Creditors knocking on your door and a phone ringing off the hook are not virtual nightmares. They're for real. The only way out is to have your mortgage refinanced to regain your sanity.
This must come with a promise that you'll change your spending habits because a refinance mortgage is serious business. You'll have to put your beloved home, rodents and all, on the line. So call your creditors and beg them to give you time. They'll listen. Credit card companies want their money back too, that's how they survive. They can't get your house and that's a comforting thought, so call them.
With a reprieve, start shopping for a reliable lender for your refinance. You'll be sleeping better knowing there's hope.
Don't jump into the fire
People make the mistake of hurrying up their loans and getting 3rd degree burns. Stay cool and shop for the best deal in the planet. But while you're at it, stop using your credit cards and live on a miserly budget.
Be realistic, with a loan hanging over your head, times ahead will be hard. With this caveat, get a refinance mortgage with eyes open. Don't be lulled by promises that you'll be able to breeze through your loans. You will, with determined belt tightening. No more dinners out nor fancy shopping, unless you use those smart coupons.
what to do?
Get all your credit cards and check out the outstanding balance of each card. List the priority credit. It pays to start with the smaller balances and pay these in full when you get your refinance mortgage money. Those small balances will balloon if you don't watch out.
While paying those balances, also debit your other balances. As you go along you'll find you'll be dealing with less credit cards. Go ahead, hang that paid credit card like a prized trophy once it's fully paid. It will be a good reminder of your triumphant struggles.
Don't get a $200K refinance mortgage for a $30K credit card loan, unless you have emergency purchases or payments like a hospital bill or college education for your kids.
The lure of hard cash is irresistible, but think about the times ahead. After the credit card debts and refinance mortgage loan is paid up in let's say, ten years, go get another loan for a meaningful big purchase.
Play Smart
Don't eye those teaser rates. Instead, look for a fixed interest rate that's lower than your current mortgage. You'll be able to play around your budget without dealing with surprise attacks of high interest rates. You'll sleep easy like Rip Van Winkle, but for only 10 years.
Choose a short payment term, and avoid borrowing more than the value of your home. Pay closing costs upfront instead of having it on the loan fees. You're getting a loan to pay your credit card debts, not make your life more miserable. So slash your credit card debts instead of your wrists with a refinance mortgage loan.
