What is a mortgage refinance, and how does refinancing work?

Refinancing explained

Refinancing is when a homeowner gets a new mortgage loan to replace their current loan. The new loan should help them save money or meet another financial goal.

For example, most people refinance to lower their interest rates and reduce their mortgage payments, often saving thousands in mortgage interest. But you can also refinance into a new loan type, shorten your loan term to pay off the home early, or cash out home equity.

With home values on the rise, many homeowners have increased equity levels and are refinance-eligible.

In this article (Skip to...)

• How refinancing works
• Refinancing example
• Benefits
• Types of refi loans
• Refinance process
• Low-doc refi loans
• Refi FAQ

What does it mean to refinance a mortgage?

Refinancing involves taking out a new mortgage loan to replace your existing one.

When you refinance, you apply for a new home loan just as you did when you bought your house. But this time, instead of using the loan money to purchase a home, it’s used to pay off your existing mortgage balance.

Refinancing effectively replaces the debt on your current mortgage. It also lets you choose the rate and loan term on your new mortgage, so you can get a new home loan that saves you money or helps you accomplish other financial goals.

How does refinancing work?

When you refinance, you don’t actually receive the funds from the loan (unless you’re doing a cash-out refi). Instead, the lender(s) involved will handle the transaction behind the scenes. Your refinance lender uses the loan amount to pay off your existing mortgage, and after closing, you’ll start making monthly payments on the new loan.

As far as you’re involved, the mortgage refinance process typically looks a lot like your original home loan process did. Although refinance closing costs tend to be a bit less.

Homeowners refinance because you get to choose the rate and loan terms on your new mortgage. So you can take out a new loan that’s more affordable or helps you meet other financial goals (more on that below).

Home loan refinancing example

The most common reason to refinance is for a lower interest rate. This typically lowers your monthly mortgage payments and reduces your long-term interest cost.

Say you bought a house two years ago. The house cost $300,000. You made a $30,000 down payment and took out a mortgage for $270,000 to cover the rest of the purchase price.

Now, interest rates have fallen, and you want to lock in a lower mortgage rate to reduce your monthly payments. So you decide to refinance.

• Your current loan balance with Lender A is $260,000
• You shop around and find out Lender B can offer you a lower interest rate than your current one
• You apply for a mortgage with Lender B, asking for a loan balance of $260,000
• You’re approved for the refinance loan
• Lender B uses the $260,000 to pay off your debt to Lender A
• Now you make monthly mortgage payments to Lender B
• You still have a $260,000 loan balance — but now you have a lower interest rate and cheaper monthly payments

Note that you don’t have to work with your current mortgage lender or loan servicer.

If the lender you used to buy your home can now offer you a lower rate and better terms, you’re free to refinance with your current lender. But you’re also free to shop around for another company that can offer you an even better deal.

In fact, it’s highly recommended that you do so. Your finances have likely changed since you got your first mortgage — which means there’s a good chance your original lender is no longer your best bet.

How mortgage refinancing benefits homeowners

Your personal finances are bound to change over the years. You’ll build home equity; your income may increase; maybe you’ll pay off credit card debts and improve your credit reports.

As your finances improve, you’ll likely have access to better mortgage options than you did when you bought your home. Some of the benefits of mortgage refinancing include:

• Saving money by borrowing at a lower rate. Mortgage interest rates are constantly in flux. If rates have fallen since you took out a home loan, there’s a good chance you can refinance to a lower rate and save — even if your finances look exactly as they did when you bought the house
• Changing the features of your home loan when you refinance. You can choose the number of years in your loan (your “loan term”); you can choose the nature of your interest rate (fixed-rate or adjustable-rate); and, you can even choose what you pay in mortgage closing costs
• Own your home sooner, drop mortgage insurance, and get cash out. Many homeowners refinance to get a lower mortgage rate. But a refinance mortgage can also help you pay your home off more quickly, eliminate mortgage insurance, or tap your home equity to pay off debt or fund home improvements
• Some borrowers might be able to benefit from a mortgage interest deduction. Mortgage interest is often tax-deductible; so if you can combine other debt into your mortgage, you may be able to deduct the interest paid on that debt. However, always consult a tax professional first before making any decision that could affect you taxes

Even in a rising-rate environment, there are good reasons to refinance. For instance, cashing out home equity is a great way to pay for home improvements and other large expenses. Or, you might want to refinance from an FHA loan to a conventional loan to remove mortgage insurance.

