Mortgage recast vs refinance: when a lump sum beats a new loan
How a $50,000 principal payment and a $250 fee can replace a $6,000 refinance, and when it cannot.
The RefiCalc blog
Honest writing on mortgage refinancing. Math on the page, sources named, no lead-gen.
Will refi shopping wreck my credit? (No, if you do it right)
How FICO treats multiple mortgage inquiries, the 14-to-45 day window, and why shopping three lenders is strictly better than one.
FHA streamline refinance: the fastest refi in the book
No appraisal, reduced documentation, and a net-tangible-benefit rule. When it saves you thousands, and when it will not.
ARM-to-fixed refinance: the one refi that almost always wins
When your 5/1 or 7/1 ARM is about to reset, locking a fixed rate is usually the safest move. The math in plain English.
Kill FHA mortgage insurance by refinancing to conventional
FHA MIP is permanent on most new loans. Conventional PMI drops off at 20 percent equity. This is how you make the switch.
Cash-out refinance vs HELOC: the honest comparison
Rate, flexibility, closing costs, and tax treatment. When cash-out wins and when a HELOC is strictly better.
The 1% rate drop rule is a myth (and what the actual threshold is)
Why the old refi rule-of-thumb fails, and how to replace it with a two-variable check that works in any rate environment.
Refinance closing costs, line by line
Origination, title, appraisal, escrow, points, and the fees lenders hope you will not notice. A CFPB-sourced walkthrough.
The term-extension trap: when a lower rate costs you $47,000
How a 30-year refinance on a 25-year balance quietly adds five years of interest, and three ways to capture the rate drop without paying for it.
The two definitions of refinance break-even (and why it matters)
Closing-cost recovery versus lifetime net. Most calculators only show the first. Here is the math for both.
Need the calculator first? Head to the refinance break-even calculator. Got a post idea? Send it over.