Friday, March 20, 2009

Details of the Housing Rescue Plan


Re-utters:

Obama's housing rescue plan aims to help homeowners refinance.

By Marcie Geffner


President Obama has announced a new housing rescue plan that aims to help homeowners who are struggling to pay their mortgage. The new plan allows some homeowners to refinance even if they owe more on their mortgage than their home is worth. The plan also includes a loan modification program. Read more about the loan modification program.

Who will benefit from the HASP housing rescue plan?
The housing rescue plan, formally known as the Housing Affordability and Stability Plan (HASP), is intended to help homeowners who haven't been able to refinance because the value of their home has declined.

For example, a borrower whose home was worth $210,000, but who owed $200,000 might be able to lower his or her interest rate by refinancing into a new 15- or 30-year fixed-rate loan.

The housing rescue plan program is open to homeowners who:

  • Earn enough income to afford the payments on a new mortgage.
  • Have an acceptable payment history on their current mortgage.
  • Aren’t currently behind on their payments.
  • Have a mortgage that's owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are the two mortgage companies that were taken over by the federal government last year. To find out whether your mortgage is owned or guaranteed by either of these companies, call your lender or loan servicer.

How will the HASP housing rescue plan work?
New mortgages under the housing rescue plan will have a fixed interest rate and a term of either 15 or 30 years. Lenders may offer different combinations of rates, terms and points, so it's a good idea to shop around for a loan that will fit your needs. These loans will not have a prepayment penalty.

The best part of the HASP housing rescue plan is that it allows homeowners to refinance with a loan-to-value (LTV) ratio as high as 105 percent. For example, if your house was worth $200,000, but you owed $210,000, your loan-to-value ratio would be 105 percent. Without this plan, you might not be able refinance, but with this plan, you might be able to do so.

You will have to pay closing costs and fees, though you may be able to finance those costs as part of your new loan. If you have a second mortgage (i.e., a home equity loan or home equity line of credit), your lender must agree to subordinate that loan to your new mortgage.

The HASP housing rescue plan also contains incentives to encourage lenders and loan servicers to modify some homeowners' mortgages to make the payments more affordable. You can read details about the loan modification program here. Or, visit FinancialStability.gov to find out if you may be eligible for a loan modification.

You can find more information about the housing rescue plan on the White House blog: "Questions-and-Answers for Borrowers about the Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan."

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

The Governments Economic Stimulus Plan Breakdown: $787 Billion


Now that it’s been a few weeks since our new president passed the $787 Billion Economic Stimulus Plan, it’s easier to get more details on exactly how it’s broken down. Did you know that $217 billion is allotted for state and local governments? Many of our president’s speeches touted the infrastructure and investments in efficient energy inventions but those only totaled $169.5 billion. Want to know the rest?

The Governments Economic Stimulus Plan Breakdown

Tax Cuts - $244 Billion

$99B - Payroll-Tax Holiday
$90B - Business Expenses Tax Breaks
$25B - Earned Income Tax Credit
$20B - Renewable Energy Tax Credit
$10B - Tuition Tax Credit

Aids For State and Local Gov - $217 Billion

$87B - Medicaid Cost Sharing
$79B - State Grants
$42B - State and Local Bond Tax Credit
$5B - Community Development
$4B - Rural Development

Relief - $120 Billion

$42B - Expanded Unemployment Insurance
$40B - Health Insurance for Unemployed
$20B - Expanded Food Stamps
$11B - Housing Assistance
$4B- Supplemental Social Security Income Payments
$3B - Welfare

Infrastructure - $101 Billion

$30B - Highways
$20B - School Renovation
$17B - Health Information Technology
$13B - Transportation Projects
$8B - Water Projects
$7B - Military and V.A. Construction
$6B - Accelerated Deployment of Broadband

Energy Efficiency - $59.5 Billion

$22B - Federal Energy Efficiency Grants
$19B - Other Energy Efficiency Grants
$11B - Smart Electric Grid
$8B - Renewable Energy Loan Guarantees

Human Capital - $45.5 Billion

$25B - Education Programs
$15B - Federal Pell Grants
$4B - Job Training
$2B - Scientific Research