Whatever your reason for refinancing, make sure you shop around to find the best ideal on your new home loan.

3 Types of refinance mortgages

Refinance mortgages come in three varieties. The refinance loan option that’s best for you will depend on your personal finances.

1. Rate-and-term refinance
2. Cash-out refinance
3. Cash-in refinance (a variation of a rate-and-term refinance)

Refinance rates vary between the three loan types.

1. Rate-and-term refinance

A rate-and-term refinance lets homeowners change their existing loan’s mortgage rate, loan term, or both. Loan term is the length of the mortgage.

For example, a homeowner may refinance:

• From a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage into a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage
• From a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with a high interest rate to a new 30-year mortgage with lower fixed rate
• From a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with a high interest rate to a 15-year fixed loan with a lower rate

The goal of a rate-and-term refinance loan is to save money. You can save month-to-month with a lower monthly payment or pay less interest overall because of a lower mortgage rate or a shorter loan term.

If you refinance into a shorter loan term, your monthly payments will be higher. That’s because you’re paying off the same amount of money in a shorter amount of time. But, since you’re eliminating years of interest payments, you save more money in the long run.

Most refinances are rate-and-term refinances, especially in a falling mortgage rate environment.

2. Cash-out refinance

The goal of a cash-out refinance is to tap your home equity.

Home equity is the portion of the home that you own. For instance, if your home is worth $300,000, and you owe $200,000 on your mortgage, you have $100,000 worth of home equity.

But equity isn’t liquid cash. To access it, you have to take a loan against the value of your home. That’s where a cash-out refinance comes in.

Remember that with a rate-and-term refinance, your new loan balance is equal to what you currently owe on the home, and it’s used to pay off your existing mortgage.

The difference with a cash-out refinance is that your new loan balance is bigger than what you currently owe. The new loan is used to pay off your existing mortgage balance, and the money “left over” is the amount you’re cashing out.

Cash-out refinance example

Here’s a simple example of how cash-out refinancing works:

• Home value: $300,000
• Current loan balance: $150,000
• New loan balance: $200,000
• Cash received at closing: $50,000 (minus closing costs)

Because the homeowner owes only the original amount to the bank, the “extra” amount is paid as cash at closing. Or, in the case of a debt consolidation refinance, the cash-out is directed to creditors such as credit card companies and student loan administrators.

Cash-out mortgages can also be used to consolidate first and second mortgages when the second mortgage was not taken at the time of purchase.

In a cash-out refinance, the new loan may also offer a lower interest rate or a shorter loan term compared to the old loan. But the main goal is to generate liquid cash, so getting a lower interest rate isn’t required.

Cash-out requirements

Cash-out mortgages represent more risk to a bank than a rate-and-term refinance mortgage, so lenders require more stringent approval standards.

For example, a cash-out refinance may be limited to a lower loan size as compared to a rate-and-term refinance; or, the cash-out refi may require higher credit scores at the time of application.

Most refinance loan programs also require borrowers to leave at least 15% to 20% of their home’s equity untapped. That means you won’t be able to withdraw all your home equity, but only a portion of it.

3. Cash-in refinance

A “cash-in refinance” is the opposite of a cash-out refinance.

With a cash-in refinance, the homeowner brings cash to closing in order to pay down their loan balance and lower the amount owed to the bank. This may result in a lower mortgage rate, a shorter loan term, or both.

There are several reasons why homeowners choose the cash-in mortgage refinance process.

• To get lower interest rates which are available only at lower loan-to-value ratios (LTVs). LTV measures the size of the loan in comparison to the home’s value. A loan with an 80% LTV, for example, will often charge higher interest rates than a loan at 75% LTV
• To cancel mortgage insurance premiums. When you pay your conventional loan down to 80% LTV or lower, your private mortgage insurance premiums (PMI) are no longer due

This rule does not apply to FHA loans, which typically require mortgage insurance premiums (MIP) throughout the life of the loan.

