Refinancing

How Soon Can You Refinance After Closing? The Seasoning Rules for VA, FHA, and Conventional Loans

Douglas Wilkerson

Published on: 10/11/2026

You just closed — so when can you refinance? VA and FHA streamline loans make you wait about seven months. A conventional rate-and-term refinance has no agency waiting period at all. Here are the actual seasoning rules, with the math.

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Your ARM Is About to Adjust — Refinance to Fixed Before the Reset, or Ride It Out?

Douglas Wilkerson

Published on: 04/11/2026

A standard 5/6 ARM can move up to 2 points at its first adjustment — on $350,000, 6.25% to 8.25% adds $474.42 a month. The refinance math, the three options at the reset, and the 18.4-month break-even.

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Already Have a VA Loan? The Streamline Refinance That Skips the Appraisal — and the Three Tests It Must Pass

Douglas Wilkerson

Published on: 31/10/2026

The VA streamline refinance skips the appraisal and the income paperwork — but it still has to pass three tests: 210 days and six payments, a rate drop of at least half a point, and costs paid back within 36 months. On a $350,000 loan at 8.00%, dropping to 7.24% saves $182.94 a month.

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Still Paying PMI? The Three Exits — and the Refinance Shortcut When Your Servicer Says No

Douglas Wilkerson

Published on: 29/10/2026

Private mortgage insurance has three exits on a conventional loan: request cancellation at 80%, automatic termination at 78%, or refinance at 80% of today's value. Here is the math on a real Jacksonville example.

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