Friday, March 13, 2009

Short Refinance


Don't Lose Your Keys. Short REFI vs Short SALE

Right now, we are witnessing first-hand the worst real estate crash in U.S. history. Someday many of us will look back at years 2007-20?? and say, "Yeah, those were the days when we owed more than our houses were worth." But in the present day, in the midst of our housing crisis, we must decide what to do about it. Bottom-line is, nobody wants to lose their home, but most would rather lose that than lose money- and keep on losing it. So do I sell short or walk away? These are two things that come to mind when homeowners think about their equity lost and cutting their losses short. Unfortunately, both of these choices involve moving out of one's home and all of the trauma that goes along with it. There's hardly a bright side to either one, but what if there were another way? Today, I want to give you an alternative option to consider, which may also be for the greater benefit of our national economy: SHORT REFINANCING.

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said it best,

"With low or negative equity... a stressed borrower has less ability (because there is no home equity to tap) and less financial incentive to try to remain in the home. In this environment, principal reductions that restore some equity for the homeowner may be a relatively more effective means of avoiding delinquency and foreclosure."
In layman's terms, reduce the loan balance or else the house forecloses. The easiest way for me to explain the way a short refinance works is to draw the analogy between that and a short sale. By now we've all heard or spoke about someone short selling their property, typically because they can no longer afford the payments and cannot sell it at a high enough price to payoff their existing lender. In a short sale, the lender's potential losses- by having to foreclose on a home and incur the costs of re-selling it on the open market- are reduced by accepting a buyer's offer for less than what is owed. Obviously, no bank or investor wants to accept a payoff of less than what they originally lent out, but by not accepting such an offer they run the proven risk of recouping far less than that later. Most importantly, a short sale pays the bank whatever they can get for the home NOW. In finance, we like liquidity and appreciate the time value of money. A bank can use this partial payoff and quickly re-allocate it to less risky borrowers who pay on time, thereby realizing an immediate profit. It takes at least 6 months for a bank to recover a home once a borrower misses their first payment! As bank's must report quarterly profits, 6 months can be an eternity for them to wait their money. Okay, I think we can all agree that a short sale may be in a bank's best interest if doing nothing can result in greater losses. The concept of short refinancing works in the exact same way, except in a short refi the current homeowner remains the homeowner. Let's compare these two concepts more closely:
  • In a short refi, the lender accepts a "short payoff" for less than what is owed, just like a short sale. This is fairly easy to understand, as a full payoff would be considered a straight forward refinance.
  • In a short refi, the lender should reduce the principal balance for LESS THAN the true market value of the home. This may not be so simple to comprehend as one might think the bank would be giving up more money than necessary. However, if a lender does not leave some equity in the home, a new lender would not take the risk of refinancing it. Its investors require a little cushion in the event that property values drop further. Presently, the highest loan-to-value ratio loans are being offered by FHA (Federal Housing Administration), which are capped between 95%-97.5% depending on loan amount. Even at these high levels, banks must write-down an additional 2.5-5% in order for an FHA guaranteed loan to come to the rescue and pay them off. 2.5-5% is not too much to ask, considering the bank would pay realtors a 6% commission for short selling the same home (not to mention the added closing costs). The new FHA bailout plan calls for lenders to forgive principal balances down to market value PLUS an additional 10%! *The FHA bailout is targeted towards delinquent borrowers, which is not being discussed here. More on this topic later...
  • For a short refi, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE LATE, unlike a short sale. *If you are or have been late, ask me about a "short modification." In fact, most refinance options are limited if you have been late on your mortgage. Present underwriting guidelines for FHA loans do not allow mortgage lates, unless those lates happened AFTER an Adjustable Rate Mortgage payment increase (See FHASecure). On the other hand, you may need to prove that there is imminent threat of becoming late if they decide to do nothing. For instance, you have a negative amortization loan that will balloon in payments 2X what you are paying now, and you will certainly default if the future payment is not reduced. Threatening to walk away, simply because there is no equity, may not justify a short refinance.
  • To enter into a short refinance negotiation with your lender, you do not have to wait for Congress to pass the FHA bailout plan (a.k.a FHA Housing Stabalization and Homeownership Retention Act of 2008).
    Short refinancing involves direct negotiation with your lender, at your lender's option, just like a short sale. Laws do not need to be enacted before a lender can agree to accept a lesser sum for payoff. For them, this is purely a business decision.
  • To enter into a short refinance negotiation with your lender, you should be able to prove financial hardship, just like a short sale. It may be difficult to convince a lender to reduce the total debt owing if you can truly afford to pay it. Remember, a lender may not be willing to accept less money unless they risk losing more by doing nothing. Lenders are aware that many borrowers would rather continue paying on their high cost mortgages instead of sacrificing their good credit. At the same time, you must be able to prove ON PAPER that you can afford principal and interest payments at the reduced loan amount.
  • For a short refi, you may want to take on the services of an experienced loan broker to pre-qualify and negotiate your case. Because you must be able to qualify for an entirely new loan, only a licensed loan originator can successfully fund a short refinance. The charge for my negotiation services is a flat fee of $2200 deposited upfront into my broker trust account, but collected only after I've obtained a resolution from your lender. If it is possible to earn a commission on the new loan, I may even be able to offer you a refund of your advance fee.

