Browse Mortgages and Real Estate Finance

Refinance Types and Programs

Refinance types, recasts, cash-out refinancing, and program-specific refinancing routes.

Refinance Types and Programs covers refinance programs, mortgage relief, affordability programs, and refinancing terms that can change an existing mortgage obligation.

Use these pages when replacing, modifying, or supporting an existing loan changes borrower cost, maturity, payment risk, or eligibility. It sits inside Refinance Programs, so readers can move up when the broader property-finance context matters.

Use the table below to choose the narrower mortgage or real-estate finance branch before applying a term to a loan file, closing record, servicing review, investor report, appraisal, or valuation model. Move into the term page when the document, calculation, party role, lien position, or property cash flow matters.

What This Branch Covers

AreaUse it for
Cash-Out RefinancingCash-out refinancing is a mortgage refinancing strategy that allows homeowners to replace their existing mortgage with a new one, typically for a larger amount.
Home Affordable Refinance Program (HARP)Former U.S. refinance program that let many underwater borrowers replace existing mortgages even when home values had fallen below loan balances.
Mortgage RecastLoan adjustment where a borrower pays down principal and the lender recalculates remaining payments without replacing the mortgage.
Rate-and-Term RefinanceRefinance that changes interest rate, maturity, or payment structure without primarily extracting cash from home equity.
REFIREFI refers to mortgage loans originating from the refinancing of existing debt.
RefinanceRefinancing is the process by which a business or individual revises the interest rate, payment schedule, and other terms of a previous credit agreement.
USDA Streamlined RefinancingUSDA streamlined refinancing is a mortgage-refinancing option specifically designed for homeowners who originally financed their home purchase with a USDA loan.

What to Check

  • Existing loan terms, payoff amount, new rate, fees, term, closing costs, and program eligibility.
  • Borrower income, credit, occupancy, LTV, appraisal, and seasoning requirements.
  • Relief program, refinance program, modification, or government-support document.
  • Effect on payment, total cost, amortization, equity, tax, and default risk.
  • Current program rules and jurisdiction-specific requirements.

Common Mistakes

  • Comparing refinance options by rate alone.
  • Ignoring fees, term extension, points, prepayment penalties, and total interest.
  • Treating relief programs as automatic entitlement.
  • Assuming refinancing is always available when property value or credit changes.

Refinance-program content is educational and does not provide refinancing, lending, legal, tax, credit, or housing-program advice.

In this section

Choose a subsection first. Deeper term pages live inside each subsection, which keeps large topic hubs readable.

Cash-Out Refinancing

Cash-out refinancing is a mortgage refinancing strategy that allows homeowners to replace their existing mortgage with a new one, typically for a larger amount.

HARP

Former U.S. refinance program that let many underwater borrowers replace existing mortgages even when home values had fallen below loan balances.

Mortgage Recast

Mortgage Recast is a mortgage or real estate finance concept used in property financing, underwriting, valuation, or ownership analysis.

Rate-and-Term Refinance

Rate-and-Term Refinance is a mortgage or real estate finance concept used in property financing, underwriting, valuation, or ownership analysis.

REFI

REFI refers to mortgage loans originating from the refinancing of existing debt.

Refinance

Refinancing is the process by which a business or individual revises the interest rate, payment schedule, and other terms of a previous credit agreement.

USDA Streamlined Refinancing

USDA streamlined refinancing is a mortgage-refinancing option specifically designed for homeowners who originally financed their home purchase with a USDA loan.

Revised on Sunday, June 21, 2026