid rent (albeit at much lower levels) to inhabit a property, with decadal time-frames.

[YttriumNitrate]

Hmm... maybe I should re-think?  Wasn't a re-fi; this was the mortgage on our new place.
One factor working against us is that our mortgage overall is small ($140k) given the LCOL area.  So payments are already pretty low.  Going from 3.7% to 3.2% saves < $40/mo.  Not sure what our re-financing costs would be but given the fees on our origional morgage I'm guestimating about $2,900.  Which would be a payback period of 6.2 years.

It definitely pays to shop around and play mortgage lenders off each other. Try and find one that will try to skip the appraisal (~$400), and waive some of their fees.

[Kem]

I wonder how our attitudes might change if we instead had no ownership but merely paid rent (albeit at much lower levels) to inhabit a property, with decadal time-frames.

Some of those mid 1920 NYC apartment dwellers found out --- they simply never moved --- and their landlords let the properties rot around them.

...

Out of kicks and giggles – I just gave Credible a shot.

Currently I have 79.2% LTV, so a fresh cash-out 8-9 months after the last refi isn’t going to happen.  I am a couple months over the last refi break even & pay 935.77 P&I & 344.76 escrow at 3.875%.

For $796 out of pocket I can drop to 3.375 for $873 P&I … and this is on a sliding scale all the way down to $4,438 out of pocket at 2.875% for $820 P&I.

At the low end I’d save 63/month, so the break even (ignoring future value of out-of-pocket) is 13 months.

At the high end I’d save $114/month, with a break even of 39 months.  Meh.

[nereo]

I wonder how our attitudes might change if we instead had no ownership but merely paid rent (albeit at much lower levels) to inhabit a property, with decadal time-frames.

Some of those mid 1920 NYC apartment dwellers found out --- they simply never moved --- and their landlords let the properties rot around them.

Not what I meant.  The landlords still owned the property.
It's meant to be a thought exercise, nothing more...

[dandarc]

I wonder how our attitudes might change if we instead had no ownership but merely paid rent (albeit at much lower levels) to inhabit a property, with decadal time-frames.

The Disney Vacation Club actually works that way. Timeshare, so not so much "at much lower levels", but if you read the contract, it is actually a ~50 year lease. But "renting on a very long term to inhabit a property" is exactly what "owners" are doing in that program. So I guess this idea works at a very small, niche scale at least.

[achvfi]

It turns out best mortgage rates i have seen so far are 3.25% for cash-out refi vs 3% for just refi for 30 year fixed. Still a good rate.
It improves cash-flow by $200/m and 55K cash out.

I tried and failed to convince DW that cash-out refi was a good idea. So we are moving forward with 30 year fixed refinance instead.

Just locked in 2.875% for 30 year fixed refi - a reference interest rate if you are in same boat. Good luck!

Our mortgage payment will be down by 40%. Now I have a good problem of how to automate this freed up cash-flow to investments.

[talltexan]

That. Is a fantastic rate. Takes my breath away. A full $300/month less than what I would pay.

What state do you live in? perhaps that rate is not available to every state.

[achvfi]

That. Is a fantastic rate. Takes my breath away. A full $300/month less than what I would pay.

What state do you live in? perhaps that rate is not available to every state.

It probably does depend on the state.

Here is my advice if you are looking for good rates. Skip big banks and big mortgage lenders like quicken. Go for smaller regional mortgage lending companies and credit unions.

[MasterStache]

We just locked in 3.25% for a 30 year fixed refinance yesterday. Down from 4%. We don't have a large mortgage but still saves us $110/month. Closing cost is only $700. Used a local broker that was highly recommended by multiple people. Thought about cash out refi but our goal was to lower our monthly payment. We also plan to move in about 8 years.

[Telecaster]

We just locked in 3.25% for a 30 year fixed refinance yesterday. Down from 4%. We don't have a large mortgage but still saves us $110/month. Closing cost is only $700. Used a local broker that was highly recommended by multiple people. Thought about cash out refi but our goal was to lower our monthly payment. We also plan to move in about 8 years.

Dayam!  That's a sweet rate. 

[kenmoremmm]

i'm surprised rates aren't lower.

i locked in 3.375% for 30 years in jan 2015. i think 10-year rate was at 1.68 or somewhere thereabouts.

[nereo]

i'm surprised rates aren't lower.

i locked in 3.375% for 30 years in jan 2015. i think 10-year rate was at 1.68 or somewhere thereabouts.