If they are so similar, why aren't short refis as common as short sales? I think it has a lot to do with banks having to deal with the idea of rewarding their borrowers for not honoring the original terms of their agreements, and the domino effect of having to reduce balances for otherwise "good loans." Things are different now. Banks have greater incentive to workout terms with existing homeowners, since their repos simply aren't selling. Besides, I think we're way past the concern of rewarding speculators and investors who made bad investment decisions. The overall health of the national economy is at stake.

Since early 2007, I have been deeply concerned about how I can assist my clients who have zero or negative equity in their homes. Finally, I can help. It is my strong belief that offering home loan and loss mitigation services now go hand-in-hand, as many home sales and refinances cannot and will not happen unless principal balances are negotiated DOWN. Please stay tuned for my write-up on "short modifications."

By: Randy Miguel

First Time Home Buyers


The Nehemiah Corporation believes Congress and President Bush will ban its down-payment assistance "gift" program within days as part of the $300B FHA bailout bill, Nehemiah President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Syphax acknowledged Monday.

What does this mean? NO MORE DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE (DPA). The Nehemiah gift was a way for many first time buyers to purchase homes with no money down. It is unfortunate that this will no longer be an option. HOWEVER, there is an alternative. Right now, participating sellers typically credit 3% towards a Nehemiah "gift" plus an additional 3% towards buyer closing costs (up to 6% total) - where 3% is hardly enough to cover closing costs for an FHA loan. Although DPA is soon to vanish, sellers can still assist buyers by crediting a full 6% to closing costs instead - where a majority of that would go towards a rate buy down on the loan. Although buyers must now come up with 2.5%-5% of their own money, if the "would-be gift" were instead used for such a buy down, the monthly payments on the loan would be substantially lower. Basically, if a seller credits the same amount to the buyers closing costs instead of routing the funds through Nehemiah as a Gift, buyers would save much more in the long run through lower monthly payments and reduced compounding interest.

Latest Loan Modification News


Two of the primary government sponsored entities, Fannie Mae and Freddi Mac, are making an aggressive move to modify hundreds of thousands of mortgages across the United States. Requirements for consideration of relief are 3 part:

  • You must occupy your home.
  • You must be 90 days delinquent (non intentional, of course)
  • You must have a loan-to-value ratio of 90% or greater. To put it more simply, you must have little or no equity in your home.

First thing homeowners must determine is if their loan is guaranteed by Fannie or Freddie. This program does not include the option to write down mortgage balances down to their present market value. If you'd like to be considered for this or other available relief programs, please send me an email to randymiguel@gmail.com.

Who's Gonna Bailout the Homeowner?


Who's Gonna Bailout the Homeowner?
Bailout after Bailout
Loan Modification Help
Earlier this month, I was hopeful that the bailout legislation would be revised to directly help homeowners and not just banks. Didn't happen. The bailout as it was passed will not stop foreclosures, and as you can tell, I do not have much faith in our government's ability to fix things overnight. In fact, Bush himself says that will take some time to figure out how to resolve our credit crisis. Unfortunately, for most delinquent homeowners, there is not much time left. After missing one mortgage payment, it takes only 6 months for a lender to foreclose on a home.

SO WHAT NOW?

