The Washington Post
If you’re still thinking about refinancing your mortgage despite the recent rise in interest rates, there’s lots of useful information available, including:
A brochure “Is Now a Good Time to Refinance?” is available from Fannie Mae’s Consumer Resource Center at 800-732-6643.
Also check out the Fannie Mae Web site at www.fanniemae.com, which includes a cost calculator to compare loans.
The Mortgage Bankers Association of America Web site (www.mbaa.org), which offers refinancing information under the header Buying a Home and advice from Jack Guttentag, professor of finance emeritus at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
The Web site of HSH Inc. (www.hsh.com), a mortgage researcher in Butler, N.J. The site offers free mortgage calculators and sells mortgage financing and refinancing kits.
The Web site www.bankrate.com, maintained by an online aggregator of financial rates and publisher of financial information. The site has a refinancing calculator and information on the subject.
The Web site run by the Mortgage Market Information Services (www.mmis.com), a Chicago-based publisher of mortgage, real estate and financial information. Click on interest.com on the home page.
The Federal Trade Commission (www.ftc.gov) offers general refinancing information under its Consumer Education category. Click on At Home and then Refinancing Your Home. Also click on Looking for the Best Mortgage and Need a Loan? and Think Twice About Using Your Home as Collateral. Or call the FTC’s Consumer Response Center toll-free at 877-382-4357.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Web site (www.hud.gov). The site discusses streamlined refinancing of Federal Housing Administration mortgages and offers a list of approved lenders and housing counseling agencies in each state. It also offers a link to Fannie Mae’s Web site.
Consumers Union (www.consumersunion.org) offers information on financing (in its Financial Services category) and on how to avoid falling prey to home equity fraud.