Chances are you're familiar with refinancing your mortgage if you own a home. But did you know you can also refinance a property you own to make money from? This is called an investment property refinance, and it can help you manage your loan better, get some extra cash for improvements, or invest in other ways. Here's a simple guide to help you understand how it works.

 

Pros of Refinancing An Investment Property

If you own a property that you rent out to tenants, refinancing it can offer you some great benefits. There are a number of good reasons why you might want to consider refinancing your investment property.

 

Reduce Your Investment Property Refinance Rates

Are you looking to refinance your investment property but feel overwhelmed by the interest rates? Well, did you know that the interest rate for an investment property is typically higher than what you would pay for your primary home? This is because lenders consider investment properties a higher risk than personal homes. They assume that if you ever run into financial difficulty and can only afford one mortgage payment, you would prioritize your primary residence.

 

But don't worry, you can still search for a lower rate by refinancing. Refinancing can give you access to lower rates if you can show that you successfully manage your rental property's cash flow or have enough alternative income to cover both mortgage payments. Before you refinance, compare your current interest rate with offers from different lenders to ensure you are getting the best deal.

 

Change the Loan's Terms

Are you looking to change the terms of your investment property's loan? You have options to either shorten or lengthen your loan's term. By shortening your loan's term, you'll pay more each month but ultimately pay less interest over time. On the other hand, lengthening your loan's term means you'll pay less each month, but you'll have to pay more interest over time. 

If you're having trouble keeping up with your monthly payments, lengthening your loan term might be a better option for you. Refinancing your mortgage by changing the length of your loan may or may not change your interest rate, so it's essential to understand the terms of the new loan. 

Another option is to switch from an adjustable-rate mortgage to a fixed-rate mortgage. This can be a good choice because it means your interest rate won't change from month to month, giving you a more consistent monthly expense.

 

Utilize Your Home Equity

As you continue to make your monthly payments on your home, you start to own more and more of it. Your home equity is the amount of ownership you have in your property, and it includes any money you put down when you first bought the home, plus any principal payments you've made since then. It's important to know that paying off interest doesn't increase your home equity.

Let's say you bought a house for $300,000 with a down payment of $60,000, which is 20% of the cost. Over time, you paid off $80,000 on your mortgage principal and still have $160,000 left to pay. In this example, your home equity is $220,000, which you can use for various expenses.

If you need to pay for home repairs, credit card debt, or other expenses, you can borrow against your home equity. To do this, you can take out a home equity loan or do a cash-out refinance.

 

Boost Your Rental Income

Are you making the most out of your investment property? Did you know that by making a few upgrades or repairs, you can increase the amount of rent you receive? Here are some simple and common upgrades that can help you increase your rental income:

 

• Adding more living space by extending the house.
• Turning your basement into a separate apartment that you can rent out.
• Fixing the roof and replacing any missing tiles.
• Investing in appliances, cabinets, and floors that need to be upgraded.
• Repainting the interior rooms to improve the look of the property.
• Building or maintaining outdoor structures like pools or fences.
• Installing a new furnace or central air conditioner.

 

By improving the livability of your property, you can keep your current tenants happy and attract new ones, which means you can charge more in rent. Plus, these upgrades will increase the value of your property, so when you decide to sell it, you can sell it for more money.

 

Fund Other Real Estate Investments

If you own a home, you may be able to use the equity you've built up over time to invest in other real estate opportunities. This could mean using some of that equity to make a down payment on a new property you're interested in buying. As your home's value goes up, so does your equity, which means you could potentially use even more of it to invest in additional properties.

 

With the funds you get from refinancing your mortgage, you could even invest in different types of real estate, such as commercial buildings. Ultimately, using your home equity to invest in real estate can be a smart way to grow your wealth over time.

 

Finance Almost Anything Else

When you refinance a loan, you can use the money you receive in a lot of different ways. You can save up for your child's college tuition, invest in a company, pay off high-interest credit card debt, pay for medical bills, go on a dream vacation, buy a new car or a yacht, or even make upgrades to your home. Refinancing can give you access to cash quickly and easily, so you can use it for anything you need.

 

Steps to Refinance Investment Property Mortgages

Refinancing an investment property is more complicated than refinancing your primary home. If you're planning to refinance your investment property, you need to follow a few important steps:

 

Build Equity

If you want to refinance your investment property, you'll first need to build up some equity in it. Basically, this means that you need to own a certain percentage of the property's value before you can refinance. Most lenders require that you have at least 25% equity in the property, which means that the amount you owe on the property is no more than 75% of its value.

 

Collect Proper Documentation

To refinance an investment property, you need to gather a few more documents than you would for a home you live in. Some of the documents that you'll most likely need to provide include:

 

• Proof of Income
• Recent W-2 forms or pay stubs/slips
• Proof of homeowners insurance
• Copy of your title insurance
• Copies of your asset information

 

Assess Your Debt-to-Income (DTI) Ratio

It's important to know your debt-to-income (DTI) ratio when you're thinking of refinancing an investment property. Lenders usually like to see a DTI ratio of 45% or less. If your DTI ratio is higher than that, you can work on improving it by paying off some of your existing debts before you apply.

Obtain an Appraisal

When you're looking to refinance your home, your lender will want to know how much your property is currently worth and how much rental income it could generate. To figure this out, they'll need to get a professional appraisal of your home. This will help them decide whether you have enough equity in your home to refinance.

 

Set Aside Money for Closing Costs

When you refinance your home, you'll need to pay closing costs just like you did when you bought the property. These costs typically amount to around $5,000, but the actual amount can vary depending on the size of your loan and where your property is located. It's important to set aside money for these expenses so you're prepared when the time comes to refinance.

 

Bottom Line

Refinancing your investment property might be a good idea if you want to lower your interest rates, change the terms of your loan, use your home equity, increase your rental income, fund other real estate investments, or finance something else. When making this decision, it is important to compare offers from different lenders and understand the new loan's terms.