For homeowners, there is "hope" as it is sold. There's the HOPE for homeowners program. There's the Hope hotline or HOPE Now Alliance. Countrywide has a Hope Department for deliquent borrowers. Is it real hope or just a government campaign to boost confidence in times of dire straits? Honestly, I think it's a little bit of both. Obviously, the government does not want you to give up hope so you'll continue paying on your mortgages, but there are very promising programs either in effect or being discussed by lenders now that will make your payments more affordable. In this article, I'll make an attempt to explain what can be done sooner rather than later, for the delinquent and/or upside-down homeowner, based on loss mitigation programs offered by these lenders.

FHA Bailout a.k.a HOPE for Homeowner's Program

I've reviewed this in depth in my previous FHA bailout update, but in short, it gives seriously delinquent homeowners a chance to refinance at a reduced loan balance, equal to present market value minus another 10%. The idea is to give homeowners, who are near foreclosure, real incentive to stay in their homes by lowering their payments and giving them back some lost equity. The catch is that 1) the current lender MUST AGREE to the write-down at their option only; 2) all subordinate liens (2nds or 3rds) on the subject property must be non-existent; 3) you must own only ONE home; 4) you cannot make too much money but still enough to make the new loan payment; 5) you must agree to share equity with the government if you later sell or refinance; and 6) you must not have intentionally gone late to qualify for the program. I receive an unbelievable number of calls about this program, and as of 10/07/2008, it is still not available on the wholesale mortgage level. As with any new programs, it may take yet another several weeks for banks to train loan staff, program automated systems, and release underwriting guidelines. More importantly, no one lender wants to be the first to offer such a risky loan product, in terms of the complexity involved with this short refinance transaction. Official information on the HOPE for Homeowners program can be found at FHA.gov. Even there, you'll see that FHA has not yet published a list of participating lenders, although the program was effective October 1st. If you think you qualify for this program, please email me directly at randymiguel@gmail.com, and I'll reply once it becomes available. If I already have your email address, you can expect to receive a follow-up announcement the same day I receive the broker alert to begin submitting applications.

Remember, the primary take away here is that your lender MUST AGREE to accept less than what they are presently owed. And if you have a 2nd equityline of credit or equity loan, that lender MUST ALSO AGREE to completely forgive that debt. Very soon, I'll be directly negotiating with lenders to convince them that taking the write down makes more financial sense than foreclosure. However, you must understand that as of right now, there is no incentive for banks to accept this lesser amount other than the tax write off and to cut their losses short. Like I've mentioned before, short sales are no different in net payoff to the lender, besides the fact that the borrower remains in the home. So it should be a no brainer to the lender then, that they should accept FHA bailout loans in any case where the borrower qualifies. Unfortunately, they [lenders] haven't learned to put 2 and 2 together, and it's my job to teach them how to add.

One possible draw back to the $700B bailout of banks, is that the Feds are now offering to buy up a significant amount of bad debt. Considering delinquent mortgages are classified as bad debt, why would banks agree to a balance write down if they can sell your loan to the Feds instead? Will the Feds then modify your loan? Quite possibly. In fact, I read verbage in the bailout plan that stated the government's ability to modify the acquired loans. Perhaps they [the Feds] will then approve you for the FHA bailout program after acquiring the debt from your bank. It will be interesting to find out what the impact of the $700B bailout will have on the FHA bailout, and banks' willingness to accept short payoffs through the HOPE for Homeowners program. Because there is presently little incentive for banks to participate, likely candidates will be homeowners who are in clear and imminent danger of foreclosure if the lender decides to do nothing. In the near future, I'll make certain to keep you posted with my successes and failures in negotiating these loans. Again, I'd be happy to assess your situation if you think you might be a strong candidate.

Countrywide (Bank of America) Bailout

Yesterday 10/06/2008, Bank of America announced their "Home Ownership Retention Program for Countrywide Customers." This plan was actually forced as a settlement to predatory lending lawsuits filed against Countrywide. Even if you do not have a Countrywide loan, please continue reading as this may set a precendent for other banks with severely delinquent loans in their portfolios - which is pretty much all of them. The program allocates $8.7 billion for nationwide relief, where $3.5 billion is slated for California alone. 400,000 loans will be examined across the nation, assuming all eligible borrowers participate for possible relief. Bank of America has acknowledged that they may also require the cooperation of investors, who own the loans through mortgage securities. This creates a problem, since Bank of America may not be the sole decision maker on the workout. All troubled homeowners with Countrywide mortgages should inquire with the lender or seek professional assistance for negotiation. Program highlights include complete suspension of foreclosure, reduced rates as low as 2.5%, and principal balance reductions for certain borrowers. How do you become one of the select borrowers to receive a balance reduction over a reduced rate? You may want to take a proactive approach rather than passively wait for a letter in the mail. As with the pending FHA bailout, I'll soon be negotiating terms for this Bank of America bailout as well. Please contact me if you would like to be informed as soon as this program becomes available.