As I said, mortgage rates take a notoriously long time to drop relative to bonds. The lag can be several months. When bonds go up, though, they follow in near lockstep.

[MasterStache]

i'm surprised rates aren't lower.

i locked in 3.375% for 30 years in jan 2015. i think 10-year rate was at 1.68 or somewhere thereabouts.

I did get a couple quotes at 3% but closing cost were north of 2.5K. After doing the math it made more sense to take the 3.25% and only pay $700 in closing cost. 

[Dicey]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/03/economy-coronavirus-rate-cuts/

Wow.  Half a percent!!!   I can't wait to see what that does for mortgage rates.

Which brings me to a dilemma.  I'm getting my kitchen redone, so I could refinance not only the mortgage principle but also the renovation costs.  I had planned to pay cash, but...a refi would let me sink that cash into the market instead, probably during/just after a correction.  Should I do it???  My mortgage is currently 3.875% for an amount that's ~35-40% of my home value (I'd been paying it down aggressively).

I would totally do it. Just don't let the scope of the kitchen reno creep with all that new money!

[Fomerly known as something]

So the question is when to start the refi process?  I can drop about 3/4 of a percent depending. I’m thinking of waiting at least a week, but should it be 2or three weeks at this point.

[MasterStache]

So the question is when to start the refi process?  I can drop about 3/4 of a percent depending. I’m thinking of waiting at least a week, but should it be 2or three weeks at this point.

There is always risk in waiting. I'm not sure anyone can give you a definitive answer.

[nereo]

So the question is when to start the refi process?  I can drop about 3/4 of a percent depending. I’m thinking of waiting at least a week, but should it be 2or three weeks at this point.

There is always risk in waiting. I'm not sure anyone can give you a definitive answer.

Yup, it's a crap shoot.  Continued global concern in the markets can push investors to US Treasuries and hold them at historic lows (i.e.. ~1% for 10y). Or the picture can brighten just oh-so-little with the fed's rate cut and some slowing disease transmission rates and we may have already hit bottom here.  It's impossible to know for certain.

My take?  If the math is in your favor to refinance now, do it.  You'll lock in a rate that's in the low 3.x%s - which is historically low.  Maybe you'll miss out on another 0.1-0.3% further drop, but maybe not.  The only reason I'm waiting is that my rate drop would be ~0.35% and with closing costs my ROI would be uncomfortably close to how long we plan on staying in this house (4-5 years).

[Brother Esau]

Seeing 2.8% for a 15 year refi in my neck of the woods. May pull the trigger if it gets closer to 2.5%.

[TomTX]

It turns out best mortgage rates i have seen so far are 3.25% for cash-out refi vs 3% for just refi for 30 year fixed. Still a good rate.
It improves cash-flow by $200/m and 55K cash out.

I tried and failed to convince DW that cash-out refi was a good idea. So we are moving forward with 30 year fixed refinance instead.

Just locked in 2.875% for 30 year fixed refi - a reference interest rate if you are in same boat. Good luck!

Our mortgage payment will be down by 40%. Now I have a good problem of how to automate this freed up cash-flow to investments.

Please post the following information when referencing a particular refi deal:

Term
Interest rate
Closing costs <-------
State/location <---------
Cashout or not

[achvfi]

Please post the following information when referencing a particular refi deal:

Term
Interest rate
Closing costs <-------
State/location <---------
Cashout or not

Type ---> Refinance
Term ---> 30 year fixed
Interest rate ---> 2.875 locked
Closing costs ---> 300 appraisal + ~$1000 Title + ~$300 Misc fees - Potential Lender credits $700 
                          + refundable lock fee + fund escrow for next year
State/location ---> Midwest
Cashout? ---> no

[BlueHouse]

I wonder how our attitudes might change if we instead had no ownership but merely paid rent (albeit at much lower levels) to inhabit a property, with decadal time-frames.

The Disney Vacation Club actually works that way. Timeshare, so not so much "at much lower levels", but if you read the contract, it is actually a ~50 year lease. But "renting on a very long term to inhabit a property" is exactly what "owners" are doing in that program. So I guess this idea works at a very small, niche scale at least.

Leaseholds seem to work in the UK. 

[TomTX]

Please post the following information when referencing a particular refi deal:

Term
Interest rate
Closing costs <-------
State/location <---------
Cashout or not

Type ---> Refinance
Term ---> 30 year fixed
Interest rate ---> 2.875 locked
Closing costs ---> 300 appraisal + ~$1000 Title + ~$300 Misc fees - Potential Lender credits $700 
                          + refundable lock fee + fund escrow for next year
State/location ---> Midwest
Cashout? ---> no

Thanks! Sounds like a great deal.

