When you need cash
Home refinancing is a great idea when you need to get your hands on a great deal of available cash for any of several reasons. Essentially, what you are doing is trading the equity in your house for cash in hand that you can use in any way you want. The equity may have accrued because you have been paying on a mortgage long enough to pay down the principal so there is a difference between the value of the house and the amount you owe. Refinancing obligates you to paying more money or borrowing for a longer term, but may be the best option if you need immediate cash in large amounts.
When you want to pay off some debts
Debts can be financially debilitating, whether they are secured or unsecured obligations. If you are constantly worrying about having enough income to pay the monthly obligations that you have incurred, home refinancing may be an option you would like to consider. You trade the equity of your home for cash which you use to pay off some of the smaller and higher interest debts that cause so much outgo from your earnings each pay period. Your mortgage will usually cost you less than the expensive minimum balances on the credit card or other debts.
When you want to reduce the payment of high interest fees
A home refinancing loan is often used to reduce the outgo caused by paying high interest rates on credit card debt and other smaller loans. Just like paying off other debts with the proceeds of your refinance, the reduction of credit card debt can make a huge difference in your financial picture. You will pay far less in interest payments with an equity based loan than with credit card debt and part of your interest may be tax deductible.
When you want to lower monthly loan payments
When you have paid down the principal on a mature loan and want to reduce the monthly outgo from your budget, you can do a home refinancing that will reduce the cost of the monthly payment. Because you are creating a new loan for the new equity amount, you are also changing the other terms. You can reduce the term and still pay slightly less each month if the new interest rates are lower than in the original mortgage loan. Some homeowners with mature mortgages are paying far less than rent costs would be by using the concept of refinancing the reduced principal.
When you are simplifying your life
If you have reached a stage in life where you want to relax and take more time to just enjoy life, you may also want to reduce some of the life stressors. If you use home refinancing as a tool to reduce your payment levels, it also has the advantage of removing some of your financial stress. Lower monthly payments sent to the mortgage loan company means you can afford many more enjoyable things in your life.