IndyMac Bailout

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. is now renegotiating loans that were acquired from the now defunct IndyMac Bank. Likewise, it has announced a similar program to modify loans that were originated by the failed lender. When entering into negotiations with IndyMac, FDIC will ultimately make a decision on your loan modification claim. IndyMac customers have an advantage in negotiation, as their loans are not owned by investors with an eye towards profits. Although the federal government will also make money on its loans, it may be more likely to produce a favorable workout since it secured its loan portfolio for pennies on the dollar. Make certain that your loan modification package is prepared by someone who thoroughly understands your situation and who has the ability to effectively communicate your situation to the FDIC.

Washington Mutual (JPMorgan Chase) Bailout

Be aware of ongoing bank mergers and takeovers. Troubled Washington Mutual customers can expect that JPMorgan will soon address their newly acquired mortgage holdings. In fact, the company expects to write down more than $30 billion in loans. Existing WAMU borrowers should hang tight, in anticipation that more favorable workout solutions will be made available in the coming weeks.

Wachovia (Citi or Wells?) Bailout

Yesterday 10/06/2008, Citigroup sued Wells Fargo over its recent merger agreement with Wachovia. No matter the result, Wachovia (and ex-World Savings) customers can expect similar workout programs to be enacted by the new owning bank. If you presently hold a Wachovia loan, and are now in default, you will want to make contact with the lender to prevent your home from foreclosure, but maybe not be so quick to demand a loan modification. Once the acquisition is complete, it will not be long before a real modification program is put in place. Due to the pending merger, you can expect interim workouts to offer little homeowner benefit, as there is limited authority to modify the loan in the borrower's favor. Bottom-line, present Wachovia management has little say so when approving a loss. If you can, wait for the real decision makers to settle your loan. Ultimately, the new Wachovia owner may follow Bank of America's lead in writing down loan balances rather than offering temporary payment relief.

Direct Lender Negotiation

If your loan is held by another lender that was not mentioned here, or if it is managed by an unknown servicing company, you may indirectly benefit by the aggressive actions of the government and other major banks, because this is a "follow-me" industry. Financial institutions know what needs to be done to fix our housing crisis, but no lender wants to go first. Banks do not want to see their investors flee as they become known for settling on their bad debt. Even worse, they do not want to be sued by their investors for settling on their bad debt. Sadly, it took class action lawsuits to persuade Countrywide to take an aggresive action in loan workouts. Very soon, you'll hear about balance write-down modifications that were previously not considered for Countrywide customers. These write downs will echo throughout the industry. And hopefully, banks that are now standing on the sidelines for short refinances and write-downs will soon follow suit as they become the acceptable norm. In the meantime, enter into loan modification negotiations with your lender if you can present a clear and imminent threat of foreclosure, AND if you can prove that threat will be extinguished if a modification agreement is reached. But do so with caution, because you might accept a temporary workout agreement in haste, when a more favorable resolution may be right around the corner.

As always, feel free to email me with questions or concerns about your specific situation. I'd be glad to help.
-Randy Miguel

Car Refinance


If you are thinking about car refinance, there are several factors to consider. As with any financial decision, it is important to be fully informed first.

What is a car refinance loan?
A car refinance loan pays off an existing auto loan with a new loan. It’s really quite simple: Your current auto loan and title are transferred to your new lender. You then simply make your car payments to the new lender.

When should you get a car refinance loan?
Ask yourself the following questions as part of the decision-making process:

1. Did you get your auto loan from the dealership? Although you may have gotten a great deal on the car, you probably didn’t get the best deal on the financing if you used the dealership. If your car is dealer-financed, that might be the first sign that car refinance is right for you.

2. Do you have an upside-down loan? An upside-down loan means that you owe more for your auto loan than the car is worth. Car refinance may be able to correct this situation. No one wants to trade-in or sell a vehicle and find out that the money given for the car won’t even cover the balance on the auto loan.

