Back deck in Southwest Fort Collins
Dana Ortiz, loan officer. Meets you at your kitchen table.
Should You Refinance? Or Wait?
Five quick questions. You get the refinance that fits, or a plain answer that says hold off. No credit pull, no email needed.
What people come to me for
Four Reasons to Refinance in Northern Colorado
Every one of these is a real kind of call I get. Tap a photo to see it bigger.
A Lower Payment
You bought when rates were high. If today's rate is well below yours and you plan to stay, a rate and term refi can cut the payment. I show the break even month first.
Best when you stay past the break even
Cash for a Basement or a Roof
Finishing a basement or replacing a hail damaged roof. If your first mortgage rate is low, a HELOC often beats a cash out refi. If it is high, cash out can make sense.
Most loans stop at 80 percent of value
Drop the Mortgage Insurance
Northern Colorado values climbed. You may already own 20 percent. On a conventional loan, ask your servicer first. On an FHA loan, a refi to conventional is often the only way out.
Sometimes no refi needed
Pay It Off Sooner
A 15 or 20 year loan costs more each month and far less in interest. If your rate is already low, paying extra on the loan you have does the same thing for free.
Compare it to extra paymentsThe honest part
When I Tell People to Wait
About a third of my calls end with "not yet". Here is why.
- You might move soonClosing costs come due now. If you sell before the savings catch up, the refi lost you money.
- The rate drop is smallA quarter point rarely covers the costs unless the loan is large.
- Your rate is already lowGiving up a 3 percent loan to get cash usually costs more than a HELOC or a personal budget plan.
- You are near the finishLate in a loan, most of the payment goes to principal. Starting over at 30 years can cost more overall.
Who you talk to
One Loan Officer, No Call Center
I'm Dana. I work from home in Fort Collins and I come to you. You get my cell, and I answer it.
- Where
- Your kitchen table, the library or a video call
- When
- Weekdays 8 to 6, evenings by appointment
- Cost to talk
- Nothing. You see real costs on a Loan Estimate before you decide.
What Neighbors Say
Dana told us to get a HELOC for the basement and keep our 2.9 percent loan. Nobody else said that.
Aaron M. Timnath
She sat at our table for an hour and walked us through the numbers. We refinanced out of FHA and the insurance was gone.
Keisha and Tom B. Loveland
I called ready to refi. She said wait until my rate gap was bigger. Six months later it was, and she called me.
Gary L. Windsor
Sample reviews written for this demo. Your site shows your real Google reviews, word for word.
Straight answers
Refinance Questions
If yours is not here, text or call. Dana answers her own phone.
Fort Collins, Loveland, Windsor, Timnath, Wellington, Laporte, Berthoud and Greeley. Video calls anywhere in Colorado.
How much does it cost to refinance?
Most refinances cost about 2 to 5 percent of the loan, for the appraisal, title, recording and lender fees. You get every cost in writing on a Loan Estimate before you decide anything.
Is a HELOC better than a cash out refinance?
If your current rate is lower than today's, often yes. A HELOC leaves your first mortgage alone and only charges interest on what you draw. Its rate can change over time, so it is a better fit for amounts you can pay back in a few years.
Can I drop PMI without refinancing?
On most conventional loans, yes. Once you reach 20 percent equity you can ask your servicer to remove it, and a new appraisal can count the value your home gained. Refinancing just for PMI is usually the expensive way.
Do you meet in person?
Yes. Dana meets at your kitchen table, the library or a coffee shop anywhere from Wellington to Berthoud. Video calls work too.
Will checking my options hurt my credit?
The guide on this page does not touch your credit. When you apply, the lender pulls your credit, and several mortgage pulls within a short window usually count as one.