Low interest on 15-year mortgages brings many refinancing deals!

Mortgage interest rates are the lowest in half a century, and the 15-year rate is the lowest of all.

Some mortgages are being offered at 3.75 percent for the 15-year. A year ago, the average rate was 4.68 percent.

In the past, many people would have opted for a 15-year instrument instead of one for 30 years, but couldn’t afford the higher monthly payments. The gap in monthly payments has now decreased.

A 30-year mortgage holder on a $200,000 loan at 7 percent would pay about $1,330 in principal and interest for 30 years. If the $200,000 mortgage was taken at 3.75 percent interest, the monthly payment would be just $124 more, or $1,454 for only 15 years.

Twenty-year loans have also become a good choice. At today’s rates, a borrower with a 30-year loan at 6.5 percent, and a $200,000 principal balance, could save some $70,000 in interest over the life of a shorter 20-year mortgage.

According to HSH Associates, a publisher of mortgage and consumer loan information, the shorter terms are especially attractive to people who want to build equity more quickly and those who want to pay off mortgages in a shorter period of time. About one-third of refinancers are moving to 15-year or 20-year loans.

One lender, quoted in USA Today, says more homeowners who are in their middle years are applying for 15-year mortgages. Their income is higher now than it will be at retirement, and they can afford to pay off the loan before they retire.

About a quarter of residential properties are now worth less than the amount owed on a mortgage. If they can afford it, some people are paying cash upfront to move from a more-expensive mortgage to a cheaper, shorter-term loan.

If you are considering refinancing on Florida’s Treasure Coast but don’t know where to begin.  Give us a call and we’ll point you in the right direction.

the Gabe Sanders real estate team

Residential Homes, Condos and Land
Waterfront and Golf Course Communities in Martin and Saint Lucie Counties

For more information about Florida’s Treasure Coast Real Estate, visit us at our website or call us at (772) 888-2885.
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