3. Is your interest rate high? Your interest rate may be higher than it should be, especially if you originally got your auto loan through a dealership. Also, rates may have fallen since you first got your loan. Using car refinance to get a lower rate is usually a good idea.

4. Is your monthly payment too high? If you get a lower interest rate through car refinance, your monthly payments should fall, too. However, avoid the mistake of stretching out the term of your auto loan. Although it may yield lower monthly payments, that is also the surest way to end up with an upside-down loan.

If all or even most of the above questions apply to you, then you may be a good candidate for car refinance.

If you have decided that car refinance is for you, then you must look into your options. A good place to start is at LendingTree.com where you can compare auto loan offers from up to four different lenders. That way, you can find a rate that you like and get a better auto loan through car refinance.


Sources: Lendingtree.com

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Car Insurance Company


The top ten car insurance companies in North America offer different features and bells and whistles to their clients, but most function under similar principles of sales and premiums. Finding out which is the best auto insurance company is not an easy task but one of the best ways to do this is compare how the companies stack up against one another. If the total coverage and liability offered by most companies is examined, differences will be found that can help make a better choice in terms of the type of insurance that is best.

The largest American car insurers is Esurance, a company that offers a online car insurance quote. Upon arriving at the web page (http://www.esurance.com), customers can get their online car insurance quote within minutes by simply inputting their zip code and some basic facts. Esurance offers 24-hour, seven-day customer support service and has a plethora of online options for getting your quote and your policy information as quickly as possible.

The next largest on the list of auto insurers is Progressive Insurance. Progressive Insurance offers comparisons to their competitors, right on the website, and claims to be able to deliver a quote in eight minutes through their representatives. They also have over thirty thousand brokers across the United States.

Third, GEICO Direct offers the friendly Gecko as a mascot and a claim center for reporting accidents or known issues in a relatively quick time. They boast friendly service in terms of getting quotes and reporting claims. GEICO also promotes an "umbrella" package that puts all of a family's insurance policies under one umbrella plan.

Fourth, 21st Century Insurance brings about easy-to-manage policies and online bill payments as a part of their way to get in touch with their customer base quicker than the competition. 21st Century Insurance also offers to estimate car insurance online as quickly as possible, enabling customers to find their auto insurance estimate on the website at their convenience.

You will find that the Comparison Market, American Automobile Association, Car Insurance Quotes, Mercury Insurance Group, the National Motor Club, and Hagerty Insurance round out the list of the top ten car insurers. These companies promote similar systems to the aforementioned and still compete for your premium car insurance insurance dollars. Car insurance is the product that these companies sell and, without a doubtComputer Technology Articles, car insurers will continue to haggle to try to be the best auto insurance company for years to come.


Sources: streetdirectory.com

Refinancing


Refinancing

Refinancing refers to the replacement of an existing debt obligation with a debt obligation bearing different terms. The most common consumer refinancing is for a home mortgage.

Advantages:
Refinancing may be undertaken to reduce interest rate/interest costs (by refinancing at a lower rate), to extend the repayment time, to pay off other debt(s), to reduce one's periodic payment obligations (sometimes by taking a longer-term loan), to reduce or alter risk (such as by refinancing from a variable-rate to a fixed-rate loan), and/or to raise cash for investment, consumption, or the payment of a dividend.

In essence, refinancing can alter the monthly payments owed on the loan either by changing the loan's interest rate, or by altering the term to maturity of the loan. More favourable lending conditions may reduce overall borrowing costs. Refinancing is used in most cases to improve overall cash flow.

Risks:
Most fixed-term debt contains penalty clauses (known as "call provisions") that are triggered by an early payment of the loan, either in its entirety or a specified portion. In addition, there are also closing and transaction fees typically associated with refinancing debt. In some cases, these fees may outweigh any savings generated through refinancing the loan itself. Typically, one only rationally considers refinancing if the potential for a substantial cost savings exists, or if there is a need to extend the loan due to weak cash flow or other non-recurring commitments.

In addition, some refinanced loans, while having lower initial payments, may result in larger total interest costs over the life of the loan, or expose the borrower to greater risks than the existing loan, depending on the type of loan used to refinance the existing debt. Calculating the up-front, ongoing, and potentially variable costs of refinancing is an important part of the decision on whether or not to refinance.

Sources: wikipedia