However, a homeowner could replace an existing FHA loan with a conventional loan through the refinance process. This strategy could eliminate mortgage insurance premiums (MIP) and help you save even more month-to-month.

The mortgage refinance process

When you refinance a mortgage, you’re establishing a brand-new home loan with brand-new terms. This typically means you must go through the full mortgage application and approval process.

Mortgage underwriters will evaluate your application in three specific areas:

• Credit score and credit history
• Income and employment history
• Assets and cash reserves

You can see a full list of refinance requirements here.

Your home will also be appraised to confirm its current market value, just as it was when you got your existing loan.

How is the refinance process different from home buying?

Despite the similarities between buying and refinancing, borrowers can usually expect to provide less documentation during the refinancing process.

You will still be asked to provide proof of income using W-2s, tax returns, and pay stubs; proof of assets via bank statements; and proof of citizenship or U.S. residency status. But you will not be asked to provide information related to the original transfer of the home.

In addition, since there’s no rush to close a refinance — unlike a home purchase — you can take more time to shop around and find the lowest interest rate. Since the primary goal of a refinance is to save you money, you should take your time comparing lenders to find the best refinance rate and fees available to you.

How long does it take to refinance?

Refinance mortgages are often ready to close in 30 days or fewer. But keep in mind that market conditions can affect closing times. If rates have fallen sharply and many homeowners are rushing to refinance at the same time, it may take 40-45 days or longer to close.

Low-doc refinance programs

Refinance lenders normally need to verify your income, assets, and credit history. But some refinance programs let you bypass this verification process.

These programs are called Streamline Refinances. They’re “streamlined” because underwriting requirements are simplified and designed to be speedy.

With a Streamline Refinance, mortgage lenders waive large parts of their “typical” refinance mortgage approval process. Often, home appraisals, income verification, and credit score checks are all waived.

Homeowners may have access to a Streamline Refinance loan if their current mortgage is backed by the federal government — including FHA loans, VA loans, and USDA loans.

Although different lenders may set their own requirements (sometimes including appraisals and credit approval), the general guidelines for Streamline Refinancing are as follows.

FHA Streamline Refinance

The FHA Streamline Refinance is available to homeowners with an existing FHA mortgage. This refinance program waives credit and income verification and does not require a home appraisal.

FHA refinance rates are generally low. But homeowners will have to pay for upfront mortgage insurance and annual mortgage insurance premiums (MIP), just like with an FHA home purchase loan. These added costs will impact your refinance savings.

To qualify for the FHA Streamline program, you must have a history of on-time mortgage payments. And a “net tangible benefit” is required — meaning the refinance mortgage will have a significantly lower rate and/or payments than your current loan.

Note that cash-out refinancing is not allowed via the FHA Streamline Refinance program. FHA does offer a cash-out refinance loan, but it requires full underwriting and typically has higher credit score requirements.

VA Streamline Refinance (IRRRL)

The VA Streamline Refinance is available to homeowners with an existing VA-backed mortgage.

Officially known as the VA Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan (IRRRL), the VA Streamline Refinance also waives income, asset, and credit score verifications.

Refinancing VA homeowners are required to show the refinance mortgage will result in monthly payment savings, except for homeowners changing to a shorter loan term, such as from a 30-year loan to a 15-year loan; or, from an adjustable-rate mortgage to a fixed-rate loan.

Homeowners may not receive cash-out as part of a VA Streamline Refinance.

USDA Streamline Refinance

The USDA Streamline Refinance Program is available to homeowners with existing USDA home loans. USDA loans, designed for homeowners in rural or suburban areas, allow up to 100% financing.

The USDA Streamline Refinance Program does not always verify income, assets, or credit. And homeowners using the program to refinance are limited to 30-year fixed-rate mortgages; ARMs are not allowed.

Cash-out refinance mortgages are not allowed via the USDA Streamline Refinance.

Refinance loan FAQs

Today’s mortgage refinance rates

There are many ways to refinance a home and many U.S. homeowners are potentially eligible for lower rates and payments.

The best way to find your low rate is to shop with three to five different lenders and compare offers.