[Holocene]

Man, these awesome looking rates and the drop in the stock market have me thinking of refinancing.  I'm just not sure that it makes sense in my case, considering I'm already at a 3.5% rate.  I don't want my monthly payment to go up much, so I'd be able to take out $30-35k (to invest) and extend my mortgage ~7.5yrs by starting a new 30yr.  I'm sure I'd come out ahead, but I'm also considering RE in ~2yrs.  At that point, I don't even know if I'll stay in this house when I'm not tied down to a job.  I might buy an RV or van and travel for a while or re-locate to a nicer area.  If there were no closing costs, I'd definitely jump on it.  But it just seems like it'd take too long to break-even going from 3.5% to 3ish%.  Maybe I'll wait and see if they drop even further.

WWB42D (What would boarder42 do)?  I'm sure he's already working on his own cash-out refinance :)

[Holocene]

Please post the following information when referencing a particular refi deal:

Term
Interest rate
Closing costs <-------
State/location <---------
Cashout or not

Type ---> Refinance
Term ---> 30 year fixed
Interest rate ---> 2.875 locked
Closing costs ---> 300 appraisal + ~$1000 Title + ~$300 Misc fees - Potential Lender credits $700 
                          + refundable lock fee + fund escrow for next year
State/location ---> Midwest
Cashout? ---> no

Would you mind sharing who your lender is?  I'm also in the midwest and this seems like an awesome deal with a really good rate and low closing costs.  I've done just a little searching online and I'm not finding anything quite this good.  Congrats to you!

[Telecaster]

Leaseholds seem to work in the UK.

Here too, but lenders won't touch them unless the leasehold expires after the loan term. 

[Dicey]

Found this on another thread. Thanks, @Duke03.

https://www.rbfcu.org/rates

Click on the promo Refinance.... you can get an 11 year for 2.45%.... FYI closing cost will be about $1100 as long as you have at least 10% equity.... You're Welcome!!

Thank you. this is a great rate.

I don't seem to be able to join online as they won't even accept my zip code (in CT) as a valid one.
I'll make a call tomorrow and see what they say.

Call them they can do a mortgage any where.  They are the largest credit union in Texas and are awesome to deal with.  I've had 3 mortgages with them no issues at all.

[achvfi]

Please post the following information when referencing a particular refi deal:

Term
Interest rate
Closing costs <-------
State/location <---------
Cashout or not

Type ---> Refinance
Term ---> 30 year fixed
Interest rate ---> 2.875 locked
Closing costs ---> 300 appraisal + ~$1000 Title + ~$300 Misc fees - Potential Lender credits $700 
                          + refundable lock fee + fund escrow for next year
State/location ---> Midwest
Cashout? ---> no

Would you mind sharing who your lender is?  I'm also in the midwest and this seems like an awesome deal with a really good rate and low closing costs.  I've done just a little searching online and I'm not finding anything quite this good.  Congrats to you!

Sorry, I went with small regional player, very close to home. I want to keep it private. Luckily was able to lock in when interest rates hit 2.875 30 year fixed very briefly. Now they are back in range between 3% - 3.25%. Seems like they can change multiple times in a day.

[nereo]

Please post the following information when referencing a particular refi deal:

Term
Interest rate
Closing costs <-------
State/location <---------
Cashout or not

Type ---> Refinance
Term ---> 30 year fixed
Interest rate ---> 2.875 locked
Closing costs ---> 300 appraisal + ~$1000 Title + ~$300 Misc fees - Potential Lender credits $700 
                          + refundable lock fee + fund escrow for next year
State/location ---> Midwest
Cashout? ---> no

Would you mind sharing who your lender is?  I'm also in the midwest and this seems like an awesome deal with a really good rate and low closing costs.  I've done just a little searching online and I'm not finding anything quite this good.  Congrats to you!

Sorry, I went with small regional player, very close to home. I want to keep it private. Luckily was able to lock in when interest rates hit 2.875 30 year fixed very briefly. Now they are back in range between 3% - 3.25%. Seems like they can change multiple times in a day.

I wend with a small regional player with a branch a mile from my home.
What happened?  Before I made the *first payment* they sold my loan to another bank, who sold it to a third player.  Now I'm with some company in California (opposite coast).  Go figure.

Don't assume that just because you go with a local bank it will stay that way. 

