Mortgage refinance hub

Mortgage Refinance Options Built Around Your Goals

Whether you want to lower your payment, access cash, consolidate debt, remove PMI, or compare if a HELOC makes more sense, Andes Mortgage helps you understand your refinance options before you make a move.

What do you want to accomplish?

Why Homeowners Refinance

A refinance can solve different problems depending on your current mortgage, equity, credit profile, and financial goals.

Lower Your Payment

Compare whether a new loan could reduce your monthly mortgage payment.

Access Home Equity

Use a cash-out refinance to turn part of your home equity into usable funds.

Consolidate Debt

Pay off high-interest debt and simplify your monthly obligations.

Remove PMI

If your home value has increased, a refinance may help remove mortgage insurance.

Change Your Loan Structure

Move from one loan type, term, or mortgage structure into one that fits better now.

Remove Co-Borrowers

Remove others from the loan and/or the title of the property.

Which Refinance Option Fits Your Goal?

Start with your goal. Then compare the refinance path that may fit your situation.

Goal

Lower my monthly payment

Recommended path: Lower Payment Refinance

Goal

Pull cash from my equity

Recommended path: Cash-Out Refinance

Goal

Pay off credit cards or debt

Recommended path: Debt Consolidation Refinance

Goal

Pay my mortage faster

Recommended path: Rate/Term refinance

Goal

Compare current pricing

Recommended path: Today’s Refinance Rates

Goal

Run the numbers

Recommended path: Refinance Calculator

Goal

I'm self-employed or 1099 contractor

Recommended path: Bank Statement Loan Options

Goal

I want to keep my current low rate

Recommended path: Bank Statement HELOC / HELOC Options

Goal

I have an FHA or VA loan

Recommended path: FHA Loans / VA Loans

Not sure where to start?

Run the Numbers Before You Refinance

Before replacing your current mortgage, compare your current payment against a possible new refinance. Estimate monthly savings, closing costs, break-even point, and cash-out scenarios.

Use the calculator as a decision checkpoint

The right refinance is not only about the rate. It should also make sense after closing costs, time in the home, equity goals, and your current loan structure are considered.

Estimate monthly savings

Compare your current payment with a possible new refinance payment.

Check break-even timing

See how long it may take for savings to offset refinance costs.

Compare cash-out scenarios

Review how accessing equity may affect the new loan amount and payment.

Refinance Quick Check

Estimate your monthly savings and break-even point before replacing your current mortgage.

Should You Refinance, Use a HELOC, or Keep Your Current Mortgage?

A refinance is not always the best move. Sometimes a HELOC or home equity loan may solve the problem without replacing your current mortgage.

Option

Best For

Keeps Current First Mortgage?

Main Trade-Off

Rate-and-Term Refinance

Lowering payment, changing term, or improving loan structure, removing others.

No

Closing costs and a new loan term 

Cash-Out Refinance

Large lump-sum equity needs, keeps one mortgage, one rate, one payment.

No

Replaces your existing mortgage

HELOC

Flexible access to equity

Yes

Often variable payment and rate

Home Equity Loan

Fixed second mortgage payment

Yes

Adds a second monthly payment

Keep Current Mortgage

Homeowners with a strong existing rate or short break-even timeline

Yes

May not solve cash-flow or equity goals

Rate-and-Term Refinance

Best For: Lowering payment, changing term, or improving loan structure

Keeps Current First Mortgage? No

Main Trade-Off: Closing costs and a new loan term

Cash-Out Refinance

Best For: Large lump-sum equity needs

Keeps Current First Mortgage? No

Main Trade-Off: Replaces your existing mortgage

HELOC

Best For: Flexible access to equity

Keeps Current First Mortgage? Yes

Main Trade-Off: Often variable payment and rate

Home Equity Loan

Best For: Fixed second mortgage payment

Keeps Current First Mortgage? Yes

Main Trade-Off: Adds a second monthly payment

Keep Current Mortgage

Best For: Homeowners with a strong existing rate or short break-even timeline

Keeps Current First Mortgage? Yes

Main Trade-Off: May not solve cash-flow or equity goals

Should I Refinance? (Does it make sense)

A good refinance should improve your financial picture. If the numbers do not work, the better move may be to keep your current mortgage or look at a HELOC instead.

Refinance 👌

The payment savings are meaningful

You are lowering your rate by at least 0.5% 

The break-even point is less than 1 year

You plan to keep the home long enough 

You want to shorten the term of your mortgage

You need to access your home equity

You are using your equity to pay off debt

You are able to remove PMI

Why Not To Refinance 😵‍💫

Your current rate is much lower than today’s rates

Monthly savings are not worthwhile enough

The rate change is not low enough to make sense

Closing costs outweight the savings of refinancing

You plan to sell soon

A HELOC may be a smarter way to tap into your equity

You only need short term access to equity

Explore Refinance Program Paths

Different loan types have different refinance options. Andes Mortgage can help compare programs across multiple lenders.

Conventional Refinance

Compare rate, term, PMI, and equity strategies for conventional loans.

FHA Refinance

FHA Streamline and cash-out refinance options for homeowners with FHA financing.

VA Refinance

Compare VA IRRL and cash out for eligible veterans, service members, and surviving spouses.

USDA Streamline

Lower the interest rate and the monthly payment of your USDA mortgage. 

Cash-Out Refinance

Use home equity for larger lump-sum needs when the numbers work.

Non-QM Refinance

Self-employed homeowners may qualify using alternative income documentation.

Jumbo Refinance

Compare refinance paths for larger loan amounts and unique borrower profiles.

Investment Property Refinance

Evaluate refinance strategies for rental, investor, and portfolio goals.

Refinance to Remove PMI

Check whether increased equity may help eliminate mortgage insurance.

Mortgage Refinance FAQs

Mortgage refinancing replaces your current mortgage with a new loan. Homeowners often refinance to lower their payment, access equity, consolidate debt, remove PMI, or change loan terms.

It may make sense when the monthly savings, cash-out benefit, debt consolidation strategy, or loan improvement outweigh the closing costs and long-term impact.

Yes, refinancing may lower your payment if the new loan has a lower rate, longer term, lower mortgage insurance cost, or better loan structure. The numbers should be compared carefully before moving forward.

A rate-and-term refinance changes the loan rate, term, or structure without taking significant cash out. A cash-out refinance replaces your mortgage with a larger loan and gives you part of your equity back as cash.

It depends. A cash-out refinance replaces your current first mortgage, while a HELOC usually keeps your first mortgage in place and adds a second line of credit. If your current mortgage rate is low, a HELOC may be worth comparing.

Yes, some homeowners use a debt consolidation refinance to pay off high-interest credit cards or other debts. This can simplify payments, but it is important to compare the long-term cost and avoid building the debt back up.

Possibly. If your home value has increased and your loan-to-value ratio has improved, refinancing may help remove PMI depending on the loan type and qualification requirements.

Yes. Self-employed homeowners may qualify through traditional documentation or alternative programs such as bank statement loans, depending on income, credit, equity, and lender guidelines.

Refinance closing costs may include lender fees, title fees, appraisal fees, prepaid taxes and insurance, and other third-party costs. These should be compared against the monthly savings or cash-out benefit.

Divide the estimated closing costs by the estimated monthly savings. For example, if closing costs are $5,000 and the refinance saves $250 per month, the break-even point is about 20 months.

Not Sure Which Refinance Option Fits?

Answer a few quick questions and Andes Mortgage Match™ can help point you toward the refinance path that may make the most sense for your goals.