Saturday, March 27, 2010

Eligibility Requirements For A Va Refinance Loan


By Dustin McAlister

The VA Refinance Loans were created to provide more favorable mortgage terms for veterans. The Interest Rate Reduction Refinancing Loan allows a veteran to refinance their current VA loan so that they can get a lower interest rate or change an adjustable rate mortgage into a fixed rate mortgage.

In order to be approved for an IRRRL, the borrower has to qualify for a lower interest rate if they want to refinance their current fixed rate mortgage. If the borrower wants to change an ARM to a fixed rate mortgage, then the interest rate for the new mortgage can have a higher interest rate than the borrower's current loan.

Many borrowers who have adjustable rate mortgages are having a difficult time paying their mortgages. The loan may have initially started with a low interest rate, but when the interest rate adjusted, it could have increased to such an extent that the mortgage payments were no longer affordable. The borrower may continue having a difficult time paying the mortgage because he will not know how much the interest will increase or decrease during each adjustment period. For this reason, a borrower who goes from an adjustable rate to a fixed rate mortgage with a higher rate can still be approved for the IRRRL. Even if the fixed rate mortgage has a higher interest rate, the borrower will know what his principal and interest payments will be during the duration of the loan. An adjustable rate mortgage cannot provide that kind of predictability. The VA will only approve the loan if they are sure the fixed rate mortgage is affordable based on the borrower's income and expenses.

To be eligible for an IRRRL, the borrower can only refinance a VA loan that he is currently paying off. The property has to be owner-occupied. The borrower cannot get a refinancing loan on a rental or investment property. The borrower will be required to sign an agreement stating that the property being refinanced is his primary residence.

The refinance loan cannot be greater than the outstanding amount owed on the current mortgage. The only additional amounts that can be included in the new loan include closing costs and a maximum of six thousand dollars to incorporate energy efficient improvements to the house. The term of the new loan cannot be more than ten years longer than the current loan.

A person can apply for a VA refinance loan over the phone. A loan representative will request information about earnings, employment, expenses such as alimony and child support, a list of assets and the value of the assets. The representative will ask additional personal information in order to determine if the person is eligible for the loan. When the application process is completed, the person will find out if he is approved and the amount of the loan he can receive.

When approved for the loan, the person can get the loan through the VA Loan Bank or he can work with a VA-approved mortgage lender. If the borrower decides to work with the VA Loan Bank, a property appraisal and additional credit check will not be necessary. If the borrower decides to work with another lender, then they may require a credit check and appraisal. A Certificate of Eligibility is not required to refinance the VA loan.

The Interest Rate Reduction Refinancing Loan is a VA refinance loan program that was created to give veterans a more affordable mortgage that will help them save money in the long-term. A person with a VA loan can contact a loan representative to find out if they qualify for the refinancing loan. Even if the person is approved for a loan, there is no obligation to get another loan. Deciding whether or not to refinance the mortgage is up to the discretion of the individual.

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