[Holocene]

Please post the following information when referencing a particular refi deal:

Term
Interest rate
Closing costs <-------
State/location <---------
Cashout or not

Type ---> Refinance
Term ---> 30 year fixed
Interest rate ---> 2.875 locked
Closing costs ---> 300 appraisal + ~$1000 Title + ~$300 Misc fees - Potential Lender credits $700 
                          + refundable lock fee + fund escrow for next year
State/location ---> Midwest
Cashout? ---> no

Would you mind sharing who your lender is?  I'm also in the midwest and this seems like an awesome deal with a really good rate and low closing costs.  I've done just a little searching online and I'm not finding anything quite this good.  Congrats to you!

Sorry, I went with small regional player, very close to home. I want to keep it private. Luckily was able to lock in when interest rates hit 2.875 30 year fixed very briefly. Now they are back in range between 3% - 3.25%. Seems like they can change multiple times in a day.

Totally understand.  Great job on securing such a low rate.  I guess mortgage rates are just as volatile as the market these days.

[Dicey]

I wend with a small regional player with a branch a mile from my home.
What happened?  Before I made the *first payment* they sold my loan to another bank, who sold it to a third player.  Now I'm with some company in California (opposite coast).  Go figure.

Don't assume that just because you go with a local bank it will stay that way.

Hey, there's nothing wrong with California![snirt]

Not to rub it in, but for the benefit of others, be sure to ask that question during or even before you begin the loan application process.

FWIW, all but one of our loans are with a local lender who doesn't resell. We have one with Chase. They just sold it, but they're still going to be servicing the loan, so nothing's changed. Go figure.

Once you don't have an escrow account, it's no big deal if your loan sells, but I remember what a pain in the ass it can be. My first home loan must have been sold at least six times. It sucked.

[nereo]

I wend with a small regional player with a branch a mile from my home.
What happened?  Before I made the *first payment* they sold my loan to another bank, who sold it to a third player.  Now I'm with some company in California (opposite coast).  Go figure.

Don't assume that just because you go with a local bank it will stay that way.

Hey, there's nothing wrong with California![snirt]

Not to rub it in, but for the benefit of others, be sure to ask that question during or even before you begin the loanapplication process.

FWIW, all but one of our loans are with a local lender who doesn't resell. We have one with Chase. They just sold it, but they're still going to be servicing the loan, so nothing's changed. Go figure.

Once you don't have an escrow account, it's no big deal if your loan sells, but I remember what a pain in the ass it can be. My first home loan must have been sold at least six times. It sucked.

Hey, I love California.  LIved there for 10 years, and my sister and her family are (and will almost certainly remain)  there.

My point was merely that we went with a local lender because it gave us a local branch we could walk into if we had a problem and talk with a person vis-a-vis, and their quote was on par with many other lenders.  Turns out we never had a single opportunity to use that local branch.

Yeah... we should have specifically asked for a provision that they not re-sell our loan (or at least asked about their policy).  Live and learn.

To be fair we’ve had no problems with the company that now owns our loan - 6 payments in and things are going as they should.

[ender]

Once you don't have an escrow account, it's no big deal if your loan sells, but I remember what a pain in the ass it can be. My first home loan must have been sold at least six times. It sucked.

This is actually why we're considering not escrowing this time around, just to avoid dealing with the pain that might be.

[Dicey]

Once you don't have an escrow account, it's no big deal if your loan sells, but I remember what a pain in the ass it can be. My first home loan must have been sold at least six times. It sucked.

This is actually why we're considering not escrowing this time around, just to avoid dealing with the pain that might be.

DH adamantly prefers this. Therefore, when taxes are due on four properties, it is a huge chunk of change. It hurts to write those checks, even though we're savers and always have plenty of cash. Just for grins, our tax bill is in excess of $26k per year. Yay for California high-priced real estate.

[MasterStache]

Once you don't have an escrow account, it's no big deal if your loan sells, but I remember what a pain in the ass it can be. My first home loan must have been sold at least six times. It sucked.

This is actually why we're considering not escrowing this time around, just to avoid dealing with the pain that might be.

DH adamantly prefers this. Therefore, when taxes are due on four properties, it is a huge chunk of change. It hurts to write those checks, even though we're savers and always have plenty of cash. Just for grins, our tax bill is in excess of $26k per year. Yay for California high-priced real estate.

Our broker gave us the option of not escrowing without any additional fees. I have never done that before but since our last mortgage company kept screwing it up, I am choosing to pay everything myself this time around. Just have to remember to put that money to the side.