Short Refinance

A short refinance is a term used to describe the refinance of a mortgage loan by a lender for a borrower who is currently in default on their mortgage payments. To help a borrower avoid foreclosure, lenders short-refinance a mortgage.

The new loan amount will typically be less than the current outstanding loan amount. Sometimes, the lender forgives the difference. A lender may choose a short refinance, even though the monthly payment will be lower than the existing loan amount. This is because it is cheaper than foreclosure proceedings.

How A Short Refinance Works

 
 

The lender can foreclose the house if the borrower is unable to pay the mortgage. One of the most popular debt instruments is the mortgage. It is secured by the collateral specified real property and the borrower is required to repay it with a set of predetermined payments. Individuals and businesses can use mortgages to purchase large amounts of real estate without having to pay the full amount upfront. The borrower repays the loan plus interest over many years until they are free and clear of the property.

The loan is converted to default if the borrower can't make their mortgage payments. The bank has several options once that happens. The most well-known and most feared option for a lender is foreclosure. This means that the lender takes over the property, expropriates the homeowner, then sells the house. However, foreclosure is an expensive and lengthy legal process that lenders might not want to go through. It may not receive any payments for as long as a year after the foreclosure process began and it could also lose all fees.

Lenders may offer a short refinance to borrowers who are at high risk of default. A borrower might also request a short loan. The borrower may also be eligible for a short refinance. This allows them to keep their home and lowers the amount they owe. However, there's a downside. The borrower's credit rating will likely drop as they don't pay the full amount of their original mortgage.

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Short Refinance Compared To Other Foreclosure Options

If a property is unable to sell at a foreclosure sale, or if it never went through one otherwise, lenders usually banks typically take over the property and may add to an accumulated collection of a foreclosed property.

You can usually find foreclosure properties on the banks' websites. These properties are attractive for real estate investors because banks may sell them at a discounted market value which can adversely affect the lender.

The borrower will see a foreclosure on their credit report within one month. After that, it will stay there for seven years starting from the day of the first missed payment. After seven years, the foreclosure is removed from the borrower’s report.

Go Back To The Foreclosure Overview Now.

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